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Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has approached the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) with a complaint against Kapil Mishra, a BJP politician who is using social media platforms to spew communal hate against minorities of the country.
The CJP complaint dated November 18, 2020 brings to the MEITY’s notice that Kapil Mishra has been using his Twitter account to circulate a google form for his followers to fill and become a part of “Hindu Ecosystem Team” to work together and build the “right” narrative in the media. The form seeks personal details like name, profession, special interests (“gauraksha, gausewa, fight love Jihad, ghar wapsi, halal, mandir nirmal, hindu ekta, sewa, etc”) of his massive eight lakh followers. The membership form asks one to specify whether they would be joining the team “online” or “on the ground” or both.
The complaint further states how he enjoys validation through a number of followers and likes and that in addition to his tweet, the comment section below his tweet is also a communal menace. There are suggestions in his comment section asking Kapil Mishra to re-do the entire form and ask for Aadhaar details of people who want to join to make sure no Muslim infiltrates the Hindu Ecosystem team.
The complaint further adds that even though Twitter has already declared the membership link “potentially unsafe” and “violent or misleading content that could lead to real world harm”, Kapil Mishra has already advertised online that 18,000 people have been recruited. The complaint mentions how some Twitter users appealed to Mishra to make the link available on other websites as Twitter was allegedly being “bias” against Hindus.
The complaint further cites evidence of inflammatory speeches made by Kapil Mishra on the eve of communal violence that broke out in North East Delhi early this year, appealing MEITY to acknowledge what this new formation can do to public harmony. The complaint lists down the violation of several sections of the Information Technology Act and Indian Penal Code by allowing such content on social media platforms.
It highlights the various offences of promoting enmity, causing disharmony, outraging religious feelings, spreading unverified claims which have been mentioned in detail in the complaint. CJP has prayed that the Ministry take cognisance of the gross misuse of digital platforms in spreading such hate propaganda against Muslims that may lead to social unrest and discrimination.
The entire complaint may be read here:
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