A Brahmin organisation has filed a case of defamation against Twitter Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey for allegedly hurting the “religious sentiments” of the community, reported DNA on Friday. The case was filed before a metropolitan magistrate in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur.
The case was filed by the Vipra Foundation’s youth wing Vice President Rajkumar Sharma over a photo shared in which Dorsey is seen posing with a poster that read “Smash Brahminical Patriarchy”. The photo was taken during Dorsey’s recent meeting with a group of women journalists in India.
Sharma said the post was “anti-Brahmin” and used coarse language which was humiliating and intolerable for the community, PTI reported. Twitter issued an apology after the photo was criticised, but Sharma said Dorsey had not yet apologised. “Even if he apologises, it would not mitigate his crime,” he said.
Founder of Vipra Foundation Sushil Ojha said the case was filed as members of the Brahmin community across the world were offended. “We will demand that he [Dorsey] unconditionally apologise.”
The foundation’s National General Secretary Sunil Sharma said they also plan to file a case in Mumbai, saying Dorsey either made an uninformed comment or it was intentional. “Both ways, it is insulting to the Brahmin community and creates a situation that affects the community’s right to pursue its ancient profession.”
Sharma’s counsel HM Saraswat said the case has been filed under Sections 295A (hurting religious sentiment), 500 (defamation), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. It will come up for hearing on December 1.
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