Priyanka Gandhi slams online attack on Muslim women; terms Modi govt 'anti-women'

As Mumbai police cracks down on the online targetting of Muslim women, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday, condemned the attack. She stated that communal forces used sexual violence as their weapon, terming it anti-society, anti-constitution and anti-national. She also slammed PM Modi for not taking action on the perpetrators, displaying the 'anti-women ideology' of the Centre. Over 100 influential Muslim women have been 'auctioned' on open-source platform GitHub's 'Bulli Bai' app.

Priyanka Vadra: 'Attack on women is 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'. Similarly, TMC MP Derek O'Brien too joined the fight against the attack on women. 

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. A complaint has been filed with the Mumbai Police and Delhi police with both departments' cyber cells swinging into action. After one of the journalists whose details were shared on GitHub filed a complaint, Delhi police have filed an FIR. 

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. 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.