Our Deputy Leader of Rotherham Borough Council, Cllr Jahanghir Akhtar, seems to be more than a little selective with who can read his posts and declarations on  the public/social network Twitter.

 

Maltbyblogger has been blocked from sending him messages or reading what he posts  for some time now (this came about after Cllr Akhtar accused me of being a BNP sympathiser … see an earlier blog ) and can only respond or read his posts through a 3rd or 4th party. 

For those of us not very au fait with Twitter, this doesn’t mean that someone else is telling me what he posts but that I – or anyone else – can only access them through a ‘follower’ or a follower of a follower etc.

 

Cllr Akhtar’s Twitter account profile states :

 

Jahangir Akhtar 

@Jahangirakhtar

 Tweeting in a private capacity, if you dont  like what I say please don’t follow

 united kingdom  http://akhtars.wordpress.com

 

This would be fair enough if he really was posting in “a personal capacity” but as can be seen from his tweets over the last week, this is not the case. The posts are political, related to his position as a councillor and Dep Leader and in some instances abusive.

 

 Jahangir Akhtar ‏@Jahangirakhtar  Iain Duncan Smith, has criticised the BBC for calling bedroom tax a tax!!!!! That’s what it is you plonker!!!!

 Jahangir Akhtar ‏@Jahangirakhtar   Good to see cross party support on PCP for Commissioner Shaun Wright’s 5 year policing plan which incorporates his election manifesto

 Jahangir Akhtar ‏@Jahangirakhtar   Congratulations to our Catholic brethren on the election of the new Pope Francis11 Mar

Jahangir Akhtar ‏@Jahangirakhtar  Just arrived in Wakefield to chair a seminar on local government finance for Yorkshire/ Humber Finance Cabinet members/ Chairs is Scrutiny 10 Mar

Jahangir Akhtar ‏@Jahangirakhtar  Fabulous finale to #beinghuman loved it -))

8 Mar

Jahangir Akhtar ‏@Jahangirakhtar  Attending the regional Child Sexual Exploitation Conference @MagnaScience

 Jahangir Akhtar ‏@Jahangirakhtar  Excellent Rotherhams 6th Annual Fairtrade Charity Dinner at the Wharncliff training restaurant. congrats to @kenwyatt 4 organising event. 7 Mar ” 

And so it goes on.

Is it ok  that Dep Leader Akhtar can say what he likes about members of the electorate under the premise of “if you don’t like it don’t read it”  ?  

I suggest not.

For more ‘information’ on Akhtar’s goings on check out his website    http://jahangirakhtar.org/

Maybe sign up for his newsletter ? Though, perhaps following in the footsteps of our Rother valley MP Kev Barron, no matter how many times I sign up, I never receive one.