Sharma’s posts, often riddled with Islamophobic slurs, disinformation, and calls to violence, have made him a polarising figure. While many applaud the repeated suspension of his account, calling it a step towards curbing hate speech online, critics argue that social media platforms like X have failed to permanently ban individuals like Sharma, allowing their platforms to become breeding grounds for dangerous ideologies.

His following, although controversial, remains loyal and vocal, amplifying his messages of bigotry across various corners of the internet, even during his suspensions. This digital army of followers, emboldened by Sharma’s provocations, perpetuates a toxic environment where minorities feel increasingly unsafe.

What makes Sharma’s case particularly alarming is the larger context it exists within. In an era where communal violence is on the rise and inflammatory rhetoric seems to seep into the mainstream, the continued presence of figures like him raises serious questions about the responsibility social media platforms have in curbing hate speech. Suspending accounts like Sharma’s temporarily may offer short-lived relief, but it does little to address the root of the problem: the ability of individuals to exploit digital spaces to further their agenda of hate.

It’s important to highlight that after the suspension of his main account, Deepak Sharma circumvented the ban by creating another account on X. Through this new account, he continued to post a stream of equally offensive, violent, and anti-Islamic content, further perpetuating his hateful rhetoric without pause. However, the said side account also got suspended today morning.

Another side account of Sharma’s, namely @sonofbharat7D was also suspended.

Who is Deepak Sharma?

Deepak Sharma, who claims to be an interior designer by profession, is far better known for his inflammatory, communal rhetoric than for any design work. Originally from Jaipur, Sharma has established himself as a prominent Hindu activist, though police records show he actually resides in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. He is the founder of the Rashtriya Swabhimaan Dal (RSD), an organisation that, according to him, is dedicated to defending Hinduism and safeguarding national interests.

Sharma first gained notoriety through a disturbing video in which he attacked a defenceless boy on camera for allegedly creating ‘memes’ that mocked Hindu gods and goddesses. In his defence, Sharma claimed the violent Facebook live stream was meant to “raise awareness.” His early online presence was marked by bizarre, sometimes incoherent statements that many found either amusing or baffling.

Sharma’s rise to internet fame began with an angry video where he defensively listed his academic qualifications—boasting of a degree in Microbiology, a Master’s in Interior Design, and an MBA in Interior Design Management—in response to critics who questioned his education. Ironically, this video led to a flood of memes mocking his comments on “secular Hindus” and his self-proclaimed achievements.

However, what began as eccentric behaviour on social media quickly took a darker turn. Sharma moved from being an online oddity to a figure inciting communal violence, leaving behind a disturbing trail of incidents that have further deepened the divide in an already polarised society.

Previous offensive statements made by Deepak Sharma

In 2018, CJP’s Hate Watch team conducted an analysis of Deepak Sharma’s disruptive actions and hate speeches in Uttar Pradesh, revealing the various personas he has adopted. Even then, his animosity towards Muslims was evident, reflecting the same level of hatred he displays today. Sharma has made headlines for attempting to perform Hindu prayers at the Taj Mahal, launching verbal attacks against Muslims in his video rants, and even dabbling in poetry that calls for “another Godhra.”

Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) was among the first to raise concerns about Deepak Sharma’s social media activities, flagging his profile to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on December 27, 2018. The report highlighted his biased, inflammatory posts, which were not only factually dubious but also deeply insensitive. CJP also filed a complaint with Facebook, which led to Sharma being banned from the platform. However, this did little to stop him. He repeatedly created new pages under different names, continuing to amass followers and incite similar hate.

Sharma has made shocking calls for the beheading of non-believers and openly expressed a desire for more incidents like the 2002 Godhra riots. His social media presence is rife with abusive, hate-filled posts, where he portrays himself as a “Nationalist!! Son of Bharat Mata!! Political Thinker” and proudly declares himself the founder of the Rashtriya Swabhiman Dal (RSD).

In 2021, Deepak Sharma ignited a storm of controversy with a provocative tweet, declaring, “अगर भोले के भक्त ‘तांडव’ पे उतरे तो वो तांडव तुमसे झेला न जाएगा – जिहादियों सहमत – RT,” which translates to, “If the devotees of Shiva begin the Tandav, or the dance of destruction, you jihadis (referring to Muslims) won’t be able to withstand it.” He then encouraged his followers to amplify this threat by retweeting it. The post garnered nearly 4,000 retweets and around 10,000 likes, signalling the alarming reach of his incendiary rhetoric.

Even more concerning were the 500 comments the tweet received, many of which called for the murder of Muslims, whom Sharma and his followers label as ‘jihadis.’ This tweet was part of a broader campaign by Sharma, in line with the right-wing agenda targeting the fictional web series Tandav, which had been accused of offending Hindu sentiments through its storyline. Sharma seized the controversy to push for what he described as an “anti-blasphemy” law, further stoking the flames of communal discord. His calls for violence and intolerance highlight the dangerous intersection of social media influence and hate-driven agendas.

Far from being a mere provocateur, Sharma has turned full-time hate-mongering into his profession. He joined Twitter in February 2020 and rapidly built a large following. His account has consistently featured hateful and abusive content, often drawing support from BJP MLA T Raja, a habitual hate speech offender himself.

A profile on his hateful propaganda may be watched here.

Here is a video by CJP explaining how he has misused Facebook as a platform.

It is essential to highlight here that Deepak Sharma’s Facebook account is still there, though the last post on it was made in the year 2022. It contains a similar type of anti-Muslim vitriolic as is there on his other social media accounts.

A particularly telling reflection on Sharma had then come from the mother of Shivam Vashisht, one of his associates who tragically died in an accident. She expressed her disdain for Sharma, stating, “He is a traitor; he profited off my son’s name after his death… I had no idea he was such a lowlife.” This sentiment underscores the damaging impact Sharma has had on those around him, further highlighting the depths of his exploitation and the real-world consequences of his hateful rhetoric. (A video on the same may be viewed here.)

Inaction on complaints made against Sharma for his offensive statements

CJP also lodged a complaint with the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) after Sharma made derogatory comments about Allah in an audio chat room on the social app ‘Clubhouse.’ During this session, Sharma launched into a vulgar tirade about the anatomy and biology of Allah, remarks so offensive that they cannot be repeated in print. In June 2021, CJP submitted a screen recording of this audio chatroom to the NCM, highlighting Sharma’s offensive comments in a room titled Mahadev ko gaali India mein legal (Translation: Insulting Mahadev is legal in India). The complaint stressed how Sharma has been exploiting social media platforms to gain followers, despite his deeply questionable credentials.

CJP’s complaint to the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) had also exposed how the Uttar Pradesh police have been accommodating several of Deepak Sharma’s requests, filing First Information Reports (FIRs) against social media users for allegedly joking about the “Shivling,” a revered symbol in Hinduism. These jokes emerged after claims surfaced that a “Shivling” was discovered in the compound of the Gyanvapi mosque, although mosque authorities contend that it was simply part of an old, defunct fountain. This “Shivling” versus fountain narrative fuelled a wave of humour on Twitter, prompting Sharma to take it upon himself to report individuals who participated in the jokes.

In a series of tweets, Sharma had not only shared screenshots of these posts but also identified users, effectively reporting them to the police and instructing law enforcement on how to respond. He then celebrated his “victories” as FIRs were filed against those he had singled out, particularly targeting Muslim users.

What was particularly shocking is that the Uttar Pradesh police had allegedly permitted Sharma to instigate these criminal complaints. They had responded with remarkable speed to his grievances regarding a few jokes, while completely neglecting to take action against Sharma himself, despite his blatant human rights violations and his inflammatory rhetoric aimed at inciting communal discord and outrage among Muslim minorities. This disparity highlights a disturbing trend in which law enforcement appears to be complicit in targeting individuals for exercising their right to free expression while ignoring the hate speech propagated by figures like Sharma.

Notably, in response to the complaint sent by CJP, the NCM took up the issue. In a letter dated July 29, 2022, the Commission directed the Superintendent of Police in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, to investigate the matter and provide a detailed report on Sharma’s activities. 

Series of suspensions, series of accounts

It’s important to highlight that before the suspension of his most recent account, Deepak Sharma had a previous “main” Twitter handle, @TheDeepak2020, which was suspended in 2022 following mass reporting. This account, like his others, was notorious for spreading hateful content and inciting violence, particularly against Muslim communities. The suspension came as a result of widespread outcry, with users reporting his posts for promoting communal tensions and violating Twitter’s policies on hate speech.

However, Sharma’s pattern of creating new accounts after each suspension reveals a troubling loophole in the enforcement mechanisms of social media platforms. Despite repeated violations, Sharma has been able to re-emerge under different guises, circumventing bans and continuing to build a substantial following. This ongoing cycle of suspensions followed by new accounts points to a larger issue: the failure of platforms like Twitter to permanently de-platform habitual offenders who misuse the space to incite hate.

The ease with which Sharma has managed to return time and again not only undermines the effectiveness of social media policies but also emboldens others like him. Each suspension may temporarily silence him, but the absence of more stringent measures allows him to regroup and resume his campaign of hate, once again mobilising his supporters. This cycle raises serious concerns about the platforms’ accountability in preventing the spread of communal violence and hate speech in digital spaces. 

The disturbing influence of Deepak Sharma: A catalyst for communal hatred in society

Deepak Sharma exemplifies a shameless purveyor of hatred within our society, leveraging social media platforms to amplify his vitriolic messages. His history of inflammatory rhetoric reveals a consistent pattern of targeting minorities, particularly Muslims, under the guise of “Hindutva activism”. Despite numerous suspensions from social media for his hateful speech, he persists in creating new accounts, circumventing bans while continuing to mobilise supporters around a deeply divisive agenda.

From his early days of instigating violence by physically assaulting a young boy over memes to his calls for the beheading of non-believers, Sharma’s actions reflect a disturbing disregard for the values of tolerance and respect that are essential in a diverse society. His inflammatory comments surrounding sensitive issues, such as the alleged discovery of a “Shivling” at the Gyanvapi mosque, serve to incite communal tensions rather than foster dialogue.

Sharma’s audacity is further exemplified by his attempts to monetise tragedy, as evidenced by the accusations from the mother of his associate, who criticised him for profiting off her son’s death. This exploitation of personal loss underscores a deeper moral bankruptcy, revealing how Sharma shamelessly capitalises on suffering to perpetuate his hateful narrative.

Moreover, his interactions with law enforcement raise alarming questions about complicity and accountability. CJP’s reports indicate that the Uttar Pradesh police have acted swiftly on his complaints against individuals joking about religious symbols while ignoring the hate speech he spews. This selective enforcement emboldens Sharma, allowing him to continue his campaign of hatred with impunity.

In a time when society grapples with issues of communal harmony and respect for diversity, Deepak Sharma stands as a stark reminder of the dangerous consequences of unchecked hatred and the critical need for collective action against such divisive forces. His relentless efforts to spread animosity not only threaten the fabric of social cohesion but also pose a significant challenge to the principles of justice and equality that should guide our society.

Related:

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The post Suspended again: Deepak Sharma’s relentless cycle of hate across multiple social media accounts appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Twitter has reinstated the account of repeat hate offender Deepak Sharma, whose profile was suspended in March last year. The one thing that has changed with Twitter is that the CEO of twitter then was Mr. Parag Agarwal and now Twitter is owned by the second richest man in the world, Elon Musk.

Sharma has a history of hate speech and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) was one of the first to  flag his profile to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on December 27, 2018. Deepak Sharma calls himself a “Nationalist !! Son Of Bharat Mata !! Political Thinker” and is a “founder” of an organisation named Rashtriya Swabhiman Dal (RSD). He announced heis return to Twitter with the following tweet:

स्वागत नहीं करोगे हमारा ??
!!
अकाउंट 9 महीनों बाद वापस आया है ?? pic.twitter.com/NA6RjWym4r

— DeePak SharmA (@TheDeepak2020In) January 26, 2023

As soon as he was reinstated he resorted to the same diatribe for which his account was suspended in the first place. He has tweeted today that at Aligarh Muslim University, students raised slogans of ‘Allhu Akbar’ instead of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ on Republic Day, while calling the students “namaazi”

अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम विश्वविद्यालय
में गड़तंत्र दिवस पर नमाजी छात्रों
ने भारत माता की जय न बोलकर लगाए
अल्ला हु अकबर के नारे

बोलो इन्हे राष्ट्रद्रोही क्यों न कहें हम?

— DeePak SharmA (@TheDeepak2020In) January 27, 2023

When state assembly elections were announced, he tried to get popular, claiming to protect the interests of “Hindu dharma and the nation.” However, online, his job is to be a full time hate monger who joined Twitter only in February 2020 and quickly got a massive following. His profile has always been full of abusive and hateful posts and is constantly seen openly supporting and being supported by BJP politicians, including Telangana’s T Raja. His other notoriety includes, trying to offer Hindu prayers at Taj Mahal, verbally abusing Muslims in his video rants, and trying his hand at poetry seeking “another Godhra”.

CJP had also complained to National Commission for Minorities (NCM) against Sharma after he made derogatory statements against ‘Allah’ in an audio chat room on a social audio app called ‘Clubhouse’. In this audio chat room he made a series of extremely crude and derogatory comments about the anatomy and biology of Allah

A profile on his hateful propaganda may be watched here

Musk has maintained a stand of being a “free speech absolutist” and has said that Twitter should be more cautious about removing tweets or banning users. Ella Irwin, Twitter’s head of trust and safety said that twitter “will not reinstate users who engaged in threats of harm or violence, fraud or other illegal activity and we will suspend accounts for this type of activity immediately”. However, looking at the users whose accounts it  has reinstated, twitter does not seem to have stood up to this stance, or has decided to completely turn a blind eye under the guise of advocating for free speech.

Other accounts that have been reinstated include that of Hindi film actor Kangana Ranaut known for making controversial comments about religion as also of a website perpetrating hate, called ‘Kreately’. This account was suspended in November last year after CJP’s complaint. Kreately media was incessantly posting hate mongering, anti-Islamic content through their account.  A detailed report on Kreately’s earlier posts may be read here. @Kreately continues to post provocative and inciteful content. It recently posted about the 1990 exodus of Hindus from Kashmir and posted disturbing imagery and posted content showing Kashmiri Muslims in a bad light. Moreover, on its website Kreately allows anybody to post anything, without any editorial gatekeeping

Other accounts that have been reinstated include:

@BefittingFacts

@theskindoctor13

@Bharadwajspeaks

@theskindoctor13 tweets offensive and at times misleading content. He has written about the Shraddha Walkar murder where the accused belonged to Muslim community and states exaggeratedly that such incidents happen every day in India. He also shared an old video of armed forces allegedly beating up Chinese armed forces and claimed it was a recent one. He also shares videos claiming incidents of “love jihad”. (a pejorative term for inter-community associations and partnerships that are affected by autonomy and choice)

@bharadwajspeaks made disparaging comments about Islam. He has said that Auliya (a Sufi Saint) took part in Jihad and sold Hindu women as slaves. He has even posted a long thread claiming Savitribai Phule (a social reformist and pioneer in women’s education in India) was a British missionary.

Twitter’s decision to restore suspended accounts deeming permanent suspension as a disproportionate action is only adding fuel to the fire. Hate sells and Twitter will only be facilitating it by restoring such accounts.

There is a clear lack of logic behind reinstating such accounts that spread misinformation and hatred. It is not as if these accounts will return to the platform completely reformed. This is no way a deterrent to them.

Related:

CJP IMPACT: TWITTER SUSPENDS DEEPAK SHARMA’S MAIN ACCOUNT

DEEPAK SHARMA MAKES DEROGATORY REMARKS ABOUT ALLAH, CJP MOVES NCM

CJP IMPACT! NCM DIRECTS UP POLICE TO INVESTIGATE DEEPAK SHARMA’S ISLAMOPHOBIC DIATRIBE ON CLUBHOUSE

CJP IMPACT: TWITTER SUSPENDS RW KREATELY MEDIA’S ACCOUNT

The post Deepak Sharma is back on Twitter appeared first on SabrangIndia.

CJP’s relentless efforts in countering hate speech have shown results. The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has acted on the complaint filed against Deepak Sharma for his derogatory statements against ‘Allah’ that were shared in an audio chat room on a social audio app called ‘Clubhouse’.

In its letter dated July 29, 2022 to the Superintendent of Amroha Police, Uttar Pradesh, the NCM has directed the officer to investigate and respond with a report within 21 days so that the Commission may take the matter into consideration.

In June 2021, CJP had brought to the NCM’s attention, a screen recording of the audio chatroom organised by Deepak Sharma titled Mahadev ko gaali India mein legal, (Translation: Verbally abusing Mahadev is legal in India) where he can be heard making a series of extremely crude and derogatory comments about the anatomy and biology of Allah (the word used for God in Islam), which  cannot be repeated in print.

The complaint brought to the Commission’s attention how Deepak Sharma has been misusing social media platforms to build up a following, when actually his credentials are deeply suspect and questionable.

Here is a video by CJP explaining how he has misused Facebook as a platform.

Interestingly, Deepak Sharma’s ‘main’ Twitter account @TheDeepak2020 was suspended because of mass reporting previously. He had then logged in from his alternate account @TheDeepak2020In (set up in 2020) and complained on video to his followers to help him take his “voice to the Twitter CEO.” However, even this account has been suspended by Twitter for ‘violating its rules’.

The complaint also brought to light the manner in which Uttar Pradesh police have been obliging several of Deepak Sharma’s ‘requests’ and filing First Information Reports (FIR) against social media users for allegedly joking about “Shivling”, a symbol holy to Hindus. These jokes started after a “Shivling” was allegedly found in the compound of Gyanvapi mosque, though mosque authorities say that it was part of an old and defunct fountain. It is this “Shivling” vs fountain narrative that spawned a series of jokes on Twitter, and Sharma took it upon himself to report people to posted such jokes. In a series of tweets, Sharma retweeted or posted screengrabs, identifying and ‘reporting’ people to the police, and giving the cops instructions on what to do. He would then celebrate his ‘wins’ as the police would register FIRs against those he had identified, especially if the social media user was a Muslim.

Shockingly, the UP police were allegedly allowing him to instigate criminal complaints. They acted with exceptional urgency to Sharma’s complaints against a few jokes, whereas no action was taken against Deepak Sharma himself for committing grave human rights violations and aggravated form of insult to religion with malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of Muslim minorities.

The complaint highlighted how Deepak Sharma confidently claimed that he will ensure that these social media users are charged with IPC Sections and Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 which has been struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional on grounds of violating the freedom of speech guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India.

The Complaint claimed that posting jokes or memes on social media cannot be a ground for arresting anyone. It argues that this kind of a pick and choose method undertaken by the UP police to arrest someone only to the whims and fancies of a hate offender and extreme right-wing leader such as Deepak Sharma, who brazenly boasts about his own far-right ideology and repeatedly makes hate speech, is fundamentally wrong and against the law.

CJP was one of the first to flag his profile to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on December 27, 2018 and had detailed how Facebook helped news and media channels to team up with such offenders to share and transmit discriminatory content.

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The post NCM acts on CJP’s complaint against Deepak Sharma’s Islamophobic diatribe on Clubhouse appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On June 14, CJP filed a complaint with the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) against serial hate offender Deepak Sharma, after he made derogatory statements against ‘Allah’ in an audio chat room on a social audio app called ‘Clubhouse’.

In a screen recording of the audio chat room organised by Deepak Sharma titled Mahadev ko gaali India mein legal, (Translation: Verbally abusing Mahadev is legal in India) he can be heard making a series of extremely crude and derogatory comments about the anatomy and biology of Allah (the word used for God in Islam), which  cannot be repeated in print.

The complaint brought to the Commission’s attention how Deepak Sharma has been misusing social media platforms to build up a following, when actually his credentials are deeply suspect and questionable. Sometime ago, CJP had explained in a video how he has misused Facebook as a platform. The video may be viewed here:

It noteworthy that his ‘main’ Twitter account @TheDeepak2020 was suspended because of mass reporting previously. He had then logged in from his alternate account @TheDeepak2020In (set up in 2020) and complained on video to his followers to help him reach his “voice to the Twitter CEO.” However, even this account has been suspended by Twitter for ‘violating its rules’.

Deepak Sharma’s suspended Twitter account:

Another shocking incident brought to light by the complaint was the manner in which Uttar Pradesh police have been obliging several of Deepak Sharma’s ‘requests’ and filing First Information Reports (FIR) against social media users for allegedly joking about “Shivling”, a symbol holy to Hindus. These jokes started after a “Shivling” was allegedly found in the compound of Gyanvapi mosque, though mosqe authorities say that it was part of an old and defunct fountain. It is this “Shivling” vs fountain narrative that spawned a series of jokes on Twitter, and Sharma took it upon himself to report people to posted such jokes. In a series of tweets, Sharma retweeted or posted screengrabs, identifying and ‘reporting’ people to the police, and giving the cops instructions on what to do. He would then celebrate his ‘wins’ as the police would register FIRs against those he had identified, especially if the social media user was a Muslim.

For the same reason, his main Twitter account @TheDeepak2020 was suspended because of mass reporting, but he continued with his threats from his alternate account (set up in 2020).

What’s inexplicable is why, with these obviously criminal antecedents and background, the UP police are allowing him to instigate criminal complaints. The complaint expressed its concern that the police authorities reacted with exceptional urgency to Sharma’s complaints against a few jokes, whereas no action had been taken against Deepak Sharma himself for committing grave human rights violations and aggravated form of insult to religion with malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of Muslim minorities.

Although his tweets are unavailable now as his account was suspended for the second time, CJP has, in the letter to the NCM, expressed concern over the fact that there is no stopping him from making another account and continuing with his practice of selectively targeting the members belonging to the Muslim minority as there is hardly any precedent for anyone in India from being prosecuted for misogynistic or hate speech. The complaint has stated that even if one handle is banned by a platform, it is easy to set up another account using another anonymous handle. The fact that he has had such a wide reach despite his content, that incidentally violates Twitter’s community guidelines, means he has been able to thrive, more accounts have been allowed to mushroom.

Here is an example of one such tweet by Deepak Sharma: 

The Complaint claimed that posting jokes or memes on social media cannot be a ground for arresting anyone. It argues that this kind of a pick and choose method undertaken by the UP police to arrest someone only to the whims and fancies of a hate offender and extreme right-wing leader such as Deepak Sharma, who brazenly boasts about his own far right ideology and repeatedly makes hate speech, is fundamentally wrong and against the law.

CJP also brought these recent acts to the notice of Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Devendra Singh Chauhan. The complaint to DGP may be read here:

The complaint highlighted how Deepak Sharma confidently claims that he will ensure that these social media users are charged with IPC Sections and Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 which has been struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional on grounds of violating the freedom of speech guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India

The complaint has cited the case of Mahendra Singh Dhoni vs. Yerraguntla Shyamsundar and Anr (2017) 7 SCC 760 where the Supreme Court held, “It is clear as crystal that Section 295-A does not stipulate everything to be penalised and any and every act would tantamount to insult or attempt to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of a class of citizens. It penalises only those acts of insults to or those varieties of attempts to insult the religion or religious belief of a class of citizens which are perpetrated with the deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of that class of citizens. Insults to religion offered unwittingly or carelessly or without any deliberate or malicious intention to outrage the religious feelings of that class do not come within the section. The Constitution Bench has further clarified that the said provision only punishes the aggravated form of insult to religion when it is perpetrated with the deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of that class. Emphasis has been laid on the calculated tendency of the said aggravated form of insult and also to disrupt the public order to invite the penalty.”

The complaint has demonstrated Deepak Sharma’s past conduct in detail. CJP was one of the first to  flag his profile to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on December 27, 2018 and had detailed how Facebook helped news and media channels to team up with such offenders to share and transmit discriminatory content.

A copy of the complaint to NCM may be read here: 

Related:

CJP Impact: Twitter suspends Deepak Sharma’s main account
Hathras horror: News channel teams up with serial hate offender to spread anti-victim propaganda
Tandav Controversy: Deepak Sharma demands ‘anti-blasphemy’ law
Hate Watch: CJP writes to NHRC regarding hate on Facebook
Hate Offender: Deepak Sharma’s Hate Speeches have gone unchecked so far
How does Hate Offender Deepak Sharma manage to get FIRs registered on demand?

The post CJP moves NCM against Deepak Sharma for derogatory remarks against Allah online! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Repeat hate offender and hate speech maker Deepak Sharma, a self proclaimed Hindutva ‘leader’, was in the news a few months ago when his ‘main’ Twitter account @TheDeepak2020 was suspended because of mass reporting. He had then logged in from his alternate account (set up in 2020) and whined on video to his followers to help him reach his “voice to the twitter Ceo”. 

He claimed that his “right wing voice” was being subdued. However, Sharma has a history of hate speech and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) was one of the first to  flag his profile to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on December 27, 2018. In the wake if the horrific Hathras rape, Sharma had made a series of claims discrediting the victim on his Facebook page.  

In January 2021, Sharma, who seems to have joined Twitter only in February 2020 but had amassed over 1,65,000 followers on his main account, worked hard on his alternate account @TheDeepak2020In and managed to get over 35,300 followers. He was in poll mode ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. He had praised the incumbent BJP government, praising ‘encounters’ he said have been ordered by CM Adityanath. He encouraged his followers to vote for saffron and said, “I will do a freelance campaign everyday,” for “bulldozer baba” and said “his chest too is 56 inches.” 

He has also claimed to have fathered the Mosque-Temple controversy five years ago, when he was among the many to resurrect the fake “Taj Mahal is Tejo Mahalaya claim”. Sharma claimed he was the one who had highlighted that clan, and that was the seed he sowed for the criminally charged Gyanvapi mosque case now underway, “आज से 5 साल पहले जब मैंने तेजोमहालय बोला और वहां शिव चालीसा की तो कई हिंदुओं/जिहादियों ने मेरा मजाक भी उड़ाया और इसे सिर्फ पब्लिकसिटी स्टंट बोला ! लेकिन उस वक्त जो बीज मैंने बोया आज वो अंकुरित हो चुका है, आज फिर @aajtak

पर चली बहस में ये सिद्ध हो गया || https://twitter.com/i/status/1522811411684298752

After the BJP returned to power in UP, Sharma seems to have taken on a new role. He now monitors social media, especially Twitter, and ‘reports’ all that he considers ‘unwanted’ or objectionable to the police, ministers, lawyers etc. That would be ignored, if not for the fact that he gets acknowledged quickly, and often legal cases are registered against the people Sharma has targeted and virtually handed over to the police for crimes they may or may not have committed. 

Sharma, in fact, seems to be registering FIRs on demand it seems. Uttar Pradesh police obliged several of Deepak Sharma’s ‘requests’ last week, and filed FIR against social media users. Here are a few samples of how he identifies, and ‘reports’ people to the police, giving the cops instructions on what to do:

“नाम – मुकुल जाटव जिला – हाथरस, उत्तर प्रदेश अगर तू बच गया तो मेरा नाम दीपक जाटव रख लूंगा, तू चाहे तो तेरे पिता चंद्रशेखर रावण को बुला ले पर तेरे बाबा श्री भीम राव अम्बेडकर वाले संविधान से तेरी गिरफ्तारी करवाऊंगा @hathraspolice

संज्ञान लेकर सुसंगत धाराओं में मुकदमा दर्ज करें

https://twitter.com/adhirrcinc/status/1527898217232203777

धमकी नहीं देने का वरना तुम्हें जेल मिलेगी – और मेरी सुरक्षा बढ़ेगी ||

https://twitter.com/TheDeepak2020In/status/1527677203193815041

नाम – हरामराम बदसूरत कुभूषण जिला – राजधानी लखनऊ उत्तर प्रदेश भला हो तूने हिन्दू देवताओं के बारे में लिखा, यकीन मान शांतिदूतों के लिए लिखता तो प्राण पखेरू होते || @lkopolice @dgpup

इस पोस्ट को लेकर लखनऊ से सैकड़ों फोन कॉल्स हैं माहौल खराब हो सकता है , सख्त एक्शन लें इसपे दीपक

https://twitter.com/TheDeepak2020In/status/1527635561951154178

एक लखनऊ का केस आया है महादेव को गाली दे रहा है दुष्ट! ? रेल दिया जाए क्या ?

https://twitter.com/TheDeepak2020In/status/1527617831646269441

He then celebrates his ‘wins’ when the police registers FIRs against those he has identified, especially if the social media user is a Muslim. Then he celebrates with tweets like this: “बधाई हो महादेव के भक्तों बोला था न अतीउर रहमान खान तू जाएगा धारा 153A, 295A, 66 IT एक्ट के तहत थाना कासना पुलिस कमिश्नरेट नोएडा में मुकदमा दर्ज मोबाइल नम्बर घर का पता आदि पुलिस को दे दिया है अगले 3 से 5 घण्टे में अपराधी सलाखों के पीछे होगा @noidapolice FIR नम्बर – 129/22

https://twitter.com/TheDeepak2020In/status/1527561151512727553

नाम – अतीउर रहमान खान जिला – देवरिया , तहसील सलेमपुर करेंट लोकेशन – Noida U.P. तेरा जेल जाना तय है, तू इस ट्वीट की पर्ची का ताबीज बनाकर अपने गले मे टांग ले, जा हिल || आदरणीय @shalabhmani

दादा कृपया संज्ञान लें @noidapolice @deoriapolice @Uppolice

https://twitter.com/TheDeepak2020In/status/1527278690002178050

नाम – अतहर जिला – अमरोहा उत्तर प्रदेश ये बेहद शर्मनाक व भारत का राष्ट्रीय और धार्मिक अपमान है भारत की अस्मिता और अखंडता का अपमान है ये नाकाबिले बर्दास्त है @amrohapolice @IPSVineet

सर कृपया संज्ञान लें और ऐसे व्यक्ति पर कठोर धाराओं में मुकदमा दर्ज कर सलाखों के पीछे पंहुचाये

https://twitter.com/TheDeepak2020In/status/1527261677992849409

नाम – मोहम्मद शाहिद जिला – मिर्जापुर थाना कटरा उत्तर प्रदेश बेटा अगर तुम बच गए न तो तुम्हारी बकरी की जंजीर मेरे गले में बांध देना , ये चेलेंज है तुम्हें बड़े भाई @_drpandeyanil

जी द्वारा आदेशित किये जाने पर Sp मिर्जापुर से बात कीं @mirzapurpolice

मामले की प्रगति बताएं https://twitter.com/TheDeepak2020In/status/1527244480222470144

मो. अंसारी बोला था ना, महादेव के भक्तों से मत उलझ बताया भी था कि #दीपक नाम है हमारा, पर तू नहीं माना, अब भुगत, धारा 295,153,505, और IT एक्ट ब्याज में, SP साहब धन्यवाद इस जाहिल को इसकी सही जगह पंहुचाने के लिए || @ambedkarnagrpol @dgpup @TheUP70 https://twitter.com/TheDeepak2020In/status/1527181805299740672

नगमा शेख बोला था न दीपक नाम है हमारा तुझे बेरोजगार करके ही दम लूंगा, तूने मेरे महादेव को गलत लिखा, इसका सूत सहित तुझे वापस कर दिया है, और कोई है जिसको प्रसाद चाहिए

https://twitter.com/TheDeepak2020In/status/1526905967837052929

पहले बयाना बांधो फिर माफी मांगो लेकिन मुहम्मद कलीम सुन – दीपक शर्मा से बचना मुश्किल ही नहीं नामुमकिन है || जय हिंद https://twitter.com/TheDeepak2020In/status/1526590986025304064

He is bolstered by such  comments on the celebratory posts: “No doubt. All credit goes to @TheDeepak2020In bhai. But efforts need to be made to prepare water tight case against them as they are easily securing bail.”Appreciation comes from social media ‘celebrities such as lawyer Prashant Umrao, “Appreciation Tweet for @TheDeepak2020In, with his efforts many Vidharmis are sent to Jail.”

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Tandav Controversy: Deepak Sharma demands ‘anti-blasphemy’ law

The post How does Hate Offender Deepak Sharma manage to get FIRs registered on demand? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Today my twitter account @TheDeepak2020 was suspended because of mass reporting, help me reach my voice to the twitter Ceo” serial hate offender Deepak Sharma’s  ‘plea’ is most unlike any video he has made before. Usually he is uncouth, and is targeting minorities, mostly Muslims, often threatening them. Now that his main Twitter account @TheDeepak2020 was suspended, he is playing the victim card saying that his right wing voice is being subdued.

He of course could not resist targeting a Muslim voice here too, saying that his own right wing handle was suspended due to different ideologies. Sharma of course has multiple handles and this ‘complaint’ was posted one of them 

मेरा ये वीडियो
Twitter CEO Mr. @paraga जी के लिए है
आज मेरा ट्विटर अकाउंट @TheDeepak2020 कुछ लोगों द्वारा गलत फॉर्म्स में रिपोर्ट करके सस्पेंड करा दिया गया, मेरी आवाज पराग जी तक पंहुचाने में हेल्प करें रीट्वीट करें ? pic.twitter.com/IKxy8KAcPi

— DeePak SharmA (@TheDeepak2020In) February 26, 2022

Deepak Sharma continues to have a Facebook account with thousands of followers despite his bias and prejudicial statements, and provocative posts without any checks for facts or even sensitivity. He has called for beheading non-believers and wishes for more Godhra like incidents. His profile is a landmine of abusive and hateful posts and is constantly seen openly supporting and being supported by BJP politicians, including Telangana’s T Raja. 

Sharma has a history of hate speech and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) was one of the first to  flag his profile to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on December 27, 2018.  The CJP had detailed how Facebook helped news and media channels to team up with such offenders to share and transmit discriminatory content. The Hathras reportage by Deepak Sharma on Facebook is anti-victim and baseless which is now backed by proof, now that the CBI has filed a charge sheet against the four accused persons for gangrape and murder of the 19-year-old Dalit girl. A detailed report may be read here.

Hate speech maker Deepak Sharma, who claims to be a journalist, “FreeLance Reporter !! Interior Designer By Profession”, and a self proclaimed Hindutva ‘leader’ was last in the news in January 2021, when he “demanded” an “anti-blasphemy” law. Sharma was “upset” by the makers of web series Tandav, and threatened them with a literal Tandav or “dance of destruction” by devotees of Shiva. He claimed it had hurt religious sentiments and threatened, “अगर भोले के भक्त “तांडव” पे उतरे तो वो तांडव तुमसे झेला न जाएगा – जिहादियों सहमत – RT.” This translates into, “If devotees of Shiva start dancing the Tandav, or the dance of destruction, you jihadis (he means Muslims) will not be able to bear it.” This open threat got a massive response from communal hate spreades, hundreds of whom asked for the murder of Muslims, who they abuse as ‘jihadis’. 

Deepak Sharma calls himself a “Nationalist !! Son Of Bharat Mata !! Political Thinker” and is a “founder” of an organisation named Rashtriya Swabhiman Dal (RSD). When state assembly elections were announced , he tried to get popular, claiming to protect the interests of “Hindu dharma and the nation.” However, online, his job is to be a full time hate monger who joined Twitter only in February 2020 and quickly got a massive following, like the rest of the twitter troll army leaders. He remains a popular face in the right-wing social media circuits and is based in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh according to the Police but maintains that he hails from Jaipur to allegedly mislead the police and public. 

Sharma’s last big rant as wannabe Hindutva hero was about the Uttar Pradesh elections, where on Facebook he was targeting all those who are in the Opposition. “I am a brahmin and I support bhagwa and bhagwa dhari (saffron and those who wear saffron clothes,” he says, and goes on to share what he believes are ‘Hindutva facts’, like how Hindi and hindi kingdom ranged from kashmir to kanyakumari etc. In this video he canvases for the BJP government, and praising ‘encounters’ he claims have been ordered by “Maharaj yogi Adityanath”. He claimed “I will do a freelance campaign everyday,” for “bulldozer baba” as he fondly refers to Adityanath adding “his chest too is 56 inches.”  

In 2018, CJP’s Hate Watch team analysed his acts of disruption and his hate speeches in Uttar Pradesh to expose his many avatars. Even back then, he had as much hate for Muslims as he does now. He has tried to offer Hindu prayers at Taj Mahal, verbally abused Muslims in his video rants, and tried his hand at poetry seeking “another Godhra”. Watch his past report card here which exposes how the mother of Shivam Vashisht, one of his associates who was killed in an accident, sees Sharma. “He is a traitor, he made money in my son’s name after his death… I didn’t know he was such a low life,” she says. 

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Hate Offender: Meet Deepak Sharma, a self proclaimed Hindutva ‘leader’ seeking political attention in UP

The post CJP Impact: Hate offender Deepak Sharma’s account suspended by Twitter appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The post Hate Offender: Meet Deepak Sharma, a self proclaimed Hindutva ‘leader’ seeking political attention in UP appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“अगर भोले के भक्त “तांडव” पे उतरे तो वो तांडव तुमसे झेला न जाएगा – जिहादियों सहमत – RT”, translated this means “If devotees of Shiva start dancing the Tandav, or the dance of destruction, you jihadis (he means Muslims) will not be able to bear it,” he then asks all those who agree with his threat to amplify it with re-tweets.

This open threat got nearly four thousand retweets, and nearly ten thousand ‘likes’. More alarmingly it got nearly 500 comments, many asking for the murder of those they call ‘jihadis’.

अगर भोले के भक्त “तांडव” पे उतरे
तो वो तांडव तुमसे झेला न जाएगा – जिहादियों

सहमत – RT pic.twitter.com/FT8ltjrvKz

— Deepak Sharma (@TheDeepak2020In) January 18, 2021

Like many online hate mongers Deepak Sharma calls himself a “Nationalist !! Son Of Bharat Mata !! Political Thinker !!” His extra dependence on exclamation marks is typical because as the ‘Founder’ of an organisation named Rashtriya Swabhiman Dal (RSD). Perhaps he feels extra punctuation gets him closer to that aim to protect the interests of “Hindu dharma and the nation.” He also claims to be a “FreeLance Reporter !! Interior Designer By Profession”.

However, online his job is to be a full time hate monger, he joined Twitter only in February 2020 and already has nearly 1,65,000 followers, like the rest of the twitter troll army leaders. He is a popular face in the right-wing social media circuits and is based in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh according to the Police but maintains that he hails from Jaipur to allegedly mislead the police and public. 

Sharma’s latest rant has been over the right-wing agenda of targeting the fictional web series ‘Tandav’, which the troll army has been targeting and accusing of hurting ‘Hindu’ sentiments in its fictional plot. The trolls have been creating noise about banning the series and punishing its makers in various ways. Perhaps this is yet another in order to distract from the government inactions over the serious allegations on Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami whose whatsapp messages have been recently exposed. Or perhaps it is to divert attention from the ongoing farmer’s movement where the political class has found itself being held accountable. Deepak Sharma is following the same trajectory of hate speech as he did when airing his controversial videos ‘exposing the truth’ about the Hathras tragedy.

He is now calling for an ‘anti-blasphemy’ law of sorts.  

हिन्दू हैं इसलिए कानून की मांग कर रहे
मजहबी कीड़े होते तो हुल्ला बुल्ला बोलकर फट जाते#देवनिंदा_कानून_बनाओ

— Deepak Sharma (@TheDeepak2020In) January 19, 2021

Calling it a ‘dev-ninda kanoon’, or a law to punish those who criticise ‘god’. He says Hindus are just asking for a law, because if they were ‘believers’ or Muslims they would have instead created a ruckus and ‘exploded’. He is of course hinting at terror attacks by suicide bombers. Needless to add, the man is followed by Kapil Mishra, the Delhi-based Bharatiya Janata Partyman who himself faces multiple accusations of hate speech himself.

The post Tandav Controversy: Deepak Sharma demands ‘anti-blasphemy’ law appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Deepak Sharma, claims to be the founder of Rashtriya Swabhiman Dal (RSD), an organisation that aims to protect the interests of Hindu dharma and the nation. He is a popular face in the right-wing social media circuits and is based in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh according to the Police but maintains that he hails from Jaipur to mislead the police and public. Now he has found support for his propaganda in Best Hindi News, a channel that has been promoting his controversial videos ‘exposing the truth’ about the Hathras tragedy.

Hate campaign against the Hathras atrocity

Best Hindi News Channel has been constantly propagating anti Dalit sentiments, showing its support of upper caste supremacy through Deepak Sharma’s videos across social media platforms that also present him as Samajhsevi (social worker) Deepak Sharma. “At the best hindi news portal india category will provide news of india related to politics, crime, health, religion, sports, entertainment, festivals, culture, technology, mobile and gadgets, internet and social media, hollywood, movies, actor, actress, terrorism, lifestyles, education, election results, employment, agriculture, relationship etc”, the portal Best Hindi News.com claims. The website has a not unsubstantial social media presence with 10,000 subscribers on Youtube, 2,28,979 fans on Facebook and 712 followers on Twitter. One Dharmendra Pratap Singh, is the Chief Editor of Best Hindi news according to his Facebook profile and Desi Media Sach Khabar, Faridabad, Haryana.

Dharmendra has shared multiple stories on Hathras on Facebook ranging from people’s anger on social media on the alleged one side reporting, supporting the Uttar Pradesh Police for using lathi on activists and leaders reaching Hathras for ‘drama’ to asserting that the Hathras incident was not a caste-based violence, but just a means to malign the Yogi Government via funding to media house. His Best Hindi news page has also shared a couple of videos uploaded by Deepak to spread the same biased information.

On September 30, 2020 he shared a video stating that some people are using the death of the Dalit girl for “TRP’s” and making it a political issue. He also extended his support to Yogi Adityanath for directing the investigation and called for strict action against people who were trying to make this an issue of caste-based violence. The caption of this video said “Sabhi Sathi, Hathras ke iss sach ko zyada se zyada share kare” (All fellows Share this truth of Hathras as much as possible). “Dalit ki beti ke naam par, media mein khabre  uchali jaati hai, SC/ST act ke tehat ladki ke parivaar ko saare 4 lakh rupaye de di jaati hai phir ladki ke parivaar ko bataya jaata hai ki agar aapne rape ka mukadma darj karaya toh aur paise diye jaaenge. Ladki agle dinn phir bayan deti hai, dabao banaya jaata hai, camera muh mein thoos thoos ke poocha jaata hai rape hua than na (x3)? Haan ji hua tha, medical jaanch, post mortem aur forensic report mein rape nahi hoti lekin patrakaar cheekh rahe hai ki rape hua hai.” (On the pretext of being a Dalit man’s daughter, scripted stories are circulated in the media, the family gets 4.5 lakh compensation money under the ST/SC Act, then the family is told that if a rape charge is used, more money can be extracted. The next day the girl gives her statement again, pressure is built up, camera is shoved into the family’s mouth and they are asked if it was rape [thrice]. Yes, it was, despite the medical, post mortem and forensic report suggesting that it was not rape, news reporters claim that it was rape).

This statement was made by Sharma in a Facebook video that was uploaded on October 2, 2020 at 6 PM insinuating that the Hathras incident was nothing but a concocted story by some media houses to malign upper caste men. He also questioned the laxity of the deceased victim’s family since they did not perform the last rites of their daughter sooner as she breathed her last early morning on September 29, 2020. “Jo poochte hai log ki raat mein kyun jala diya gaya tha, toh bhai kya karte? Usme keede pad jaane dete? Kya yeh hindu dharm hai ki  laash mein keede pad jaane do rajneeti ke liye?”, he asked his followers and friends on Facebook. (The people who ask why her body was burnt at night, what else could be done? Can we leave the body for insects to breed? Is that what Hindu dharm says, to let insects breed on a corpse for politics?) This video received 1,500 likes and was subsequently shared by 2,400 netizens.

On October 3, 2020 Deepak Sharma interviewed an Omkar Singh, from Bulgadhi village of Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh. Omkar Singh alleged that the deceased was killed by the mother and her brother instead of Sandip Singh (one of the four accused). He claimed that the men weren’t in Hathras at the moment and he is willing to be hanged for the 4 boys. Sandip has a strong alibi as he was with his father quenching the thirst of his cows, Omkar claimed.

Deepak also interviewed a Munni Ji on October 4, 2020 who claimed to be on the same field cutting grass. She alleged that the victim did reveal that she was strangulated by one Sandip but there is no clarity on which Sandip as the victim’s brother goes by the same name and happened to be present at the field when the assault took place. On October 5, 2020 Deepak Sharma has uploaded a video on Facebook saying that he stands by the truth and the rest should be left for the CBI to investigate with a plethora of supporters in the background.  “Humare Police ko kisne suspend karwaya? Media ne (in chorus), humare bachche jail kisne bhejwaye? Media ne (in chorus), Aaj Tak ne, ABP news ne (in chorus x3)” (Who got our Police officials suspended? The media, who sent our children to jail? The media- Aaj Tak and ABP news!).

Deepak Sharma’s past conduct

In 2017, he became a social media sensation after uploading an abusive video of him assaulting a defenceless young boy for creating “objectionable meme” content making fun of his God and Goddesses. The self-proclaimed guardian of Hindu religion gave an interview to ANI and said, “My name is Deepak Sharma and I am from Rashtriya Swabhiman Dal. In the video, I had already mentioned the heading as “A Film”. I do not have to explain here what a film means. If you watch that video clearly, then you will come to know that it was filmed to show that if you post such demeaning things on the internet, then it hurts the sentiments of the society and in turn, you will have to face the consequences.” In May, 2017 his organisation RSD was willing to offer a lumpsum amount of Rs.51,000 to anybody willing to pull out Imam Nuroom Rehman Barkati’s beard.

Clad in a saffron kurta in his cover picture, this meme vigilante enjoys 3,678 followers and has approximately 2,000 friends on Facebook.

In 2018, CJP compiled a 4-minute-long video on Deepak illustrating his hysterical abusive content on social media.  In September, 2018 he protested to rename Akbar Road in Lutyens, Delhi to Atal Bihari Vajpayee Road. InUth reported that upon being asked about his demand to change the name, he said that Vajpayee had written several poems against the Mughals, without an iota of knowledge about Vajpayee’s work and career. “There are two types of history, one is positive and other is negative. Mughals represent everything that is negative and we have to remove all symbols of Mughals from our history“, he told InUth. A report by Hindustan Times confirmed that in October 2018, Deepak Sharma visited the Sharda University campus to instigate Indian students against Afghan students. According to Indian Express, on Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate B.N Singh’s orders FIRs were registered against Deepak and one Ved Nagar, a gau rakshak, for promoting enmity and insulting a group’s religion.

Deepak Sharma has been involved in a litany of bizarre activities including visiting the Taj Mahal to perform a pooja (detained later) and calling for removal of a Mohammad Ali Jinnah portrait from Aligarh Muslim University in 2018.  He has also uninhibitedly supported statements like, “If a priest or maulvi comes to me for religious conversion then I will file an SC/ST case against them” by other Facebook users and it added that “If I am removed from the temple and insulted in front of Muslims then they will also be stuck inside.” He shared the post, agreeing with its content.

Social media platforms have been largely capitalised to spread disinformation by hate activists like Deepak Sharma. He lashed out at Mamata Banerjee two days before the last phase of West Bengal General elections in 2019 accusing her of providing refuge to Bangladeshi terrorists according to a Sabrangindia report of June 12 last year. “Aisa kya hai Bangal mein jo Jai Shri Ram bolne par aapatti hai.” (What is so unique in Bengal that we cannot chant Jai Shri Ram?), he questioned. His offensive Facebook live shenanigans also claimed that “40 saal ke CPM communist ke shaashan ne aur pichle 15 saal ke mamta ke shashan ne, Baghdidi ke shashan ne iss bangal ko Syria banane ki puri koshish ki h” (In the 40 years of CPM and 10 years of TMC, the government has tried their level best to convert Bengal into Syria).

In 2019, CJP had complained to the National Human Rights Commission and Facebook which ultimately got him banned from the latter. But apart from his own Facebook profile, he runs another page Bhagva Hind with 30,030 followers sharing pictures of Prime Minister Modi, Yogi Adityanath, Sudhir Chaudhary, Arnab Goswami, etc. In his videos, he also called to behead non-believers and wished for one more Godhra like incident.

Sudarshan News under the SC Radar: An example of spewing hate venom

In the recent past, hate speech is being packaged in the form of News and getting distributed across the country promoting disharmony amongst different religious groups and communities.

Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code criminalizes hate speech, statements and certain acts that have the effect of disturbing public tranquillity or law and order by promoting enmity, creating fear or alarm between classes of people on the basis of difference in religion, caste, language or place of birth. It states that, “Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different reli­gious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communi­ties, or commits any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, and which disturbs or is likely to disturb the public tranquillity, organizes any exercise, movement, drill or other similar activity intending that the participants in such activity shall use or be trained to use criminal force or violence or knowing it to be likely that the participants in such activity will use or be trained to use criminal force or violence, or participates in such activity intending to use or be trained to use criminal force or violence or knowing it to be likely that the partici­pants in such activity will use or be trained to use criminal force or violence, against any religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community and such activity for any reason whatsoever causes or is likely to cause fear or alarm or a feeling of insecurity amongst members of such religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.”

In September, 2020 the Supreme Court through its 3 Judge Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and K.M. Joseph made strong remarks against the tone and tenor of the show, a teaser of which was released on August 27 and had resulted in outrage on social media, The Wire reported. The Bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate Firoz Iqbal Khan to stop the telecast of the controversial programme that is part of a series called ‘Bindas Bol’, hosted by the channels’ Editor-in-Chief Suresh Chavhanke. The promo released in August 2020 claimed that Muslim candidates, in a conspiracy against the nation, had ‘infiltrated’ (ghuspaith) into the civil services in ‘large numbers with very high marks’, labelling it ‘UPSC jihad’ or ‘bureaucracy jihad’, said The FirstPost.

The Supreme Court restrained Sudarshan News TV from telecasting the remaining episodes of its ‘Bindas Bol’ programme which promised to unfurl a ‘UPSC Jihad’ conspiracy. “Any attempt to vilify a community must be viewed with great disfavour by this court which is a custodian of constitutional rights,” LiveLaw reported quoting the 3 judge Bench headed by Justice Chandrachud. Justice Joseph remarked that, “When we talk about journalistic freedom, it is not absolute. He shares the same freedom as like other citizens. There is no separate freedom for journalists like in the US. We need journalists who are fair in their debates.”

These statements come at a significant time where there is an attempt by certain channels to hinder the process of fair trial and due process by corrupting the minds of their viewers. The role of news channels via television and digital platforms should be to transmit objective and impartial citizen centric news and not selective information on their discretion.

Related:

Hate activist Deepak Sharma  

Centre allows Sudarshan News to air UPSC Jihad show

CJP moves NBSA against Sudarshan News

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Apart from these, Sharma has even posted images with various BJP politicians, who are infamous for their communal remarks such as Giriraj Singh, Debajit Sarkar, Ram Madhav, Raja Singh, among others.

Earlier, he had posted a video asking to behead non-believers and wishing for more Godhra like incidents. He even explicitly talks about his hatred for Muslims and the urgent need to persecute them. One such example is of Sharma’s message on Dhruv Tyagi’s murder, after he confronted his daughter’s abusers, which stated that a girl was molested and her father murdered during Ramzan and such ‘Jihadis’ should be hanged to death. He even highlighted the names of the (Muslim) accused.

All in all, Deepak Sharma’s facebook profile is a landmine of abusive and hateful posts and is constantly seen supporting and being supported by BJP politicians.

Another BJP supporter, Chowkidar Awadhesh Shaw, had on May 18 appealed to the voters of West Bengal to vote keeping in mind that chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in Mamata’s regime is a sin. Below is the post:

It is then pertinent to note that, Preety Sethia, Secretary, Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha, West Division had commented on the above post with another communal post where Mamata can be seen wearing a veil (thereby portraying her as a Muslim.) Below is the post:

Just this morning, Vinod Sharma, National President of Sudarshan Vahini, posted a video, in which a group of protestors, with saffron scarves, can be seen marching towards Banga Bhawan, Delhi with placards of ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ On June 2, Vinod Sharma had posted a tweet where he is seen loudly chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ with Suresh Chavhanke, the chairman of Sudarshan news, a contentious channel and many other people, mostly with criminal background.

The post Hate Watch: Bengal in turmoil as Instigators like Deepak Sharma wave their Social Media driven wand, again appeared first on SabrangIndia.