Twitter has been given a final chance to appoint India-based officers following the country’s new rules for social media companies failing which it will face “consequences”, the government said on Sunday amid an escalating standoff with the platform.

“Twitter Inc. is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the Rules, failing which the exemption from liability available under section 79 of the IT Act, 2000 shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India,” the government said.

The move came on a day when a new flashpoint emerged in the face-off between Twitter and the government following the brief removal of the “blue tick” verification badge from the personal account of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu since it had not been logged into for six months.