The Web site of Communication and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal ( >www.kapilsibalmp.com ) was hacked on Friday morning for which the hacking group Anonymous claimed responsibility.

The ‘About Kapil Sibal’ page of the Web site was hacked saying, “Kapil Sibal is the world's biggest retard. Born with a below 60 IQ he thought he could mess with the Internet and let the elite of his party suppress freedom of speech.”

“He (Sibal) had used the words 'Victims of freedom of Expression'. He is hiding the fact that #66A is breaking the internet media,” Anonymous said in its tweet.

After the event, there has been several rounds of tweets and retweets through the Anonymous’ account (@opindia_revenge) like ‘why did the govt. pass 66A? To make sure that online media in India is neutered and is made as un-free as the rest of the media in India.’

The hacking is been also followed by a new account in Twitter called Section66a @Section66a and its profile detail saying, ‘If I read anything I dont like, I will find you and I will hunt you down... (Does not represent actual govt. view...just to make it clear).’

And one of its first tweets says, ‘@opindia_revenge I see that you had been expecting me...’.

The blow to the IT Minister’s Web site in response to the recent cases wherein Section 66A was ‘misused’, especially after the arrest of two girls in Maharashtra on a post on Facebook, where she questioned the need for a 'bandh' being observed in Mumbai on the death of the Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.

It raised a rage against the IT Act 2000, especially on youth, on their right to free online speech.

It also led to a public interest litigation filed by a Delhi student, Shreya Singhal in the Supreme Court on Thursday and the apex Court on Friday has directed the Maharashtra government to explain the circumstances under which its police arrested two girls.

Meanwhile, a meeting led by Kapil Sibal was held on Thursday, to discuss the issues related to the Information Technology Act, 2000, with representatives of Government, intermediaries, industry associations as well as members of civil society.

And to give some respite, one of the senior Government officials after the meeting said that from now on, it will be mandatory that senior officials, above the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police and Inspector General of the Police, will have to give permission to register a case under this Act (66A).

>ronendrasingh.s@thehindu.co.in

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