This incident, at least prima facie looks like a clear case of bigotry and islamophobia but it could also be a case of personal enmity or a squabble between neighbours. For far too often, things get sensationalized as blablabla but an investigation later reveals other aspects of what actually happened. Happens all the time in India, our liberal blue tick twitter brigade runs with it and nobody cares by the time the truth is revealed.
Let's see what comes out of this. Remember the temple shit talker the other day got arrested, but he was only shit talking post the arrest of a JeM hitmanwho was scouting the temple looking to kill the shit talker priest.
Stop being an apologist for blatant racism. Too typical of cowardice in Indian Sanghi circles.
No one cuts off any Muslim person's beard or asks Muslims to chant Jai Shri Ram unless there is pure communal intent and the perpetrator is an RSS member.
Even those of us in Bangladesh know that these chhota rangbaaz made the video so RSS goondas senior to them would elevate their goonda status in the political totem pole and employ them for bigger/better things, watching how they assaulted a defenseless old man (easy pickings).
This is as plain and clear as day.
Guys look at this (apologies if this was posted already). Indian govt. now goes after twitter, trying to muzzle them in India. These RSS/BJP ahammuks don't know that twitter is freely available everywhere - and trying to sue Twitter or muzzle them will only backfire. RSS burbaks are calling this a "Fake News" (see second post below). Fascists are liars as usual.
Locking horns with Twitter won't work.
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Police summons Twitter India's top official over viral video that incited 'hate and enmity'
An official police notice showed a case had been registered in Ghaziabad in northern Uttar Pradesh state over a video of a few men, apparently Hindu, beating an elderly man believed to be a Muslim and cutting his beard
Reuters | June 18, 2021 | Updated 19:17 IST
The controversy comes just as India's federal government is locking horns with Twitter over non-compliance with new IT rules
Police in India have summoned Twitter's top official in the country to answer allegations that the U.S. firm failed to stop the spread of a video that allegedly incited "hate and enmity" between Hindu and Muslim communities.
An official police notice, seen by Reuters, showed a case had been registered in Ghaziabad in northern Uttar Pradesh state over a video of a few men, apparently Hindu, beating an elderly man believed to be a Muslim and cutting his beard.
The police report names Twitter Inc, its local unit and seven others for their alleged roles in disseminating a video that was deemed insulting to religious beliefs and causing public mischief in a state with a long, bloody history of communal violence.
The controversy comes just as India's federal government is locking horns with Twitter over non-compliance with new IT rules, which have raised doubts whether the platform would continue to enjoy protection against legal liability for user-generated content. The new rules became effective in late May.
In a notice dated Thursday, Ghaziabad police wrote to Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari to appear before officials within seven days of the receipt of the summons.
"Some people used their Twitter handles to spread hatred and enmity in the society and Twitter did not take cognisance," said the notice, which was reviewed by Reuters.
"Writings and works which promoted enmity and affected harmony between different communities in the country and the state were encouraged and such anti-society messages were allowed to go viral."
Twitter declined to comment, and Maheshwari did not respond to a request for comment.
IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad lashed out at Twitter this week for the Ghaziabad incident, saying its failure to act was "perplexing."
NO SAFE HARBOUR
Prasad has said Twitter has not complied with a new set of government rules that required them to appoint new compliance officers by May 26.
The rules state that in case of non-compliance, protection that companies enjoy related to any liability against user generated content "shall not be applicable" and companies "shall be liable for punishment under any law."
"The moment Twitter was non-complaint, the safe harbour protection was automatically not available," said Shlok Chandra, a New Delhi-based lawyer who represents the federal government in various cases. "The position is very clear."
Some free speech activists and lawyers, however, disagree.
"The Central Government neither has the power to bestow, nor the power to "withdraw" the exemption from liability...The determination of the question whether Twitter is entitled to seek exemption from liability is solely within the domain of the Courts," Delhi-based Ira Law firm said in a LinkedIn post this month.
Three special rapporteurs appointed by a top United Nations human rights body last week urged India to review the new IT rules, saying their broadened scope did not conform with international human rights norms and could threaten digital rights.
To comply with India's new IT rules, companies such as Twitter needed to appoint a chief compliance officer, a nodal officer and a resident grievance officer. But LinkedIn job postings show all three positions were currently open at Twitter.
The social media giant has however retained an interim chief compliance officer, it said this week, adding that it was making all efforts to adhere to the new IT rules.
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Parliamentary panel to meet Twitter, IT Ministry officials today
The site has also been charged by the UP Police with inciting communal hate over posts on an elderly Muslim man in Ghaziabad
BusinessToday.In | June 18, 2021 | Updated 15:27 IST
A parliamentary panel will examine the issue of safeguarding the rights of Indian citizens and preventing misuse of online news platforms today. The Standing Committee on Information Technology led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has called Twitter India representatives and officials of the IT ministry.
The panel will take into account their views on the subject. There will be special emphasis on the security of women in the digital space, stated a report in NDTV.
The Twitter officials have been summoned at a time when the microblogging site has clashed with the government over the new IT rules. The site has also been charged by the UP Police with inciting communal hate over posts on an elderly Muslim man in Ghaziabad.
Along with Twitter several journalists and Congress leaders have been named in the FIR that alleges that they provoked 'communal sentiments' by sharing the elderly man's allegations.
UP Police sent legal notices to Twitter India's head Manish Maheshwari, who has been summoned to the Loni Border Police Station. He has also been asked to record his statement within seven days.
Communications, Electronics & Information Technology Minister Ravi said the platform was given multiple opportunities to comply with the rules. He said that the microblogging site "has deliberately chosen the path of non-compliance".
"The culture of India varies like its large geography. In certain scenarios, with the amplification of social media, even a small spark can cause a fire, especially with the menace of fake news. This was one of the objectives of bringing the Intermediary Guidelines. It is astounding that Twitter which portrays itself as the flag bearer of free speech, chooses the path of deliberate defiance when it comes to the Intermediary Guidelines," the minister had said in a series of tweets.