After outrage on social media, the Center has banned the controversial Bulli Bai app. Union Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has said GitHub, the hosting platform, has blocked the user and Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is coordinating with police for further action.
This after Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Asaduddin Owaisi, and Shashi Tharoor termed “Bull Bai” as “communal targeting”, misogynistic, and urged action.
Six months after the derogatory “Sulli Deals” site surfaced, the new app targeting Muslim women by the name of “Bulli Bai” emerged on January 1, with a number of pictures of women including journalists, social workers, students, and famous personalities, accompanied by derogatory content.
It sparked widespread outrage. Both Delhi and Mumbai police registered cases against the app developer hosted on GitHub. Taking to Twitter, many Muslim women, on Friday, shared screenshots of their social media photos being shared on GitHub, allegedly allowing users to participate in an ‘auction’. The uploading of pictures on the “Bulli Bai” app was similar to the “Sulli Deals” upload in July last year.
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.
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 tweeted: “Govt. Of India is working with police organisations in Delhi and Mumbai on this matter”.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Saturday flagged the ‘Bulli Bai’ app to Mumbai police as well as Vaishnaw for action, including the arrest of the culprits. Chaturvedi had also tagged the IT Minister, asking him to take stern action against such “rampant misogyny and communal targeting of women”.
Those who flagged ‘Sulli Deal’ wanted Mumbai police, and not Delhi police, to take cognisance of the offence and take action. Some said they had little faith in Delhi Police acting against the culprits. Delhi Police work under the Union Home Ministry.
“Have spoken to @CPMumbaiPolice and DCP Crime Rashmi Karandikar ji. They will investigate this. Have also spoken to @DGPMaharashtra for intervention. Hoping those behind such misogynistic and sexist sites are apprehended,” Chaturvedi had tweeted.”I have repeatedly asked Hon. IT Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw ji to take stern action against such rampant misogyny and communal targeting of women through #sullideals like platforms. A shame that it continues to be ignored,” Chaturvedi had tweeted on Saturday.
On July 4, 2021, several reports emerged about an app named ‘Sulli Deals’ that was created by an unidentified group on a code hosting platform -GitHub. The app displayed a Muslim woman’s face and a tagline below it that read “Sulli deal of the day”. ‘Sulli’ is a derogatory term used against women. The app creators would use the photos illegally obtained from the women’s social media handles and convince people to take part in the “auction”.