Twitter blocks Bollywood actress account for hate speech and insult

Twitter has blocked the account of the influential Indian actress Kangana Ranaut. She has been guilty of hate speech and insulting people, the company says. Twitter would have warned the Bollywood actress several times.

Ranaut is a fanatic supporter of Indian Prime Minister Modi. Modi’s Hindu nationalist party was defeated in local elections last weekend. Ranaut tweeted on Modi to “tame” election winners in West Bengal state.

According to Ranaut, one of those winners, West Bengal regional prime minister Mamata Banerjee, carried out violent attacks on her opponents. Banerjee denies that.

Ranaut speaks of racism

“We have been clear that we will take strict action against any behavior that can cause harm. The account has been permanently banned for repeated violations of the rules,” said a Twitter spokesperson.

Ranaut has reacted furiously to the blockade. Twitter has only proved my point. They are Americans, and by birth a white person feels entitled to enslave a ‘brown’ person. They want to tell you what to think, speak, or do. My heart goes out to the people of this nation who have been tortured, enslaved and censored for thousands of years and the suffering still continues, “she says.

Laws to Censor Opponents

Recently, Twitter in India removed dozens of posts from critics of Prime Minister Modi. Messages from opponents of the government are also being removed on other social media. This is possible because laws have been introduced under Prime Minister Modi that allow censorship to be applied.

According to journalists and civil rights activists, more and more critics are silenced by the laws.

Modi is widely criticized for his approach to the corona crisis. Critics say that in India far more people have become ill and have died than reported by the government. Infection rates are peaking and the death toll is rising rapidly, partly because there is a great shortage of hospital beds, oxygen and other medical aids.

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