Coronavirus Outbreak: Babita Kumari, Rangoli Chandel's tweets cause man to lodge complaint in Maharashtra

Aurangabad: A man in Aurangabad in Maharashtra has filed a complaint claiming tweets by wrestler-turned-politician Babita Phogat and actor Kangana Ranaut’s sister Rangoli Chandel in connection with the novel coronavirus outbreak intended to create disharmony among communities, police said on Friday.

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The man, associated with the Tablighi Jamaat, filed the complaint in City Chowk police station on Thursday, an official said, and added it would be forwarded through the Aurangabad commissioner to the police in the areas where the two reside.

“The complainant has cited tweets by Phogat on April 2 and April 15. He also alleged that Chandel’s tweet on 15 April was intended to target a specific community and spread hate. He has demanded registration of a case against Phogat and Chandel under section 153A of IPC and the Information Technology Act,” the official informed.

Twitter on Thursday suspended Chandel’s account over her controversial tweet regarding the stone-pelting incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad.

In the tweet, Chandel wrote of shooting people dead while referring to the incident wherein  a medical team screening coronavirus suspects in Moradabad  was attacked by some people.

According to  India Today , the tweet said, “A Jamati died of Corona when police and doctors went to check their families they were attacked and killed, secular media, make these mullahs + secular media stand in a line and shoot them dead…f****k the history they may call us nazis who cares, life is more imp than fake image (sic)”

According to the policy of the micro-blogging site, tweets that propagate or incite violence, hatred, terrorism, abuse or harassment are subjected to be reported following which Twitter account of the user gets suspended.

Her tweet was flagged by filmmaker Reema Kagti and actress Kubbra Sait. Kagti urged the police to take action against Chandel for inciting violence and hatred.