Google-owned YouTube on Thursday removed 11 objectionable video links of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan during an air combat on Wednesday.
The YouTube took the decision after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology asked the video streaming platform to do so.
When contacted, a Google spokesperson said the company complies with “valid legal requests from authorities wherever possible, consistent with our longstanding policy and act quickly to remove such material”.
“Data on Government requests to remove content from Google services is regularly updated in our transparency report,” the spokesperson added.
Hashtags like #BringbackAbhinandan, #SayNoToWar, #MiG21, #F16 and #PakFakeClaim were trending as netizens from both the sides of border turned to social media to express their views.
“India also strongly objected to Pakistan’s vulgar display of an injured personnel of the IAF in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention.
“It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return,” the MEA said in a statement.
A host of American IT giants like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Google continue to host anti-India and jehadi content floated by UN-banned terrorists like Hafiz Sayeed, and the chief of banned terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad and its leader Masood Azhar. Interestingly, these US companies also have a significant presence in the Indian market but are not taking any action to delete such contents, many of which are used for radicalisation and ultimately lead to terrorist attacks by the terror proxies of the Pakistan Army and the ISI combine.