Prominent Indian Leader Warns Elon Musk Of Consequences If Twitter Promotes Hate Speech In 'Volatile Environment'

Elon Musk taking over Twitter Inc TWTR in a $44 billion deal has drawn world leaders' attention as the Tesla Inc TSLA founder advocates for 'free speech' on Twitter. 

What Happened: In a recent statement, India's top opposition party member and former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Shashi Tharoor warned that if Twitter interfered with free speech in India or the opposite by permitting hate speech and abuse, then the IT committee should take action. 

On @elonmusk: Who owns which social media company is not our concern. What matters is what they do & how. If we find @Twitter either interfering w/free speech in India, or the opposite (permitting hate speech &abuse) in our volatile environment, then the IT Cmt shld take action. pic.twitter.com/kDQNLgjSkO

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 27, 2022

Tharoor, who is known for his wit, tweeted his views with a cartoon sketch showing Donald Trump and Elon Musk in a conversation, where the latter is seen saying, 'Real Billionaires Just Buy Twitter.'

"Who owns which social media company is not our concern. What matters is what they do [and] how," Tharoor said in his tweet. 

This came after the Indian Minister of Information and Technology said the country's goals and expectations of accountability, safety, and trust remain unchanged. Twitter, along with other social giants like Meta Platforms Inc. FB and Alphabet Inc. GOOGL GOOG, has often faced heat in India -- and the changing dynamics after Musk's takeover of Twitter will be a key scenario in policymaking. 

Price Action: According to data from Benzinga Pro, Twitter shares closed 3.89% lower at $49.68 a share.