The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday said it was deeply concerned that Muslim women were put up “for auction” online and their images were shared via social media in a denigrating manner.

Images of hundreds of women were uploaded via an auctioning app called “Sulli Deals” on Sunday, The Quint reported. “Sulli” is a derogatory term used to refer to Muslim women.

The app, which was uploaded on repository hosting service GitHub, has been taken down by the platform after outrage on social media.

Journalist Fatima Khan, who reported about the North East Delhi riots of 2020, was among those targeted and listed on the app. Khan, a senior correspondent at The Print, tweeted, “How is this acceptable? What will be the punishment, if any, meted out to the people who made this list? Muslim men are lynched, Muslim women are harassed and sold online. When will this end?”

The Editors Guild raised concerns about the misuse of digital and social media platforms to harass women journalists. “This vile attack is symptomatic of underlying misogyny in some sections of the society, especially against Muslim women as well as those who have been outspoken critics of the current government,” it said.

Advertisement

The association said journalist Neha Dixit was also stalked and that there was a break-in attempt at her home in January. These incidents were linked to her journalism, it added.

“The Guild calls upon the law enforcement agencies as well as the National Commission for Women to take this issue with utmost urgency and to trace and punish the wrongdoers,” the statement said. “The Guild also urges digital media and social media platforms to take appropriate and immediate steps to curtail such actions.”

Meanwhile, Pilot Hana Mohsin Khan filed a first information report in the case for putting women “on sale”.

“I’m resolute and firm in getting these cowards to pay for what they have done,” she said in a tweet. “These repeat offences will not be taken sitting down.”