On June 26, Twitter withheld a tweet by financial fraud accused Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub in response to legal demand by the Government of India. As soon as Ayyub got the information about it in her email, all hell broke loose, and the ecosystem that backs her propaganda-filled reports and tweets came out in her support. Notably, in the tweet that has been withheld, Ayyub had cast aspersions on the judiciary in connection to the disputed structures called mosques.
After the survey was allowed by the court, the judge who had passed the order had been given additional security after they received death threats. The threats came after the videography of survey found Shivling in the wuzukhana of the ‘mosque’ where people who offer namaz at masjids would wash their dirty hands and legs before offering prayer.
Ayyub added a screenshot of the email she received from Twitter and wrote, “Hello Twitter, what exactly is this?” In the email received at 9:29 PM, it was mentioned that a particular tweet was withheld in India under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The content of the Tweet was blocked only for the Indian audience, and Twitter users from other countries could access it.
The screenshot of the email was taken on an Android phone while she tweeted the same via iPhone, which is also quite curious and elaborate process to do just for sharing a screenshot.
The content of the tweet withheld by Twitter
In the tweet that has not been withheld by Twitter, Ayyub had said, “Setting the stage for demolition of yet another mosque in India, sanctioned by the judiciary, endorsed by the regime, abetted by the silence of its liberals and enabled by the complicity of the citizenry. Yet another day of humiliating the Muslim minority. Democracy anyone?” The tweet was published on April 9, 2021. Ayyub was quoting a tweet by Bar & Bench where it was reported that the court had allowed an ASI survey of the disputed structure known as Gyanvapi ‘mosque’ adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath Mandir.
The ecosystem activated to support Ayyub
As expected, the ecosystem that backs Ayyub’s propaganda-filled tweets and reports rushed to support her. Pro-Aurangzeb “professor” Audrey Truschke, who is on the mission to defame India, wrote, “Twitter appears to be censoring one of India’s leading journalists, in India.”
Truschke’s claim that Ayyub is “one of the leading journalists” in the country was not marked by Twitter as ‘disputed’ yet.
Danielle Citron, a professor at UVA Law, said, “Twitter Safety do not let the Modi regime silence the magnificent journalist and human rights activist Rana Ayyub with false abuse reports. Please protect her account. From a trust and safety task force member.” Citron might be unaware that Ayyub has been accused of misappropriation of funds she had collected during the Covid period to help people.
One Neha Shastry who identifies herself as ‘Director’ said, “Hey @twitter – are you seriously bowing down to the Indian government right now? A government that is infamously squashing freedom of the press and dissidents?”
Director Smriti Mundhra said, “After the Indian prime minister “won” a Supreme Court decision about his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, a leading activist was arrested in Mumbai, and now a Muslim journalist is being censored by @Twitter. Why?” Mundhra must be unaware of the fact that while unholding the SIT report on giving clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat Riots, the apex court had clearly pointed out that people with vested interest ran propaganda against the state of Gujarat and PM Modi. The activist she was referring to was Teesta Setalvad, who has been accused of submitting forged documents and statements of the eyewitnesses and tutoring victims to malign the image of PM Modi and the state of Gujarat. She has also been accused of misappropriating funds she collected for 2002 riots victims.
Dr Julie Posetti, Global Director of Research at the International Centre For Journalists, said, “Outrageous censorship of investigative journalist Rana Ayyub in India. She struggles to get @TwitterSafety to act against perpetrators of the serious #onlineviolence she experiences, but @TwitterIndia appears to have silenced her account at the behest of the Indian authorities.”
Agnes Callamard, Secretary General at Amnesty International, said, “Seriously @Twitter? @RanaAyyub has spoken truth to power, denouncing hatred, discrimination, and religious violence – and for these, you are silencing her? Shame.” It is noteworthy that Amnesty International had to pack bags from India after the Government of India initiated action against the NGO for violating FCRA regulations. Amnesty has been accused of alleged anti-India activities on multiple occasions.
Arrest of Teesta Setalvad
On June 25, Teesta Setalvad was arrested by ATS Gujarat Police for creating a sensation by making false claims about the Gujarat riots. She was brought to Ahmedabad by road from Mumbai on June 26 and has been sent to judicial custody till July 2.
Allegations of fund misappropriation against Rana Ayyub
On February 10 this year, OpIndia had reported that ED seized Rs 1.77 crore in Ayyub’s and her family’s accounts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. A few days after the expose, Ayyub alleged in a statement that she was being framed for her “journalism” and that she did not misuse the money.
However, all her claims were debunked by a Twitter user Hawk Eye who was the first to share details of alleged charity fraud last year. The ED has, in its attachment order, said, “Rana Ayyub has cheated the general Public Donors in a pre-planned manner and with the intention to cheat the general public donors.”
The order emphasised that the ‘scam’ started from the time she received the funds, which she did not use for Covid-19 relief work. She instead made a fixed deposit of ₹50 lakhs and transferred the amount to the savings account of her father and sister through net banking. You can read the details about the allegations of misuse of Covid-19 funds by clicking on the link here.
On March 29, Rana Ayyub was stopped by Indian Immigration officials from boarding a flight to London due to the pending money laundering case against her. On April 4, she was granted permission to travel abroad by the Delhi High Court with the pre-requirement that she divulges details of her travel, contacts and her place of stay.
Notably, Ayyub had penned down her so-called expose of the Gujarat Riots in her book Gujarat Files which was rejected as evidence by the Supreme Court. Also, a detailed rebuttal of the book by OpIndia’s Editor Nirwa Mehta can be read here.
