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Assam Chief Minister <keyword id="90408" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="himanta-biswa-sarma" source="Orion">Himanta Biswa Sarma</keyword> said <keyword id="143" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bollywood" source="Orion">Bollywood</keyword> actor <keyword id="6357753" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shahrukh-khan" source="Orion">Shahrukh Khan</keyword> talked to him over the phone early on Sunday and expressed concern over a protest against his new film '<keyword id="12756474" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="pathaan" source="Orion">Pathaan</keyword>' in the city. <keyword id="264892" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sarma" source="Orion">Sarma</keyword> assured the actor that his government will enquire about the demonstration against the movie and ensure that "no such untoward incidents" would occur again.. The development comes a day after the CM had said "who is Shahrukh <keyword id="6355601" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="khan" source="Orion">Khan</keyword>? I don't know anything about him or his film Pathaan", while responding to queries by reporters about the violent protest by <keyword id="6365937" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bajrang-dal" source="Orion">Bajrang Dal</keyword> activists, who stormed a theatre at Narengi in the city on Friday, where the film is slated to be screened. The far right-wing group's volunteers tore down the film's posters and burnt them. “Bollywood actor Shri @iamsrk called me and we talked today morning at 2 am. He expressed concern about an incident in <keyword id="35727" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="guwahati" source="Orion">Guwahati</keyword> during screening of his film. I assured him that it’s duty of state govt to maintain law &amp; order. We’ll enquire and ensure no such untoward incidents,” Sarma said on Twitter. Notably, the CM had on Saturday said action would be taken if law and order is violated, though Khan had not called him over the matter. Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan and the movie ‘Pathaan’ are facing a backlash from far-right ‘Hindutva’ groups for showing Deepika Padukone in a saffron bikini in a song 'Besharam Rang'. Many leaders, including those in the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, have demanded a ban on the film. ‘Pathaan’, which has been directed by <keyword id="22456" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="siddharth-anand" source="Orion">Siddharth Anand</keyword>, will be released on January 25. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/only-twice-in-30-yrs-the-markets-been-up-both-pre-and-post-budget/articleshow/97222405.cms">Only twice in 30 yrs, the market's been up both pre and post Budget</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/hurt-by-lockdown-job-losses-indian-youth-is-retreating-from-the-labour-force-soil-report/articleshow/97180950.cms">Hurt by lockdown job losses, Indian youth is retreating from the labour force: SOIL report</a>

Shahrukh calls me, expresses concern over protest against film ‘Pathaan’: Assam CM

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Facebook's safety team determined earlier this year that <keyword id="6365937" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="bajrang-dal">Bajrang Dal</keyword>, a religious extremist group in India, was likely a "dangerous organization" that should be banned from the platform under its rules, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-india-facebook-fears-crackdown-on-hate-groups-could-backfire-on-its-staff-11607871600?mod=djemalertNEWS&amp;tesla=y">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported Sunday.</li><li>But, The Journal reported, Facebook became concerned about banning the group after its security team warned that doing so could lead to attacks against Facebook's staff.</li><li>Facebook's inconsistency in enforcing its rules in India has also been motivated by fears that backlash from India's nationalist ruling party could hurt business, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346?mod=article_inline">The Wall Street Journal</a> previously reported.</li><li>The social media company has increasingly come under fire over its struggle to effectively and consistently police its platform — especially outside of the US, where users have leveraged its platform to facilitate ethnic violence, undermine democratic processes, and crack down on free speech.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Facebook determined that a religious extremist group in India likely should be banned from the platform for promoting violence, but it has yet to take action because of concerns over its staff's safety and political repercussions that could hurt its business, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-india-facebook-fears-crackdown-on-hate-groups-could-backfire-on-its-staff-11607871600?mod=djemalertNEWS&amp;tesla=y">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported Sunday. Bajrang Dal, a militant Hindu nationalist group, has physically assaulted <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/on-religion/the-violent-toll-of-hindu-nationalism-in-india">Muslims</a> and <a href="https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a84b4.html">Christians</a>, and one of its leaders recently <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/probe-ordered-over-assam-bajrang-dal-leader-s-threat-to-beat-up-hindus-visiting-churches-on-christmas-1747257-2020-12-07">threatened violence</a> against Hindus who attend church on Christmas. Earlier this year, Facebook's safety team determined that Bajrang Dal likely was a "dangerous organization" and, per its <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2020/08/addressing-movements-and-organizations-tied-to-violence/">policies against such groups</a>, should be removed from the platform entirely, according to The Journal. But Facebook hesitated to enforce those rules after its security team concluded that doing so could hurt its business in India as well as potentially trigger physical attacks against its employees or facilities, The Journal reported. "We ban individuals or entities after following a careful, rigorous, and multi-disciplinary process. We enforce our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy globally without regard to political position or party affiliation," a Facebook company spokesperson told Business Insider. According to the Journal, Facebook refused to say whether it ultimately decided to designate Bajrang Dal as not dangerous. This isn't the first time Facebook has faced criticism over how it has — or hasn't — enforced its rules, even within India or even within India in the past few months. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346?mod=article_inline">The Journal reported in August</a> that Facebook refused to apply its hate speech policies to T. Raja Singh, a politician from India's nationalist ruling BJP party, despite his calls to shoot Muslim immigrants and threats to destroy mosques. Facebook employees had concluded that, in addition to violating the company's policies, Singh's rhetoric in the real world was dangerous enough to merit kicking him off the platform entirely. However, Facebook's top public policy executive in India overruled them, arguing that the political repercussions could hurt the company's business (India is its largest and fastest-growing market globally by number of users). The internal tension over Bajrang Dal reflects the frequent challenges Facebook faces when its profits come into conflict with local governments and laws, rules the company has established for its platform, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's pledges to uphold free speech and democratic processes. In August, Facebook took the rare step of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-sue-thailand-government-censorship-block-group-critical-king-rama-2020-8">legal action against Thailand's government</a> over its demand that the company block users within the country from accessing a group critical of its king, though it's complying with the government's request while the case proceeds in court. But <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/facebook-ignore-political-manipulation-whistleblower-memo">BuzzFeed News</a> reported in August that Facebook ignored or failed to quickly address dozens of incidents of political misinformation and efforts to undermine democracy around the world, particularly in smaller and non-Western countries. And even as Zuckerberg has defended Facebook's exemption of President Donald Trump and other politicians from its hate speech and fact-checking policies, human rights activists around the world have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-says-free-speech-protects-trump-but-company-bans-activists-2020-6?r=ts-sub">slammed the social media giant</a> for refusing to protect the free speech of those not in power. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://businessinsider.in/science/space/news/geminid-meteor-shower-will-be-visible-over-parts-of-india-tonight/articleshow/79704337.cms">Geminid meteor shower will be visible over parts of India tonight</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/indian-users-most-affected-by-malware-targeting-chrome-firefox-and-edge-web-browsers/articleshow/79676821.cms">Indian users among the most affected by a new threat that is affecting three of the most popular web browsers in the world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/carbon-emissions-in-india-show-third-highest-drop-after-us-and-europe-in-2020-thanks-to-covid-19-lockdowns/articleshow/79673023.cms">Carbon emissions in India show third-highest drop after US and Europe in 2020 — thanks to COVID-19 lockdowns</a>

Facebook reportedly hasn't banned a violent religious extremist group in India because it fears for its business prospects and staff's safety

<ul><li>In the wake of the <keyword id="41453" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Suicide-attack">suicide attack</keyword> in <keyword id="43212" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pulwama">Pulwama</keyword> last week, Kashmiri students are being forced to leave their colleges and return home out of fear for their lives. </li><li>On Sunday, 20 female Kashmiri students were forced to barricade themselves in a hostel in <keyword id="45016" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dehradun">Dehradun</keyword>, the state capital of <keyword id="44522" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</keyword>, as a mob raged outside. </li><li>There were also reports of Kashmiri students in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra being assaulted as police forces received distress calls in these states. </li></ul>In the wake of the suicide attack in Pulwama last week, wherein 45 Indian soldiers were killed, it seems that students from Jammu &amp; Kashmir who are studying across different parts of North India have become an unlikely target of the anti-militant backlash. As a result, they’re being forced to leave their colleges and return home out of fear for their lives. On Sunday, 20 female Kashmiri students were forced to barricade themselves in a hostel in Dehradun, the state capital of Uttarakhand, as a mob raged outside. The mob reportedly claimed that the students had declared pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans - a claim <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/kashmiri-students-staying-outside-jk-face-backlash/articleshow/68040425.cms">they denied</a>. There were also reports of Kashmiri students in Punjab, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/facing-threats-abuses-kashmiri-students-return-to-valley/article26297585.ece">Haryana and Maharashtra</a> being assaulted as police forces received distress calls in these states. Some students were also booked for reportedly “celebrating” the attack on social media. Meanwhile, at Aligarh Muslim University, Kashmiri students have been issued directions to “not leave campus”. To make matters worse, two colleges in Dehradun even issued a decree temporarily <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/in-dehradun-two-colleges-say-wont-admit-kashmiris-5588503/">banning the admission of students</a> from Jammu &amp; Kashmir, citing safety concerns amid aggressive protests from student unions allied with the <keyword id="42498" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="RSS">RSS</keyword> like the ABVP, VHP and <keyword id="6365937" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="bajrang-dal">Bajrang Dal</keyword>. In fact, in order to placate the student mob, which numbered in the hundreds, the head of the Baba Farid Institute of Technology, Dr Aslam Siddiqui, said that any students engaging in “anti-national” activities would be expelled and that no Kashmiri students would be admitted in the next academic session. The same stance was taken by S K Chauhan, the head of Dehradun’s Alpine College of Management and Technology. The day before, on Saturday, the Delhi Commission for Minorities, a minority rights panel, reportedly said that the local protests in the wake of the Pulwama attack were being co-opted by Hindutva groups <a href="https://thewire.in/communalism/minorities-panel-says-hindutva-groups-using-pulwama-to-target-muslims-kashmiris">to target Kashmiris and Muslims</a>. In response to these attacks, the Jammu &amp; Kashmir government has <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-government-asks-liaison-officers-to-ensure-students-safety-1995057">directed its liaison officers</a>, which are stationed throughout the country, to work with local authorities to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/pulwama-four-soldiers-killed-in-pulwama-during-encounter-between-indian-forces-and-militants/articleshow/68042373.cms">Four soldiers killed in Pulwama during encounter between Indian security forces and militants: Report</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/jaish-e-mohammad-from-pakistan-kills-45-indian-soldiers-but-government-denies-link/articleshow/68003080.cms">Pakistan denies hand in Pulwama attack claimed by a terror outfit based there</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/pulwama-attack-on-crpf-in-kashmir-condemned-by-pm-modi/articleshow/67997003.cms">India vows an ‘unforgettable lesson’ for the terrorists who killed 42 troopers</a>

Kashmiri students bear the brunt of post-Pulwama backlash

The police in <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword>'s Bulandshahr district have lodged an FIR against two senior officials of <keyword id="749437" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter-India">Twitter India</keyword> over the social media platform putting up a distorted map of <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>. The FIR was lodged at the Khurja Nagar police station on Monday evening on the basis of a complaint by an office-bearer of right wing Bajrang Dal. The map, which showed the Union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir outside India, was noticed on Monday, leading to an uproar by <keyword id="50390" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netizens">netizens</keyword>. <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> had removed that map on Monday evening. "The world map does not show Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir as parts of India. This is not a coincidence. This act has hurt the sentiments of Indians, including me," Bajrang Dal's western UP convenor Praveen Bhati said in the complaint. The FIR names Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari and News Partnerships Head Amrita Tripathi as accused who have been booked under Indian Penal Code section 505 (2) (public mischief). Charges under Information Technology Act section 74 (publication for fraudulent purpose) have also been invoked in the case, according to the FIR, seen by PTI. The map's glaring distortion, which appeared on the career section of Twitter website under the header 'Tweep Life', had triggered a heavy backlash from netizens on Monday as they demanded strict action against the microblogging platform that has flouted various rules on multiple occasions in the past. Earlier, Twitter had shown Leh as part of <keyword id="1334" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>. See Also - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/tiger-global-overtakes-sequoia-as-the-top-investor-in-indian-unicorns-in-2021-cracks-15-deals-this-year-so-far/articleshow/83912624.cms">Tiger Global overtakes Sequoia as the top investor in Indian unicorns in 2021</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/kims-ipo-listed-in-stock-market-at-over-20-premium/articleshow/83912694.cms">KIMS IPO: Stock listed at over 20% premium, loses initial gains after soaring to ₹1059 per share</a>

Uttar Pradesh police book Twitter India head over a distorted Indian map shown on the social media platform

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword>'s safety team determined earlier this year that Bajrang Dal, a religious extremist group in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, was likely a "dangerous organization" that should be banned from the platform under its rules, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-india-facebook-fears-crackdown-on-hate-groups-could-backfire-on-its-staff-11607871600?mod=djemalertNEWS&amp;tesla=yla=y">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported Sunday.</li><li>But, The Journal reported, Facebook became concerned about banning the group after its security team warned that doing so could lead to attacks against Facebook's staff.</li><li>Facebook's inconsistency in enforcing its rules in India has also been motivated by fears that backlash from India's nationalist ruling party could hurt business, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346?mod=article_inline">The Wall Street Journal</a> previously reported.</li><li>The social media company has increasingly come under fire over its struggle to effectively and consistently police its platform — especially outside of the US, where users have leveraged its platform to facilitate ethnic violence, undermine democratic processes, and crack down on free speech.</li></ul>Facebook determined that a religious extremist group in India likely should be banned from the platform for promoting violence, but it has yet to take action because of concerns over its staff's safety and political repercussions that could hurt its business, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-india-facebook-fears-crackdown-on-hate-groups-could-backfire-on-its-staff-11607871600?mod=djemalertNEWS&amp;tesla=yla=y">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported Sunday.Bajrang Dal, a militant Hindu nationalist group, has physically assaulted <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/on-religion/the-violent-toll-of-hindu-nationalism-in-india">Muslims</a> and <a href="https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a84b4.html">Christians</a>, and one of its leaders recently <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/probe-ordered-over-assam-bajrang-dal-leader-s-threat-to-beat-up-hindus-visiting-churches-on-christmas-1747257-2020-12-07">threatened violence</a> against Hindus who attend church on Christmas.Earlier this year, Facebook's safety team determined that Bajrang Dal likely was a "dangerous organization" and, per its <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2020/08/addressing-movements-and-organizations-tied-to-violence/">policies against such groups</a>, should be removed from the platform entirely, according to The Journal.But Facebook hesitated to enforce those rules after its security team concluded that doing so could hurt its business in India as well as potentially trigger physical attacks against its employees or facilities, The Journal reported."We ban individuals or entities after following a careful, rigorous, and multi-disciplinary process. We enforce our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy globally without regard to political position or party affiliation," a Facebook company spokesperson told Business Insider.According to the Journal, Facebook refused to say whether it ultimately decided to designate Bajrang Dal as not dangerous.This isn't the first time Facebook has faced criticism over how it has - or hasn't - enforced its rules, even within India or even within India in the past few months.<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346?mod=article_inline">The Journal reported in August</a> that Facebook refused to apply its <keyword id="6406418" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hate-speech">hate speech</keyword> policies to T. Raja Singh, a politician from India's nationalist ruling <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> party, despite his calls to shoot Muslim immigrants and threats to destroy mosques.Facebook employees had concluded that, in addition to violating the company's policies, Singh's rhetoric in the real world was dangerous enough to merit kicking him off the platform entirely. However, Facebook's top public policy executive in India overruled them, arguing that the political repercussions could hurt the company's business (India is its largest and fastest-growing market globally by number of users).The internal tension over Bajrang Dal reflects the frequent challenges Facebook faces when its profits come into conflict with local governments and laws, rules the company has established for its platform, and CEO <keyword id="6354630" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="mark-zuckerberg">Mark Zuckerberg</keyword>'s pledges to uphold free speech and democratic processes.In August, Facebook took the rare step of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-sue-thailand-government-censorship-block-group-critical-king-rama-2020-8">legal action against Thailand's government</a> over its demand that the company block users within the country from accessing a group critical of its king, though it's complying with the government's request while the case proceeds in court.But <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/facebook-ignore-political-manipulation-whistleblower-memo">BuzzFeed News</a> reported in August that Facebook ignored or failed to quickly address dozens of incidents of political misinformation and efforts to undermine democracy around the world, particularly in smaller and non-Western countries.And even as Zuckerberg has defended Facebook's exemption of President Donald Trump and other politicians from its hate speech and fact-checking policies, human rights activists around the world have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-says-free-speech-protects-trump-but-company-bans-activists-2020-6?r=ts-sub">slammed the social media giant</a> for refusing to protect the free speech of those not in power.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>'Love jihad' is a conspiracy theory used to accuse Muslim men of coercing non-Muslim women into <keyword id="6355896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Marriage">marriage</keyword> and, in turn, converting to <keyword id="6361097" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="islam">Islam</keyword>.</li><li>Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s most populous state, approved a law based on the conspiracy theory last month.</li><li>The law forbids unlawful conversion and breaching it can lead to 10 years in prison.</li><li>At least 10 Muslim men have been arrested under the new law, according to <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/police-arrest-10-muslim-men-162253928.html">yahoo! news</a>.</li><li>At least five other Indian states are considering introducing similar rules.</li></ul><ul class="summary-list"></ul>'Love jihad' is a term used by radical Hindu groups to accuse Muslim men of trying to trick non-Muslim women into converting to Islam.This conspiracy theory has been used to justify a new law in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The ordinance, which the state's governor approved at the end of November, forbids unlawful religious conversion. It's referred to by Indian media as the 'love jihad law.' Those who are deemed to have unlawfully converted someone through marriage or other means can now face up to 10 years in jail.Since the passing of the law, numerous Muslim men have been arrested for allegedly breaching it. Often, these men have simply partaken in consensual interfaith wedding ceremonies.Fears exist that the law is being used by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to target <keyword id="6358087" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="muslims">Muslims</keyword>, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/14/muslims-targeted-under-indian-states-love-jihad-law?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other">The Guardian</a>.Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, is home to 40 million Muslims.In recent weeks, police in Uttar Pradesh have arrested 10 Muslim men under the new law, <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/police-arrest-10-muslim-men-162253928.html">yahoo! news</a> reports.Under the law, the first arrest accuses a Muslim man, Owais Ahmad, of reportedly "coercing, coaxing, and alluring" a Hindu woman into eloping with him and converting to Islam. She has since married a Hindu man, and Ahmad claims to have "no link with the woman." Nonetheless, he was sentenced to 14 days of judicial custody, according to the Indian newspaper <a href="https://scroll.in/latest/980183/love-jihad-in-first-case-muslim-man-from-ups-bareilly-arrested-under-new-law">Scroll.</a>The day later, an interfaith wedding between a Hindu bride and Muslim groom was stopped right before the wedding rituals. The couple agreed to postpone the wedding, according to the <a href="https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/lucknow-cops-stop-interfaith-wedding-just-before-rituals/articleshow/79563847.cms">Bangalore Mirror</a>.In early December, a Muslim man and his brother were arrested after being handed over to police by a radical fringe group - Bajrang Dal. Rashid Ali and his brother were visiting a lawyer when members of Bajrang Dal accosted them, reports The Guardian.Ali remains in jail, charged with forcibly converting his Hindu wife, despite his wife denying these accusations. A video clip went viral of the 22-year-old woman telling members of Bajrang Dal that she was a consenting adult and married the man freely.Ali's wife, known as 'Pinki,' was also detained last week. She claims to have been 'forced into miscarriage' while in custody, according to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/12/12/first-woman-detained-indias-controversial-love-jihad-laws-forced/">The Sunday Telegraph</a>. She also claims to have been tortured and forcibly administered injections, according to Indian broadcaster <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/pregnant-woman-held-under-love-jihad-law-alleges-torture-by-up-admin-says-given-injections-that-led-to-miscarriage-3179342.html">News 18</a>. Officials deny these allegations, reports <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/love-jihad-law-officials-say-up-woman-didn-t-suffer-miscarriage-reports-of-forced-abortion-fake-1749333-2020-12-14">India Today</a>.This week, a marriage between two Muslims was stopped by police after an extremist Hindu group tipped them off. A 39-year-old man, Haider Ali, was kept in police custody overnight and was reportedly tortured, reports <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/love-jihad-rumour-wedding-stopped-in-up-muslim-couple-kept-overnight-at-police-station-7100211/">The Indian Express</a>.The 'love jihad' conspiracy theory has circulated online for several years. It first gained public attention in 2009, according to <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Love-jihad-piqued-US-interest/articleshow/9877883.cms?referral=PM">The Times of India</a>.In September, it gained steam after a video of a Hindu woman being gunned down by a Muslim man went viral. The victim's family rejected that this was an example of 'love jihad,' according to the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/faridabad-love-jihad-shooting-video-protests-hindu-muslim-cctv-b1370135.html">Independent</a>. Nonetheless, protests erupted. In the same month, Uttar Pradesh's right-wing chief minister asked officials to formulate a strategy to "prevent religious conversions in the name of love." Yogi Adityanath signaled that he was willing to legislate in a bid to prevent love jihad, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/adityanath-govt-mulls-ordinance-against-love-jihad/article32643089.ece">The Hindu</a> newspaper reported. On November 28, an ordinance was approved by Uttar Pradesh's government. It is the first of at least five states led by the BJP to introduce such a law.

Muslim men are being arrested in India under an anti-conversion law based on the 'love jihad' conspiracy theory

<ul><li>The recent documents on <keyword id="6354576" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook" source="Orion">Facebook</keyword> revealed by whistleblower Frances Haugen have several reports on the company’s role in India.</li><li>Various experiments and tests showed Facebook’s algorithms recommending groups and pages that promoted hate speech and misinformation.</li><li>The documents also revealed a rise in bots and fake accounts during the 2019 general election in India.</li></ul>Facebook has a serious <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/facebook-claims-it-uses-ai-to-identify-and-remove-posts-containing-hate-speech-and-violence-but-the-technology-doesnt-really-work-report-says/articleshow/87095158.cms">hate speech and misinformation problem</a> in India, and it has been struggling to control it. The new findings of the social media giant’s presence in India are a part of “The Facebook Papers” collected by whistleblower Frances Haugen, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/23/technology/facebook-india-misinformation.html">report</a>. There are many reports on how Facebook’s algorithms recommended content that incited violence, and how it failed to stop misinformation among its biggest user base. These reports were written by Facebook employees on their experiences of how the social media platform affects India. One report explained how a Facebook researcher created a new user account as a person living in Kerala. It followed groups, watched videos and checked out new pages all recommended by Facebook. “Following this test user’s News Feed, I’ve seen more images of dead people in the past three weeks than I’ve seen in my entire life total,” the Facebook researcher wrote in the report. The reports also showed how Facebook was a mess during the 2019 general election in India. The platform was filled with bots and fake accounts related to the ruling party BJP and opposition “wreaking havoc”. Facebook had announced steps to counter misinformation and also partnered with fact-checkers in the run up to the general election. But it also created a “political white list” to exempt some politicians from fact-checking. It also found that there were bots and fake accounts that spread misinformation on the voting process. An internal document called “Adversarial Harmful Networks: India Case Study” showed that Facebook is filled with anti-Muslim content which mostly includes “dehumanising posts” and misinformation. The company was also aware of groups promoting organisations like the RSS and Bajrang Dal that pushed for anti-Muslim content on the platform. It even considered designating these organisations as “dangerous” but didn’t take any decision fearing it could affect the company’s operations in the country. The bigger problem here is Facebook’s global budget for classifying misinformation wherein 87% is allocated for the United States which accounts for only 10% of its total user base. As for the remaining 13%, it’s for other countries including India. Facebook’s change in the news feed to focus on engagements between friends and family also further pushed misinformation in India, especially during the pandemic. According to Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone, these figures don’t include third-party fact-checkers. Stone added that Facebook has invested in finding hate speech in various Indian languages including Hindi and Bengali. Stone acknowledged that there is a rise in hate speech against marginalised groups including Muslims in India and globally and that Facebook is “improving enforcement” and updating its policies. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/mark-zuckerberg-hits-out-against-apple-as-facebooks-ad-revenue-dwindles/articleshow/87250491.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Mark Zuckerberg hits out against Apple as Facebook's ad revenue dwindles</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/here-are-the-top-ten-tech-deals-on-amazon-sale/articleshow/87249606.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Last week of Amazon Great Indian Festival sale — here are the best tech deals worth checking out</a>

Internal documents reveal how Facebook struggled to deal with misinformation and hate speech in India

New Delhi, As we gloat over reports how the US and European countries have started to tame the social media platforms in regard to anti-trust market practices, users privacy and the spread of fake news, <keyword id="1781932" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Big-Tech">Big Tech</keyword> firms had their own iota of controversies in India in 2020, generating enough political heat in the process. The biggest controversy came in August when the Wall Street Journal reported on the blatant biases of <keyword id="736869" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook-India">Facebook India</keyword>'s team, headed by their <keyword id="5729070" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-policy-chief">public policy chief</keyword> for the country, Ankhi Das. The report alleged that the top leadership at Facebook's India office refused to apply the company's own rules to politicians from the ruling party, despite clear violations of Facebook's policies against incitement to violence, hate speech and misinformation. Following the report, the Congress raised the issue of what it calls "unholy nexus" of the ruling BJP with Facebook and WhatsApp. Shashi Tharoor, the head of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology (IT), called on Facebook to respond to allegations of ignoring hate speech in favour of the ruling party. Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also wrote a hard-hitting letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, blaming the Facebook India management of alleged bias against people supporting the right-of-centre ideology. The minister said that as a <keyword id="10498524" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="transnational-digital-platform">transnational digital platform</keyword>, Facebook must not only be fair and neutral, but also "visibly seen to be so, to users of diverse beliefs and ideologies". Later, deposing before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on personal data protection Bill 2019, Das was asked how much funds are spent by the social media giant on data safety. The Facebook executives were also questioned on the quantum of its revenue as well as the profit they are making in India. A coalition of 41 civil rights groups also demanded that Facebook India should immediately place its public policy head Ankhi Das on a leave of absence pending a full audit of the company and an investigation into her statements as reported in The Wall Street Journal. The political heat resulted in Das quitting the company in October "to pursue her interest in public service". Another WSJ report this month alleged that Facebook discussed banning Bajrang Dal and termed it a dangerous organisation but did not act considering the safety of the employees. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter and said: "Further confirmation that BJP-RSS control Facebook in India." However, no stern action was taken on Facebook. Micro-blogging platform Twitter stirred a major controversy in the second half of the year when it showed Ladakh as part of China. Twitter had to apologise to a parliamentary panel in a letter, stating that it will fix the issue of geo-tagging Ladakh as part of China and Ladakh will be added as a region administered by India as a union territory. The micro-blogging platform sent the letter to the panel's chairperson Meenakshi Lekhi and apologised for the geo-tag error. A joint committee of Parliament led by BJP MP Lekhi which has 20 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, had issued summons to Twitter, seeking an explanation in form of an affidavit. Taking strong exception to the "misrepresentation" of India's map, the government also wrote a letter to the Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, saying that any attempt by the platform to disrespect the sovereignty and integrity of India, which is also reflected by the maps, was totally unacceptable. In a separate incident, after courting controversy for wrongly showing Jammu and Kashmir as part of China, Twitter said it resolved this particular geo-tag issue. Several netizens also asked the IT minister and the government to take action against <keyword id="749437" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter-India">Twitter India</keyword> as the controversy erupted amid India's border standoff with China in Ladakh. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-mrs-bectors-ril-bharti-airtel-vodafone-idea-ilfs-interglobe-aviation-future-group-deepak-nitrite-jubilant-foodworks-and-others/articleshow/79933826.cms">Top stocks to watch – Mrs Bectors, RIL, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, IL&amp;FS, InterGlobe Aviation, Future Group, Deepak Nitrite, Jubilant FoodWorks, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/there-are-one-of-only-17-indian-companies-out-of-500-that-aced-the-du-pont-test/articleshow/79911627.cms">There are one of only 17 Indian companies out of 500 that aced the Du Pont test</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/wipro-buyback-offer-details-and-700-million-metro-ag-deal-drives-share-price/articleshow/79911875.cms">Wipro offers 10% more to buy back shares and signs a $700 million deal with Metro AG – everything that’s driving the IT services stock higher today</a>

Facebook and Twitter stir up hornet's nest in India in 2020

NEW DELHI: BJP's prime ministerial <keyword id="53129" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="candidate">candidate</keyword> <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> on Tuesday reacted to controversial statements by leaders like Pravin Togadia and Giriraj Singh. 
 
"Petty statements by those claiming to be BJP's well wishers are deviating the campaign from the issues of development &amp; good governance. I disapprove any such irresponsible statement and appeal to those making them to kindly refrain from doing so," Modi tweeted. 
 While Togadia had reportedly called for the forcible eviction of a Muslim family from a Hindu-dominated locality, <keyword id="266830" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bihar-BJP">Bihar BJP</keyword> leader Giriraj Singh had said that those who oppose Modi should go to Pakistan as there will be no place for them in India. 
 
On Saturday evening, Togadia joined a group of VHP and Bajrang Dal members on a street protest in Bhavnagar outside a house purchased by a Muslim businessman near Meghani Circle. 
 
While saffron groups have been regularly organizing 'Ram Dhuns' and 'Ram Darbars' to thwart such deals, Togadia went a step further by asking the protesters to take complete control of the house and put a 'Bajrang Dal' board on it. 
 
Togadia then told the gathering that there were two ways to stop such deals. One is to pressurize the state government to bring in Disturbed Areas Act in Bhavnagar, which prevents inter-community sale of immovable property. The second is to take forcible possession of the house and fight a legal battle later which will go on for years. 
 
He gave the Muslim occupant 48 hours to vacate the house. "If he does not relent, go with stones, tyres and tomatoes to his office. There is nothing wrong in it. Killers of Rajiv Gandhi have not been hanged ... there is nothing to fear and the case will go on," Togadia told the charged-up gathering. 
 
"I have done it in the past and Muslims have lost both property and money," he had said. 
 
The Election Commission on Monday evening directed the district administration of Bhavnagar to file an FIR against Togadia for his hate speech. 
 
Gujarat's chief electoral officer Anita Karwal said, "We have inquired about the Bhavnagar incident and have directed the district administration to file an FIR in the matte 
 
Bihar leader Giriraj Singh, has also been booked for his comment that those who oppose the BJP's prime ministerial candidate have a place in Pakistan and not in India. 
 The <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> was quick to reject Modi's appeal and called it 'crocodile tears'.

Refrain From Making Irresponsible Statements, Modi Tells Leaders

<keyword id="2520139" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cow-trafficking">Cow trafficking</keyword> and slaughtering are words which don’t exist for many Indians, but visit the east and you would encounter the harsh reality — it (cow trafficking) is a regular affair, and a lucrative business for smugglers and butchers. This is precisely the reason why the country’s total cattle population declined from 20.45 crore in 1992 to 19.90 crore in 2007. 
 It is sad that cows are battling for life in India, a country where they are regarded as sacred and worshipped by the majority population. Our Vedic scriptures, which refer to them as ‘mothers,’ attached great importance to cows, and encouraged people to value as well as preserve them. Even Mughal emperors such as Akbar were against <keyword id="2520140" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cow-slaughtering">cow slaughtering</keyword> — the fact was highlighted during a hearing on The <keyword id="2520142" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="West-Bengal-Animal-Slaughter-Central-Act">West Bengal Animal Slaughter Central Act</keyword>, 1950. “Mughal Emperor Babar saw the wisdom of prohibiting the slaughter of cows as and by way of religious sacrifice and directed his son Humayun to follow this. Similarly, Emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Ahmad Shah, it is said, prohibited cow slaughter,” the Supreme Court had said. 
 
Cow traffickers spreading their wings across India The network of cow smugglers is spread across different states. According to local estimates, about 20,000 to 30,000 cows are smuggled to Bangladesh every day. The smuggling reaches its peak during <keyword id="6417740" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Eid-ul-Zuha">Eid-ul-Zuha</keyword> (<keyword id="6622052" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bakrid">Bakrid</keyword>). From Bangladesh, they are exported all over the world, especially the Middle East, where beef is in huge demand. The route traffickers take for illegal export of cow is: cows from UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and states as far as Haryana and Punjab are first transported to <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword> from where they are smuggled to Bangladesh through <keyword id="55201" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Murshidabad">Murshidabad</keyword>, the bordering district of India and Bangladesh. 
 On August 29, about 2000 cows stuffed in 100 trucks were caught in Govindpur (Jharkhand). The trucks, which were carrying cows from the neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand for being sacrificed on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid), were on their way to West Bengal. These trucks, jam-packed with cows, were found by the volunteers of <keyword id="2520141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akhil-Bharatiya-Gau-Raksha-Mission">Akhil Bharatiya Gau Raksha Mission</keyword>, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and BJP activists. 
 
Holy cows facing the worst in West Bengal 
In Bihar, export of cows for any purpose is banned. In Muslim-dominated Jammu and Kashmir, there is a punishment of up to 10 years of imprisonment if someone is found guilty of cow slaughter. Even possession of flesh of slaughtered animals is a punishable offence with imprisonment up to one year. Transport of cows outside Jammu and Kashmir for slaughtering is also prohibitted. 
 
Sadly, the West Bengal police and administration isn’t taking any stern action in this regard. The Akhil Bharatiya Gau Raksha Mission activists allege that the West Bengal police behave rudely whenever they approach them to lodge complaint. According to them, when their activists rescued some cows in Kolkata’s Lalbazar, police threatened to arrest them under non-bailable sections. Now, the big question that arises is: Is the state police under some ‘external pressure’ not to act against the perpetrators? 
 
There surely seems to be some connection. The West Bengal government’s sheer apathy towards cow slaughtering has been witnessed on several occasions. For instance, the Bengal government used the provision granted in the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Central Act*, 1950, to allow cow slaughter on Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid). After this relaxation, more than one lakh young and healthy cows got slaughtered in Kolkata every year on this occasion. 
 
The Calcutta High Court intervened and struck down the exemption provided by the state government in 1982. The Bengal government and butchers took the matter to the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court’s judgment. But, in spite of the court order, the West Bengal administration hasn’t taken any concrete measures; except for cosmetic steps like publishing advertisements in local newspapers. 
 
The Animal Husbandry Department of the Government of India says that in West Bengal, the contempt of the Supreme Court's judgment is going on since 1994. “Any amount of follow-up action by the animal welfare organisations to persuade the state administration have not achieved the desired results. On the contrary, some peaceful agitators pleading with the administration for compliance with the Supreme Court order were rounded up and put behind bars on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) in the year 2002.” 
 
Better fate awaits cows 
Except for West Bengal and the northeastern states, other states have been making effort to save cows. In 1982, the erstwhile Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, wrote a letter to chief ministers of 14 states, asking them to enforce the ban in letter and spirit. Sadly, the ban has remained only in ‘letters’ and never in ‘spirit.’ 
 
With the Narendra Modi-led government in power at the Centre, one can hope that stern action would be taken against the smugglers. After all, Modi had talked about the issue during his election campaign and promised to take care of farmers and their cattle. He ruthlessly attacked the UPA government for ‘pink revolution’ and increase in export of meat, including beef, while his supporters chanted Modi ko matdaan, Gai ko jeevandaan slogan. 
 
However, after coming to power, we have not seen any action from the BJP government on this front yet. Agreed, that government has several high-priority tasks at hand, but cow protection is also the need of the hour — not because of the religious sentiments attached, but for maintenance of the ecological balance. If slaughtering of cows goes on rampantly, they may get to the verge of extinction, which would disturb the ecological chain. 
 
* The West Bengal Animal Slaughter Central Act, 1950: The act was passed to “control the slaughter of certain animals with a view to increase the supply of milk and to avoid the wastage of animal power necessary for improvement of agriculture. Section 2 lays down that the Act applies to animals specified in the sched­ule. The schedule to the Act covers bulls, bullocks, cows, calves, male and female buffaloes, buffalo calves and castrated buffaloes.” However, the Act also has a provision for lifting the ban for religious, medicinal or research purposes.

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