BJP MP from Bengaluru South, Tejasvi Surya has been called out multiple times in the past for the contents of his tweets. But it seems it’s not just people on social media who have objections, but even the Union government. In a list of more than hundred tweets by various users that the Union Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology asked Twitter to take down, it has also included the tweet by the ‘young face’ of the party,
According to The Wire which first published the article, Twitter’s filings with a third party database, which publishes requests to remove content from the social media platform, shows that the MoEIT had requested Twitter to take down Tejasvi Surya’s tweet.
The tweet, stated that in most cases terrorists are from the Muslim community. “In short: true, terror has no religion. But the terrorist definitely has a religion, and in most cases it’s Islam”.
Tejasvi Surya’s tweet is the 65th among 121 tweets that the ministry wanted Twitter to remove. The request, which was filed on April 28, 2020, has cited section 69A of the Information Technology Act as the reason for the request. This provision allows the government powers to issue directions for the interception, monitoring and decrypting of any information online.
The notice sent by the government to the Lumen database, shows that several tweets by right wing handles and pro-Pakistani handles were requested to be deleted. The Lumen database run by Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Centre compiles requests to remove content from Twitter. Lumen gathers this data from Google and Twitter.
Speaking to TNM, BJP sources in Karnataka say that BJP National President JP Nadda was unhappy ever since Tejasvi Surya’s tweet from 2015 about Arab women had sparked a row.
Surya claimed in a tweet in 2015, which he later deleted, that 95% of Arab women have never had an orgasm in a hundred years and that Arab women produced babies as an act of sex and not love.
The United Arab Emirates, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Kuwait government, and a few prominent names from the Arab community called for “an India without Islamophobia”. The Union government went into damage-control mode on April 28, after the issue escalated. Reports stated that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had to make numerous phone calls to ensure the India-UAE relations remained intact.
UAE law applies on nationals and non-nationals in terms of hate speech. pic.twitter.com/bWN3StUkRN
— Princess Hend Al Qassimi (@LadyVelvet_HFQ) April 20, 2020
This is also not the only time Tejasvi Surya has made Islamophobic statements. In December 2019, when protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Indian Citizens erupted across the country, Tejasvi Surya and right wing groups had held a pro-CAA, pro-NRC event in Bengaluru.
“People of Bengaluru’s IT sector, BT sector, those contributing to the nation’s economy like lawyers, bank employees, ordinary citizens including auto-rickshaw drivers have gathered here today. Only the uneducated, illiterate puncture shop wallahs are against it. If you split open their chests, you cannot find even four words. These are the people protesting against CAA,” he had said.
Just two days ago, Tejasvi Surya landed in yet another controversy after tweeting a statement supporting the Karnataka government's decision to stop trains to transport migrant workers.
“Stoppage of inter-state trains by BS Yediyurappa is a bold and necessary move. It will help migrant labourers who came here with hopes of a better life to restart their dreams. Also, it will kickstart economic activities full throttle. Karnataka will emerge out of this stronger!” he had tweeted.
Stoppage of inter-state trains by Sri @BSYBJP is a bold and necessary move.
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) May 6, 2020
It will help migrant labourers who came here with hopes of a better life to restart their dreams. Also, it will kickstart economic activities full throttle.
Karnataka will emerge out of this stronger!
His tweet resulted in huge backlash against the government, with many calling for the government to reverse its decision. BS Yediyurappa and Tejasvi Surya were criticised for forcing people into labour and for disregarding the migrant workers’ fundamental right to movement.