Congress slams PM for rise in hate-mongering on social media

The Congress on Wednesday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he “is directly linked with exponential rise of abuse and hate-mongering on digital media”. Spokespersons Shaktisinh Gohil and Dr Ajoy Kumar at a press conference alleged that creating and propagating fake news and attacking individuals based on race, gender, religion, region and caste has been the modus operandi of BJP online.

Dr Ajoy Kumar pointed to the Prime Minister talking about 'Beti Bachao' while BJP members and supporters “consistently attack, troll and threaten opponents, particularly women, online”, adding that “It is unprecedented that Prime Minister of the country follows, meets and actively encourages such trolls”. Pointing to a recently published book, Dr Kumar said a former supporter of the PM Sadhavi Khosla had recently “exposed these scandalous practices to a noted journalist. Shockingly, the troll army are now senselessly attacking Ms Khosla and the journalist.” They added that several women journalists including Barkha Dutt, Sagarika Ghose and many others have faced online threats on numerous occasions from the PM’s supporters online.

The Congress spokespersons also alleged that:

• Rajesh Jain, a businessman and techie who had set up a campaign centre in support of the PM which later became famous as 'Nadiad-Army' or 'Namo-Brigade', has since been rewarded by the PM by appointing him a member of UIDAI. They said that Jain is associated with many of the groups and websites which have run online campaigns attacking individuals who are critical of the PM
• That the BJP-supporting troll army identify people who have written anything criticising the PM, and attack, bully and threaten them with a view to silence their voice into submission
• That noted journalists like Ravish Kumar, Abhisar Sharma and well known figures including actor Aamir Khan and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and even their families have not been spared by this troll army, allegedly because they criticised the PM. They said this troll army did not even spare the son of former Union Minister Arun Shourie, who is challenged by cerebral palsy, allegedly only because Shourie dared to criticise the PM
• They alleged that this troll army does not spare even ordinary citizens. When one Dr Pankaj Narang of Delhi had an argument with a group of people on March 24, 2016, BJP-supporting trolls gave it a communal colour despite Delhi Police clarifying the matter
• Gohil and Kumar also shared profiles of individuals including Ajay Kushwaha whom they said the PM follows on Twitter, and pointed to "filthy language” used by Kushwaha. Other prominent trolls they alleged are known for constantly trolling people opposed to PM Modi were Suresh Nakhua and @MahaveerM, who they said are also followed by the PM online

ALLEGATIONS OF FAKE NEWS

Gohil and Kumar said that some BJP office bearers have “spread canards, lies and misinformation” online. They specifically mentioned Priti Gandhi of BJP’s Mahila Morcha in Maharashtra, who posted tweets purportedly supporting Narendra Modi by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, which Wikileaks later officially termed as fake. They also alleged that BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi spread fake news that UNESCO had supposedly declared "Shri Narendra Modi as the Best PM”, through her tweets.

The Congress spokespersons made the following demands of the PM:

• Who are these trolling individuals and organisations whom PM hosts, follows, encourages and protects? Is it not true that this category of trolls followed by PM are called 'Super 150'?
• Why does the PM act as the benefactor, protector, nurturer of these hate mongers and misogynists?
• Will PM Modi show courage of conviction to constitute a special committee under judicial supervision to identify and punish such scandalous troll army involved solely in suppression of opinion and indulging, abuse, hate, communal polarization, threats and pushing morphed and scandalous content?