Twitter India has locked Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Uttara Kannada and former Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde’s account, over tweets that “violate Twitter norms” and has asked him to delete those tweets to unlock it.

Mr. Hegde, in a press statement, said the action by Twitter was over his tweets that “reveal explicitly the modus operandi and hidden agenda of Tablighi Jamaat movement within India and around the world.” The MP, known for his controversial and communal comments, recently wrote a two-part article — “Islam Politics” and “Are Tablighis carrying out Virus Jihad?” — alleging a conspiracy by Tablighi Jamaat to spread COVID-19 not only in India but around the world as well. He has also accused the Jamaat of involvement in several terror attacks around the world over the last 40 years. The two-part series has been published on his personal website and their links published on Twitter.

Following his account being locked, Mr. Hegde said he was “least bothered about the Twitter account that has now been blocked” and that he “would never delete his tweet and stands firm on the statement.”

Meanwhile, he alleged that the action by Twitter was motivated. He said he has lodged a complaint with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah about an opinion poll for a referendum on Khalistan, a separate Punjab, being promoted as an advertisement on Twitter.