Sibal convenes meeting to discuss Mumbai girls' arrest

Taking exception to the action taken against two girls for their comments on Facebook in Maharashtra, Union communication minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said  Communication and Information Technology Ministry has convened a meeting on November 29 in this regard.

“The law has been misused with regard to lodging of a case on expressing one’s views on Facebook... everyone has the right of expression,” Sibal said in reply to a question during a function here.

The minister said he has convened a meeting of his ministry to deliberate on all such incidents which have taken place on November 29. The minister stressed that such issues can be resolved through dialogue.

To a question, the minister said that it would take about three to four years for full production of Akash tablets.

“So far, some 20 to 25 thousand tablets have been distributed in universities ... there are about 22 crore children and the production is only one lakh... we want a tablet in the hand of every child so that he can get connected with information revolution,” he said.

To a question regarding the hanging of 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab, Sibal said the government has acted in accordance with the law. On Afzal Guru, he asked why previous governments did not execute the orders on him and said that the NDA government had handed over terrorists to Pakistan.