A new horror is occurring in India where allegedly, the right-wing trolls are “auctioning” Muslim women on social media to degrade them.
Muslim women with a powerful presence on Twitter have been singled out with their photos listed on a murky platform propagating them as “sales for the day.” Complaints about hundreds of Muslim women listed for “auction” on the shady app with photographs stolen off Social Media without permission send an eerie chill to the Muslim women of India and they feel uncovered, helpless, and vulnerable in the onslaught of this targeted attack with not enough action taken against the perpetrators.
There is a general belief that nothing was done last year against the Sulli Deals enabling the situation to escalate under the villainous hands of right-wing trolls, probably feeling they have governmental protection and this triggered a major controversy for the second time in less than a year.
Fact-Checker, Co-founder of Alt News, Mohammed Zubair expressed, “#HaridwarHateAssembly happened in Haridwar because there was NO ACTION against Yati Narasinghanand earlier cases. #Bullideals happened because there was no action against people behind #SulliDeals You know who’s at fault.
#HaridwarHateAssembly happened in Haridwar because there was NO ACTION against Yati Narasinghanand earlier cases. #Bullideals happened because there was no action against people behind #SulliDeals You know who's at fault. — Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) January 1, 2022
The police in Delhi said they were investigating a case filed by journalist Ismat Ara while Priyanka Chaturvedi, MP from Maharashtra’s ruling Shiv Sena, has been following the proceedings closely and a probe had also been launched in Mumbai and they were able to block the platforms creating the malicious website, but also demanding punishment for the offenders. The Mumbai cyber police have begun an investigation into the objectionable content on the app ‘Bulli Bai’, an official told news agency PTI.
Priyanka Sir, Thank you. With due respect, I had shared with you that besides blocking the platform punishing the offenders creating such sites is important. I hope @HMOIndia & @GoI_MeitY will support @MumbaiPolice to find these culprits&make them as well as platforms accountable #BulliDeals
Have spoken to @CPMumbaiPolice and DCP Crime Rashmi Karandikar ji. They will investigate this. Have also spoken to @DGPMaharashtra for intervention. Hoping those behind such misogynistic and sexist sites are apprehended. https://t.co/Ofo1l9dgIl — Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) January 1, 2022
There is fear and a prevailing sense of horror among Muslim women in India feeling unprotected and one lady journalist tweeted, “When I ask my privileged Hindu friends to speak, I don’t do it out of cautionary plans. I do it because it is screaming in my face. I am not safe in this country. Muslim women like me are not safe in this country. How many online deals will it take for us to see action? HELP US!”
What are Sulli and Bulli Deals?
The Sulli and Bulli deals are apps created by the right-wing trolls to degrade Muslim women, and the recent Bulli deal appeared to be a clone of Sulli Deals which sparked rage last year by offering users a “Sulli” – a derogative term used by right-wing social media trolls for Muslim women – calling them “deals of the day”.
While there was no real sale involved, the purpose of the app was to dehumanize, humiliate and harass, some of its targets said.
“The app ‘Bulli Bai’ works just the same way as ‘Sulli Deals’ did. Once you open it, you randomly find a Muslim woman’s face being displayed as Bulli Bai,” a social media user said.
The abuse drew intense condemnation on Twitter with heavy trends going on presently blasting Sulli and Bulli Deals.
The app appeared to have been taken down after being posted on the Microsoft-owned software sharing platform GitHub which allows anyone to upload an in-development app.
Removing the Sulli Bai app after complaints last time, GitHub had said, “We suspended user accounts following the investigation of reports of such activity, all of which violate our policies.”
Shyam Meera Singh, a male journalist based in Delhi wrote, “As a Hindu, I want to apologize to all Muslim women who are facing cowardly acts like #Bullibai #BulliDeals or #SulliDeals. Some Hindu extremists have not only hurt you mentally but also embarrassed us as a community. Along with this, I want to express my solidarity with you.
As a Hindu, I want to apologise to all Muslim women who are facing cowardly acts like #Bullibai #BulliDeals or #SulliDeals. Some Hindu extremists have not only hurt you mentally but also embarrassed us as a community. Along with this, I want to express my solidarity with you. — Shyam Meera Singh (@ShyamMeeraSingh) January 2, 2022
According to PTI, two First Information Reports or FIRs were filed by the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police in the ‘Sulli Deals’ controversy last year after photos of Muslim women were misused but no significant action was taken against those responsible and presently while the creator of the app is blocked, more action has to be taken against the crime.
Perhaps no one but a woman going through this monstrosity will understand how frightening it is that strangers view your pictures, your identity is slandered and misrepresented by malicious agents who could even be psychopaths and you have no way of protecting yourself. If the system is weak in a nation, perpetrators get away with their nefarious undertakings under the shield of influential people, very eerie.
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