Complaint filed against Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari for 'spreading communal hatred'

A complaint has been filed before Delhi Police Cyber Cell against Twitter India's Managing Director, Manish Maheswari and a non-profit organisation for allegedly spreading communal hatred.

The complaint filed by advocate Aditya Singh Deshwal and addressed to DCP Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police sought registration of an FIR against Twitter Communications India Private Ltd, Manish Maheshwari, MD, Twitter India, Shagufta Kamran, Public Policy manager of Twitter India as well as Armin Navabi and Susanna Macintrye, the founder and CEO respectively of Republic Atheist.

The advocate cited a picture of Goddess Kali shared by the handle Atheist Republic and said that content posted by the Twitter users was not only abusive but has been posted for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred and ill will in society.

"It would also be not out of place to mention here that these posts have been put by the said user deliberately, to outrage the religious feelings of Hindus to insult our religious beliefs," the advocate said.

In his complaint, the advocate said, "Twitter which is a microblogging website/platform in connivance with Armin Navab and Atheist Republic has been showing this blasphemous content from July 2011. The user profile of Atheist Republic is full of such blasphemous content about Hindu Religion and other religions.

"Twitter on the other hand, as a Significant Social Media Intermediary (SSMN) has taken no steps to remove such content but in a blatant violation of Indian laws has been acting as an accomplice to the crime and showing such blasphemous and insulting content. "

The advocate said that Twitter through its platform has been deliberately promoting hate speech about the Hindu religion which is a violation of provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 in the light of section 79 of Information Technology Act, 2000 Deliberately no action has been taken by Manish Maheshwari and Shagufta Kamran to remove such objectionable content from its platform even after passing of one month with the intention of promoting communal hatred and disturbing the social tranquillity in the country.

The advocate has requested to immediately register FIR against all the accused persons named in his complaint and urged Delhi Police to arrest them to prevent further commission of the offence.