Amid allegations of BJP bias, Facebook India's Ankhi Das says she's being threatened, files complaint

Amid allegations of BJP bias, Facebook India's Ankhi Das says she's being threatened, files complaint

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Monday, August 17, 2020, 01:30 PM IST
article-image
Amid allegations of BJP bias, Facebook India's Ankhi Das says she's being threatened, files complaint | Facebook/AnkhiDas

Amid allegations of bias and alignment with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Ankhi Das, Director of Facebook's Public Policy for India, South & Central Asia, has filed a complaint at the Cyber Cell Unit in Delhi against a number of people, for allegedly issuing violent life threats through online posting/publishing of content.

Das' complaint comes amid allegations levelled against her and the social media giant over their alleged bias towards the ruling BJP. This comes after the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published a report which said that Das opposed applying hate speech rules to BJP MLA T Raja Singh's post out of fear of ruining the company’s relationship with the saffron party.

As per Facebook's recently introduced new hate speech rules to curb unnecessary hate-mongering, Singh's post violated the rules. However, Das "opposed applying the hate-speech rules to Mr. Singh and at least three other Hindu nationalist individuals and groups flagged internally for promoting or participating in violence."

“Ms. Das, whose job also includes lobbying India’s government on Facebook’s behalf, told staff members that punishing violations by politicians from Mr. Modi’s party would damage the company’s business prospects in the country…,” Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report said, quoting unnamed current and former company officials.

The report kicked up a political storm in India, with BJP and the Congress at loggerheads.

Congress' Data Analytics chief Praveen Chakravarty on Monday said that Facebook India's alignment is not just with one person, but there are many in the leadership team with a close working relationship with people in the saffron party. He also gave 'various instances' of the social media website's interference in the Indian elections.

"The story of Wall Street Journal is a mere confirmation of what we always knew but no one in India is brave enough to report them," he said. "There is clear and ample evidence to warrant a serious investigation by Facebook headquarters into the operations of its India team and their efforts in actively interfering in the Indian electoral democracy," Chakravarty added.

However, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya has called the allegations "ludicrous". "It is ludicrous to suggest that the BJP and the wider conservative ecosystem is aligned to Facebook. In fact, the reverse is true. In the run-up to the 2019 general elections, Facebook removed 700 pages. Most of them were aligned to a nationalist narrative," Malviya told ANI.

"The communities that they have taken down after that is also fairly large. There is no redressal whatsoever. Therefore to suggest that Facebook is aligned to BJP is absolutely untrue," he added.

RECENT STORIES

Gujarat News: Over 40 Devotees Trapped in Gushing Gomti River During Pilgrimage in Dwarka

Gujarat News: Over 40 Devotees Trapped in Gushing Gomti River During Pilgrimage in Dwarka

Noida Man Slits Girlfriend's Throat After Altercation; Later Tries To Kill Himself

Noida Man Slits Girlfriend's Throat After Altercation; Later Tries To Kill Himself

'I Was Yours & Will Remain Yours': Varun Gandhi Pens Emotional Letter To Pilibhit Constituents After...

'I Was Yours & Will Remain Yours': Varun Gandhi Pens Emotional Letter To Pilibhit Constituents After...

Haryana Brutality: Security Guard Dies After Being Mercilessly Smashed In Head With Stones

Haryana Brutality: Security Guard Dies After Being Mercilessly Smashed In Head With Stones

Karnataka Bus Conductor Charges Grandmother â‚ą444 For Carrying Parrots In Cage

Karnataka Bus Conductor Charges Grandmother â‚ą444 For Carrying Parrots In Cage