Although, he was subsequently allowed to access the account, taking to India-made micro-blogging platform Koo, the minister called the action by the US-headquartered Twitter as "a gross violation of the IT guidelines".
"Twitter's actions were in gross violation of Rule 4(8) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 where they failed to provide me any prior notice before denying me access to my own account," he said.
Prasad, who has been at the forefront of government's drive to bring in more compliance and stricter norms for social media platforms, added: "It is apparent that my statements calling out the high handedness and arbitrary actions of Twitter, particularly sharing the clips of my interviews to TV channels and its powerful impact, have clearly ruffled its feathers."
Further, the minister, who also handles the portfolio of law said that it is now apparent as to why Twitter is refusing to comply with the Intermediary Guidelines because if Twitter does comply, it would be unable to arbitrarily deny access to an individual's account which does not suit their agenda.
In a series of posts on Koo, the minister also said that Twitter's actions indicate that they are not the harbinger of free speech that they claim to be but are only interested in running their own agenda, with the threat that if you do not toe the line they draw, they will arbitrarily remove you from their platform.
"No matter what any platform does they will have to abide by the new IT Rules fully and there shall be no compromise on that," he added.
Twitter, on the other hand, has lost its status of intermediary platform in India over non-compliance to the new intermediary guidelines.
As a result of the development, the company has lost its legal shield in the country from prosecution over posts.
The micro-blogging platform recently said that it has appointed an interim Chief Compliance Officer, as per the new norms, and the details of which would be soon shared with the IT Ministry directly.
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tweeted that the government is committed to protecting the privacy of Indian citizens. He asserted that government agencies have a "well-established protocol for interception which includes sanction and supervision from highly ranked officials in central and state governments, for clear stated reasons in national interest".
"The Government of India is concerned over the breach of privacy of citizens of India on the messaging platform WhatsApp. We have asked WhatsApp to explain the kind of breach and what it is doing to safeguard the privacy of millions of Indian citizens," Prasad said.
Hitting out at the Opposition, Prasad said those trying to make political gain out of it should be reminded of bugging incidents in the office of former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee during the UPA regime, as also spying over then Army Chief General V K Singh.
"Those trying to make political capital out of it need to be gently reminded about the bugging incident in the office of the then eminent Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee during UPA regime. Also a gentle reminder of the spying over the then Army Chief Gen V. K. Singh," Prasad said.
Earlier on Thursday, the Congress alleged that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government has been "caught snooping" after WhatsApp said journalists and human rights activists in India have been targets of surveillance, and urged the Supreme Court to hold the Centre accountable over the issue.
Facebook-owned messaging platform said Indian journalists and human right activists were among those globally spied upon by unnamed entities using an Israeli sypware Pegasus.
WhatsApp said it was suing NSO Group, an Israeli surveillance firm, that is reportedly behind the technology that helped unnamed entities' spies to hack into phones of roughly 1,400 users.
These users span across four continents and included diplomats, political dissidents, journalists and senior government officials.
However, it did not say on whose behest the phones of journalists and activists across the world were targeted.
The information technology ministry has meanwhile sought a detailed response from WhatsApp on the issue and asked the platform to submit its reply by November 4.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the government asking WhatsApp about 'Pegasus' was like Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking Dassault Aviation on who made money on the sale of Rafale jets to India.
"The Government seeking WhatsApp's response on who bought Pegasus to spy on Indian citizens, is like Modi asking Dassault who made money on the sale of RAFALE jets to India," he tweeted.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said India woke up today to a bone-chilling news of "flagrant abuse" of privacy by agencies of the present BJP government
"We urge upon the Supreme Court to take suo moto cognisance of this brazen and blatant illegal hacking of telephones and introduction of spyware by the BJP government agencies and conduct a court-monitored inquiry," he said.
The Facebook-owned messeaging service has said that Indian scribes and human rights activists were among those globally spied upon by unnamed entities using an Israeli sypware Pegasus.
"The modus operandi was snooping, spying and compromising cell phones of journalists, Dalit activists, political and human right activists, lawyers, academicians and many more through a surveillance software called 'Pegasus' of Israeli agency NSO.
"We suspect that many opposition leaders and judges of the Supreme Court and high courts are on this list," Surjewala said.
Pegasus is able to turn on a phone's camera and microphone, crack the device's security and send passwords, contact lists, calendar events, text messages and live voice calls, the Congress leader claimed.
"Of course, all this is done without the owner's permission or knowledge. Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, has admitted that nearly 1,400 people, majority of them Indians, have been affected by the 'Pegasus' spyware.
"The number may actually be much much larger, as admitted by Facebook, which has been unable to pinpoint the exact number of phones hacked by the spyware," he said.
Surjewala said the BJP government has maintained a "conspiratorial silence" on the entire issue with the Information and Broadcasting Secretary and others refusing to respond.
Minister of Telecommunications Ravi Shankar Prasad in a tweet said, "Government has asked WhatsApp to escape snooping". "Strategically, this is pot calling the kettle black," he said.
But, Surjewala said the 'Right to Privacy' has been an anathema to the majoritarian BJP government and over the last five years it has done everything to "crush" the right of the citizens, including dissenting voices.
"It is time to remind the nation that the present BJP government is opposed to the 'Right to Privacy' to be read as part of the fundamental rights. It in fact argued that no Indian should have 'Right to Privacy' till the Supreme Court overrules and declares 'Right to Privacy' as a fundamental right," he claimed.
Surjewala alleged that the BJP government has also sought to place a 'multi-crore surveillance structure' until its designs are stopped by the intervention of the top court.
"Instead of digressing from the issue of illegal, unconstitutional and unauthorised surveillance of citizens of India by asking WhatsApp to explain, let IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and the BJP government, who have been sworn to protect the Constitution answer which agency of the government of India has purchased and deployed the 'Pegasus' surveillance software," he said.
"Who, PM or NSA, authorised the purchase of 'Pegasus' surveillance software? What action would the government take against those guilty of illegally and unconstitutionally hacking the telephones and spying on journalists, dalit, political and other activists, lawyers, academicians, opposition leaders and judges?" Surjewala asked.
In a series of tweets, he said, "Modi govt caught snooping! Appalling but not Surprising! After all, BJP Govt- 1. Fought against our right to privacy. 2. Set up a multi crore Surveillance Structure until stopped by SC."
"SC must take immediate cognisance and issue notice to BJP government," he said.
Surejwala said a government that spies on journalists, activists, opposition leaders and treats its citizens like "criminals has lost the right to lead in our democracy".
"We urge the SC to take suo motu cognizance of these illegal activities and to hold this government to account," he tweeted.
WhatsApp said it was suing NSO Group, an Israeli surveillance firm, that is reportedly behind the technology that helped unnamed entities' spies to hack into phones of roughly 1,400 users.
These users span across four continents and included diplomats, political dissidents, journalists and senior government officials. However, it did not say on whose behest the phones of journalists and activists across the world were targeted.
Tagging a media report which claimed that 1.3 million Indian payment card details are up for sale on the dark web, Surjewala also alleged that "data theft and data fraud" has become the norm since Modi government came to power.
"Is this why Modi ji calls Data the new Oil (for BJP Machine?). 1.3 million Indian Payment Card Details are up for sale on Dark Web putting the card holders vulnerable to yet another synchronised fraud," he said.