HYDERABAD: Cyberabad police twitter handle’s response to a tweet by Suresh Kochattil on many ‘wannabe jihadis’ working in American software companies in Hyderabad received a severe backlash from IT professionals as also AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi.
The tweet of Suresh Kochattil on January 6 was based on Iran’s threat of hitting assets belonging to the US and was marked to Hyderabad, Rachakonda and Cyberabad police to do a background check. It was also marked to the Telangana State government and minister K.T. Rama Rao. No one responded to the tweet except the twitter handle of Cyberabad police.
The Cyberabad police handle said, “Yes sir... We have specialised wings for collection of advance intel and our teams are on the job 24X7. Thanks for alerting us. Please keep us updated if you find anything suspicious.”
This led to a severe backlash on Tuesday afternoon, with IT professionals, students and Mr Owaisi respo-nding: “Sir, you say ‘yes sir’. Please enlighten how many such ‘jihadi’ are working in software companies. Kindly give a number. If not, please clarify what you exactly meant. Will you reply to an MP or only to a Bhakt?”
The tweet was re-tweeted 53 times and had 212 likes. To the questions posed by Mr Owaisi, there was no response. There was hectic activity at the CP office as the IT cell was pulled up for its reply on the tweet.
The organisational structure that is followed for dealing with the IT cell of the police has an administrative manager who is in-charge of responses to tweets. The twitter handles are usually based for creating awareness, disseminating information and are also meant to counter fake news. But this reply put the CP handle on the wrong foot.
The backlash was so severe that a clarification was issued at 4 o’clock in the evening. The note put up stated, “The tweet has been misconstrued. The intent was only to state that they are always alert and well equipped to ensure security. It does not mean to agree with the suggestion. We are committed to maintaining peace and order in the society without any prejudice towards any person or community”.
Controversial tweet wasn’t removed
This clarification had very little impact. It was also marked to the twitter handle of DGP Telangana, which shows that the Cyberabad police commissioner had to do a lot of explaining.
Despite the clarification, people are asking why the tweet is still there on the wall. “How long does it take to delete the tweets,” questioned people in response to the clarification.
Talha Fayaizuddin, state president of Students Islamic Organisation, said, “The response of Cyberabad twitter handle is illogical, smells Islamophobic and is condemnable. The entire struggle against CAA-NPR-NRC is to prevent damage to the social fabric of India. What destroys it is the sowing of hatred and creating divide by raising suspicions in minds of people against their own people. Miscreants who are tools of hate and divide should not be encouraged.
Cyberabad police must delete the tweet.”
