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NEW DELHI: The controversial app Bulli Bai has been blocked by the hosting platform github following complaints of objectionable content.
The portal reportedly was launched on Saturday, January 1, and contained a number of pictures of Muslim women including journalists, social workers, students and famous personalities, accompanied by derogatory content.
The woman who lodged the complaint against Bulli Bai works with an online news portal. In her complaint she said “The term ‘Bulli bai’ itself seems disrespectful and the content of this website/portal (bullibai.github.io) is clearly aimed at insulting Muslim women as the derogatory term ‘Bulli’ is used exclusively for Muslim women and the entire website seems to have been designed with the intent of embarrassing and insulting Muslim women.”
She alleged that the portal had displayed her doctored picture “in an improper, unacceptable and clearly lewd context.”
The uploading of pictures on the ‘Bulli Bai’ app was similar to the ‘Sulli Deals’ upload in July last year.
The ‘Bulli Bai’ app worked just the same way as Sulli Deals did. Once opened, a Muslim woman’s face was randomly displayed as Bulli Bai. Muslim women with a strong presence on Twitter, including journalists, have been singled out and their photos uploaded.
Like ‘Bulli Bai’, the ‘Sulli Deals’ was also hosted on GitHub. Two FIRs were filed by the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police in the Sulli Deals incident last year, but no concrete action has been taken against the perpetrators so far.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Saturday flagged the ‘Bulli Bai’ app to Mumbai police as well as Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for action, including the arrest of the culprits.
In a tweet late on Saturday evening, Vaishnaw said, “GitHub confirmed blocking the user this morning itself. CERT and Police authorities are coordinating further action”. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is the nodal agency that deals with cyber security threats.
He did not elaborate on the action being taken.
Vaishnaw on Sunday tweeted: “Govt. of India is working with police organisations in Delhi and Mumbai on this matter”.
The Union government had cited offending content against women as one of the reasons for framing the new digital rules that called for intermediaries for identifying the user hosting the offensive content within 24 hours.
Notably, the app was also being promoted by a Twitter handle @bullibai, that is claimed to be operated by “Khalsa Sikh Force.” The Twitter page ostensibly contains pro-Khalistan motifs. It also has a banner reading #FREEJAGGINOW, an apparent reference to Jagtar Singh Johal, a British national arrested from Punjab in 2017 for suspected of involvement in numerous political killings in Punjab.
The text on the Twitter page too is replete with communal content.
(With inputs from agencies)
The portal reportedly was launched on Saturday, January 1, and contained a number of pictures of Muslim women including journalists, social workers, students and famous personalities, accompanied by derogatory content.
The woman who lodged the complaint against Bulli Bai works with an online news portal. In her complaint she said “The term ‘Bulli bai’ itself seems disrespectful and the content of this website/portal (bullibai.github.io) is clearly aimed at insulting Muslim women as the derogatory term ‘Bulli’ is used exclusively for Muslim women and the entire website seems to have been designed with the intent of embarrassing and insulting Muslim women.”
She alleged that the portal had displayed her doctored picture “in an improper, unacceptable and clearly lewd context.”
The uploading of pictures on the ‘Bulli Bai’ app was similar to the ‘Sulli Deals’ upload in July last year.
The ‘Bulli Bai’ app worked just the same way as Sulli Deals did. Once opened, a Muslim woman’s face was randomly displayed as Bulli Bai. Muslim women with a strong presence on Twitter, including journalists, have been singled out and their photos uploaded.
Like ‘Bulli Bai’, the ‘Sulli Deals’ was also hosted on GitHub. Two FIRs were filed by the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police in the Sulli Deals incident last year, but no concrete action has been taken against the perpetrators so far.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Saturday flagged the ‘Bulli Bai’ app to Mumbai police as well as Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for action, including the arrest of the culprits.
In a tweet late on Saturday evening, Vaishnaw said, “GitHub confirmed blocking the user this morning itself. CERT and Police authorities are coordinating further action”. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is the nodal agency that deals with cyber security threats.
He did not elaborate on the action being taken.
Vaishnaw on Sunday tweeted: “Govt. of India is working with police organisations in Delhi and Mumbai on this matter”.
The Union government had cited offending content against women as one of the reasons for framing the new digital rules that called for intermediaries for identifying the user hosting the offensive content within 24 hours.
Notably, the app was also being promoted by a Twitter handle @bullibai, that is claimed to be operated by “Khalsa Sikh Force.” The Twitter page ostensibly contains pro-Khalistan motifs. It also has a banner reading #FREEJAGGINOW, an apparent reference to Jagtar Singh Johal, a British national arrested from Punjab in 2017 for suspected of involvement in numerous political killings in Punjab.
The text on the Twitter page too is replete with communal content.
(With inputs from agencies)
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