‘Bulli Bai’ App Row: Time To Speak Up Against Insult Of Women & Communal Hatred, Says Rahul Gandhi

The ‘Bulli Bai’ app features images of Muslim women with a strong presence on Twitter. These female social media users, including journalists, have been singled out based on their strong presence.

File Photo: Getty Images

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday urged people to raise their voice against the insult of women and communal hatred, as he said that it was time to speak up against the menace.

His tweet came amid outrage by netizens and women rights groups as posts on social media flagged dodgy ‘Bulli Bai’ app that has listed Muslim women for “auction”.

Photographs of at least 100 influential Muslim women were uploaded for “auction” on the ‘Bulli Bai’ app, news agency PTI reported. 

The posts calling out the app have garnered widespread outrage.

Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi wrote: “The insult of women and communal hatred will stop only when we stand against it in one voice. The year has changed, the situation should also change. It is time to speak up”.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi had on Saturday flagged the ‘Bulli Bai’ app to Mumbai police as well as Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw seeking strict action against the creators.

In response to Priyanka Chaturvedi’s tweet, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that GitHub, the hosting platform, has confirmed blocking the user and that CERT and police authorities are coordinating further action.

“Government of India is working with police organisations in Delhi and Mumbai on this matter,” he wrote in another tweet.

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is the nodal agency that deals with cyber security threats.

Mumbai Cyber Police Register FIR 

Mumbai Cyber police registered an FIR against developers of ‘Bulli Bai’ app and Twitter handles that promoted this application, PTI reported an official as saying on Sunday.

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, the official informed.

“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.

As per PTI, the ‘Bulli Bai’ app features images of Muslim women with a strong presence on Twitter. These female social media users, including journalists, have been singled out based on their strong presence with their photos uploaded on the app.

This is the second such case in less than a year as the app appears to be a clone of ‘Sulli Deals’ which triggered a controversy last year.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women has written to the Delhi Police to expedite its action in the case.

(With Agency Inputs)