Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was on the receiving end of a Twitter storm after he appeared in a now viral photograph, holding a placard that said "Smash Brahmanical Patriarchy".
Dorsey, who was in India recently, met with a group of women journalists for a closed-door roundtable discussion on how Indians experience Twitter. However, the interaction has come under fire after one of the journalists present there tweeted a photo of Dorsey with the placard.
The trolling soon began. Former Infosys director TV Mohandas Pai accused the Twitter CEO of participating in a hate campaign against Brahmins.
The trolling became so intense that Twitter had to issue a statement, clarifying the incident. According to the post made by the company on Twitter itself, Dorsey had been participating in the closed-door interaction with women journalists when one of them, a Dalit journalist, gifted him the poster. The company also added that the placard was not a statement by Twitter or its CEO but rather an attempt hearing the diverse voices that are part of society.
However, critics refused to be calmed down by the clarification.
The outburst has also caused further words of protest from feminists and anti-caste activists.
Dorsey, who was in India recently, met with a group of women journalists for a closed-door roundtable discussion on how Indians experience Twitter. However, the interaction has come under fire after one of the journalists present there tweeted a photo of Dorsey with the placard.
During Twitter CEO @jack's visit here, he & Twitter's Legal head @vijaya took part in a round table with some of us women journalists, activists, writers & @TwitterIndia's @amritat to discuss the Twitter experience in India. A very insightful, no-words-minced conversation 😊 pic.twitter.com/LqtJQEABgV
— Anna MM Vetticad (@annavetticad) November 18, 2018
The trolling soon began. Former Infosys director TV Mohandas Pai accused the Twitter CEO of participating in a hate campaign against Brahmins.
As an Indian I am disappointed at Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's 'Smash Brahminical Patriarchy' placard - will Minister @Ra_THORe pl take action for this hate mongering against an Indian community,spreading hatred? @PMOIndia @rsprasad https://t.co/TMae3DbNXa — Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) November 19, 2018
This is a country that voted an OBC to the highest office of the land with a historic mandate. Am sure @jack celebrated when Obama was elected. To pose with hate speech when you say Twitter should be a space for healthy conversation shows how hollow those words are.
— Advaita Kala / अद्वैता काला (@AdvaitaKala) November 19, 2018
This is the hate group that @jack met This is a poster that the hate group made that @jack met. This is the hate that @jack preached holding the poster that the hate group made that @jack met. This is the clueless idiot that @jack was reduced to by the hate group that jack met! pic.twitter.com/yVlTCKNcrn
— Shefali Vaidya (@ShefVaidya) November 19, 2018
who asked @jack to hold this plackard? or did you do it on your own? are you aware of the HUGE Brahmin hatred by evangelist in US- mainly because Brahmins are the torchbearers of Hindu tradition? are you aware that Hindu Dharma scores over faiths which must be believed blindly? — maria wirth (@mariawirth1) November 19, 2018
"Smash Brahminical Patriarchy"!
If India's government had any spine, they'd have arrested racist bigot @Jack for inciting hate & violence against a community & spreading false information (fake news). The least they can do is demand an immediate, unconditional apology. pic.twitter.com/ahk3Q5PmJl — The Indian Interest (@IndianInterest) November 19, 2018
Dear @jack Time to change your handle to jackass. Sorry birthday boy, you've been punked. Can't wait to see you with a bunch of braburners holding a "Down with Jewish hegemony" poster on your next birthday. #brahminBashing #posterboy pic.twitter.com/eO5kVFFsIg — Kasturi Shankar (@KasthuriShankar) November 19, 2018
Dear @jack maybe your team didn't feel necessary to tell you this but the poster you are holding targets using the language of hate and violence people who constitute 5% or less of India's 1.3 bln ppl. If that's not hatred towards minorities, what is? Would you do this in the US? pic.twitter.com/z6OKFR82MT
— HindolSengupta (@HindolSengupta) November 19, 2018
By holding that offensive poster #Twitter head @jack just proclaimed he is a Brahmin hating, racist, bigot, masquerading as a woke Feminist. And he came to India to play politics. At least the pretence is over. pic.twitter.com/5FlFHMsIxp
— Smita Barooah (@smitabarooah) November 19, 2018
Total nonsense;do you expect people believe these lies? @jack held the poster,it tantamount to endorsement,has he done this any other country? Did he ask what this means?He has been fooled by the extreme leftists in Delhi;Pl do not try to cover up; you owe unqualified apology https://t.co/TeBnOGYNIT — Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) November 19, 2018
The trolling became so intense that Twitter had to issue a statement, clarifying the incident. According to the post made by the company on Twitter itself, Dorsey had been participating in the closed-door interaction with women journalists when one of them, a Dalit journalist, gifted him the poster. The company also added that the placard was not a statement by Twitter or its CEO but rather an attempt hearing the diverse voices that are part of society.
Recently we hosted a closed door discussion with a group of women journalists and change makers from India to better understand their experience using Twitter. One of the participants, a Dalit activist, shared her personal experiences and gifted a poster to Jack. https://t.co/96gd3XmFgK
— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) November 19, 2018
It is not a statement from Twitter or our CEO, but a tangible reflection of our company's efforts to see, hear, and understand all sides of important public conversations that happen on our service around the world. — Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) November 19, 2018
However, critics refused to be calmed down by the clarification.
Tomorrow if @jack is given a poster with anti Semitic messages in a meeting will his team allow him to hold it up? Why is that any different? Inciting hate against any community is wrong @Twitter @TwitterIndia https://t.co/TeBnOGYNIT
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) November 19, 2018
The outburst has also caused further words of protest from feminists and anti-caste activists.
My Twitter feed is full of elite men hyperventilating about Twitter CEO @jack holding a sign that calls out sex-based & caste-based discrimination in India. Caste and sexism are real and virulent in modern India. If you want to be angry about something, let it be that reality. — Audrey Truschke (@AudreyTruschke) November 19, 2018
