Fresh complaint files against Twitter India for 'spreading communal hatred'

New Delhi, July 05: Jack Dorsey-owned social media site Twitter has now trapped in another legal trouble, as a Delhi-based advocate has now filed a fresh complaint against the social media giant for spreading the communal hatred in the country.

 

A per the complaint the Delhi's Advocate Aditya Singh Deshwal  has filed a complaint based on the tweet posted by a Twitter user (Atheist Republic), in which the user posted a "highly objectionable graphic/cartoon of Hindu goddess Maa Kali". The complaint has been lodged in Delhi Police's cyber against Twitter Communications India Private Ltd, Manish Maheshwari, MD, Twitter India, Shagufta Kamran, Public Policy Manager of Twitter India.

 

 

In the complaint, he alleged that this Twitter user has depicted Maa Kali in an "obnoxious manner" with an intent to "insult and demean the Hindu religion". Deshwal has stated that other content tweeted by the Atheist Republic shows that it is a "deliberate attempt to wilfully outrage and hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus to promote religious animosity amongst the people of this country".

 

"The content posted by the Twitter user is not only abusive but has been posted to cause annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred and ill will in the society," the complaint alleges.

 

 

 

He also pointed out that the Atheist Republic has been posting such blasphemous content since July 2011. "Twitter which is a microblogging website/platform in connivance with Armin Navab and the Atheist Republic has been showing this blasphemous content from July 2011. The user profile of Atheist Republic is full of such blasphemous content about Hindu Religion and other religions," the advocate said in his complaint.

 

Underling that the Twitter of allowing such content on its platform, Deshwal said accused that the social media giant has not taken steps to remove them. "Twitter on the other hand, as a Significant Social Media Intermediary (SSMN), has taken no steps to remove such content but in a blatant violation of Indian laws has been acting as an accomplice to the crime and showing such blasphemous and insulting content," the advocate's complaint said. It added that Twitter is "deliberately promoting hate speech" about the Hindu religion.

 

 

He accused Twitter of violating the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 in the light of section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Deshwal said that Maheshwari and Kamran deliberately did not take any action to remove such objectionable content from the microblogging website.

 

 

The advocate has further requested to immediately register FIR against all the accused persons named in his complaint and urged Delhi Police to arrest them to prevent further commission of the offense.

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