Targeting BJP, Cong seeks action against 'hate mongering'

Attacking Narendra Modi and BJP, Congress today asked the Centre to take strict action against the "massive hate mongering" on the online space against those who do not support or subscribe to a "particular ideology and a leader".
In a letter to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, party general secretary Ajay Maken said that government should take urgent notice of the rising incidents of intolerance and more often than not violent reactions against journalists and intellectuals by right wing elements.
"Vicious as they are, such attacks especially on the on line and social media platforms, threaten our fundamental constitutional guarantee of free speech and expression", he said.

Alleging that such attacks are perpetrated by followers of a particular personality and political party, he said such incidents only amount to total disregard of an individual's dignity and liberty.
He said such attacks are always followed by severe stalking on phone as well as acts of threats and violence against targeted individuals "who do not subscribe to a particular right wing world view in public domain".
He drew the attention of the Home Minister to the recent incidents of "trolling and stalking" of journalists Sagarika Ghosh, Rajdeep Sardesai and Srinivisan Jain who were openly threatened and abused on their Twitter handles.

Hasiba Amin, an NSUI activist, who featured in the Congress print and video advertisement campaign was severly harassed on various social media platforms, Maken said.
"They are doing this when they are not in power. God forbid what will happen if they get power. What kind of assault they will carry out on the freedom of expression and thought?", he said targeting BJP.
For some days, it is being seen whoever says anything against BJP and other affiliated organisations on the social media, he is threatened, he said. "Never before anyone got such threats since independence".