As Delhi and Mumbai police have begun investigations into the content found on the app “Bulli Bai” after complaints about hundreds of Indian Muslim women being listed for “auction” online with photographs uploaded without permission, some celebrities from Bollywood have joined the voices of condemnation. These include Swara Bhasker, Farhan Akhtar and Richa Chadha.
As part of a series of tweets, Swara Bhasker described the content on the app Bulli Bai as “vomit worthy.” She went on to say: “Impunity and total lack of accountability. We are making ourselves monsters!”
Farhan Akhtar condemned the material found on the app as “sickening” and called on authorities to take “swift action.”
Richa Chadha lauded journalist Ismat Ara who brought this latest episode of online targeting of Muslim women to light, and expressed her solidarity.
Mumbai police have detained a 21-year-old man from Bengaluru in connection with the “Bulli Bai” app. This app, which resembles the app “Sulli Deals” from last year, was taken down after being posted on the Microsoft-owned software sharing platform GitHub. These apps are named after terms used by right-wing social media trolls for Muslim women. Targeting Muslim women with a notable presence on Twitter, the app describes them as “deals of the day.” While there are no actual sales involved, reports indicate that the app seeks to degrade and harass Muslim women.
At that point where we’ve to remind ourselves that it’s not okay to SELL MUSLIM WOMEN ONLINE! Remind ourselves that it’s not kosher to rally & call for genocide! That it’s not okay to disrupt people’s prayers. This is happening in our name, in the name of our Gods. It’s on us!
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 2, 2022
Vomit worthy people! This is what IMPUNITY does… impunity and total lack of accountability.. we are making ourselves monsters! https://t.co/ttfX3plYyQ
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 2, 2022
