Bulli Bai case: Delhi police writes to Twitter & GitHub seeking info on app creators

Cracking down on the 'Bulli Bai' application, Delhi police's  District Cyber Cell on Monday, wrote to Twitter seeking the removal of offensive tweets pertaining to the case. It has also sought information regarding the origin and source of these tweets. Furthermore, police have written to open-source platform GitHub seeking information about the account that created 'Bulli Bai'. Over 100 influential Muslim women have been 'auctioned' on open-source platform GitHub's 'Bulli Bai' app.

Delhi police writes to GitHub & Twitter seeking info on creators

Muslim women targetted online

Barely six months after the shocking 'auction' of Muslim women via 'Sulli Deals', a second such application 'Bulli Bai' has appeared on the same platform where over 100 top influential Muslim women including journalists were 'auctioned'. Taking to Twitter, many Muslim women, on Friday, shared screenshots of their social media photos being shared on GitHub, allegedly allowing users to participate in an 'auction'. The screen of the app reads 'Your Bulli  Bai for the day' and then tags the woman via her Twitter handle. The victims have expressed anguish at the specific targetting of Muslim women, blaming right wing hardliners for these 'auctions'.

Aghast at the 'auction', Opposition MPs - Priyanka Chaturvedi, Asaduddin Owaisi and Shashi Tharoor termed it 'communal targeting', misogynistic, urging police to take action on the perpetrators. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated that communal forces used sexual violence as their weapon, terming it anti-society, anti-constitution and anti-national. Echoing similar sentiments, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi urged people to speak up against it. He tweeted, ' humiliation and communal hatred of women will stop only when we all stand in one voice against it'. 

Moreover, Union I-T minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that GitHub has blocked the user and Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is coordinating with police for further action. NCW chief Rekha Sharma too took note of the issue. After one of the journalists whose details were shared on GitHub filed a complaint, Delhi police have filed an FIR. Meanwhile, after Priyanka Chaturvedi's intervention, Mumbai police too have registered an FIR under sections - 153(A), 153(B), 295(A), 354D, 509, 500 IPC r/w 67 IT Act.

What is 'Sulli Deals'?

Previously in July, a similar such 'auction' came to light after a Twitter user shared screenshots from GitHub, which hosted 'Sulli Deals' - a website that shared pictures of Muslim women, labelling them as the 'Deal of the Day'. As per reports, pictures of nearly 90 women belonging to the Muslim community including prominent journalists, activists, and artists had been shared, putting them up 'for the auction'. It is to be noted that 'Sulli' and 'Bulli' are derogatory terms for Muslim women. The website has now reportedly been taken down after Delhi police and NCW took note. No arrests have been made yet.