By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Amid outrage on Sunday over allegations that a shady app posted pictures of Muslim women “for auction”, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government is working with police in Delhi and Mumbai in the matter.
The Delhi Police’s cyber cell registered an FIR on Sunday, after a journalist alleged that doctored pictures of her and others are being shared on the app. Mumbai’s cyber police, too, registered an FIR.
Doctored photos of at least 100 women with lewd comments were shared on the “Bulli Bai” app that was hosted on GitHub. While the app was later removed, some Twitter users were spotted posting screengrabs tagging the women.
This comes six months after police in Delhi and Noida registered cases over photos of Muslim women being uploaded to a similar Github app called “Sulli Deals”.
No arrests have been made in the case yet.
Politicians and the National Commission for Women pressed the Centre for stern action. PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti alleged that the fringe elements had “official patronage’’.
A journalist wrote in her complaint to the police: “The derogatory term ‘Bulli’ is used exclusively for Muslim women and the entire website seems to have been designed with the intent of embarrassing and insulting Muslim women.”
Meanwhile, Mumbai Cyber police registered an FIR against developers of ‘Bulli Bai’ app and Twitter handles that promoted this application, an official said on Sunday after photographs of at least 100 influential Muslim women were uploaded for auction on the app triggering widespread outrage.
The case was registered on Saturday under sections 354-D (stalking of women), 500 (Punishment for defamation) and other sections of the Information Technology Act, he said.
“The West region of Cyber Police registered the FIR against Twitter handle holders and the ‘Bulli Bai’ app developers hosted on GitHub,” the official said.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Saturday flagged the ‘Bulli Bai’ app to Mumbai police as well as Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for action, including the arrest of the culprits.
Mumbai Police had said they have taken cognisance of the matter and that concerned officials have been asked to take action.
The uploading of pictures on the ‘Bulli Bai’ app was similar to the ‘Sulli Deals’ upload in July last year.
The ‘Bulli Bai’ app worked just the same way as Sulli Deals did.
Once opened, a Muslim woman’s face was randomly displayed as Bulli Bai.
Muslim women with a strong presence on Twitter, including journalists, have been singled out and their photos uploaded.
NCW chief Rekha Sharma, on Twitter, “noted” a tweet from a journalist whose photo was used in the app.
The journalist also raised a complaint with the Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police.
“@NCWIndia has taken cognizance of this incident. Chairperson @sharmarekha has written to @CPDelhi to immediately register FIR in the matter. The process must be expedited so that such crime is not repeated,” the NCW tweeted.
“The action taken in both the cases must be apprised to the Commission at the earliest. A copy of the letter has also been sent to Dy Commissioner of Police CyPAD, Delhi,” the NCW said in another tweet.
The Delhi Police has registered an FIR against unknown persons for allegedly uploading a doctored picture of the woman journalist on a website.
IT Minister Vaishnaw has said GitHub, the hosting platform, has confirmed blocking the user and that Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and police authorities are coordinating further action in the matter.
The All India Progressive Women’s Association alleged that “Hindu supremacists” were behind this and expressed solidarity with the victims.
Women rights activist Shabnam Hashmi asked till when will the majority remain a mute spectator or are all secular people dead mentally and physically.
“Where is the outrage? Many people on Twitter also raised the issue,” she said.
Many netizens took to Twitter to raise the issue.
“The Indian government, police, media, society at large ignored Sulli deals. And now you have #BulliDeals, a horrifying cruel depraved sadistic “auction” of Muslim women using their pictures. The more you ignore these things, the more sure you can be that it’ll be your family soo,” a netizen tweeted.
“Solidarity with the women facing this horrendous abuse, rooted in both misogyny and Islamophobia that have flourished in India in recent years. #BulliDeals,” another netizen tweeted.
(With PTI Inputs)
