Twitter Suspends Account Of Islamophobic Former Top Police Officer Who Encouraged Violence Against Muslims, Demolition Of Muslim Homes
Twitter has suspended the account of Nirmal Chandra Asthana, a former Director-General of Poilce (DGP) of Kerala state, over his Islamophobic tweets and said that the account violates the Twitter rules, it was reported on Tuesday.
This comes after the former top cop had made anti-Muslim comments in a series of tweets. The microblogging site has come under growing pressure to take further action against Asthana in the wake of his Islamophobic tweets which incite hate and violence.
Last week, a video of at least nine Muslims being brutally beaten by policemen in a Saharanpur police station was shared by Asthana on Twitter with the caption “Beautiful, very beautiful” in Hindi. The video had surfaced on social media a day after several parts of India saw protests over former BJP leaders’ derogatory remarks on the prophet Muhammad.
Asthana has posted over two dozen tweets praising the actions of the police personnel against Muslims in the video, as well as the demolitions of Muslim houses.
While sharing the picture of a Muslim protester being beaten by polycarbonate pipes by cops in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, the 1986-batch IPS officer of the Kerala cadre had tweeted about regretting the use of polycarbonate pipes for suppressing protests during his tenure.
In several of his tweets, he heaped praise on UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, referring to him as “Maharaj ji”. He also referred to journalists as “pimps”, “idiots”, and “donkeys”.
Banned For Wearing Hijab, Five Muslim Women Students Seek Transfer From Karnataka Colleges
At least five Muslim female students have informed Karnataka’s Hampanakatta University College that they intend to apply for transfer certificates because they are not permitted to wear the hijab in class, as the hijab ban in educational institutions continues in the state ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu extremist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The five students have asked for transfer certificates to attend other colleges, according to Principal Anusuya Rai.
“They informed us verbally that they were going to apply for transfer certificates since we don’t allow hijab in the classroom. However, because they are still taking classes online, they have not yet come to the school to seek transfer certificates,” Rai said.
Admissions to undergraduate courses in Karnataka will resume this week.
S. Yadapaditaya, Vice-Chancellor of Mangaluru University, had earlier said the university would make special facilities for Muslim students who wish to enroll in other colleges due to the hijab restriction. The government had previously stated that the no-hijab dress code did not apply to private or minority institutions that chose their uniform.
Muslim students in Karnataka have been protesting the ban on hijab in educational institutions, saying the Islamophobic move of the Karnataka government violates their religious freedom guaranteed under India’s constitution.
Muslim students, activists, and Opposition leaders across the country allege that these attacks on Muslim symbols and practices are part of the larger Hindutva agenda of imposing majoritarian values on the country’s 200 million Muslims.
West Bengal Passes Resolution Against BJP Leader Nupur Sharma’s Derogatory Comments On Prophet Muhammad
The legislative assembly of West Bengal state has passed a resolution against the derogatory comments by Nupur Sharma, now former BJP spokesperson, about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The resolution says that India’s communal harmony was being ruined due to her remarks. It also says that due to Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s intervention, communal harmony was maintained in West Bengal.
“I will appeal to people not to fall into BJP’s trap,” Banerjee said. “We have taken stern action against those who tried to create a ruckus.”
BJP leader Sharma’s remarks against the prophet, made during a debate on the Times Now television channel last month, had sparked massive protests of Muslims in several parts of India, including Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
India also received diplomatic backlash from several Muslim-dominated countries.
