Twitter boss Jack Dorsey lands in soup over 'Smash Brahmanical Patriarchy' placard, accused of spreading hate

Image Courtesy: @annavetticad

Twitter Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jack Dorsey was entangled in a controversy for holding a placard which read "Smash Brahminical Patriarchy".

The placard was reportedly presented to Dorsey by a Dalit activist during a roundtable discussion with some women journalists, activists and writers during his visit to India earlier this month. 

An image of the meet was shared by journalist Anna MM Vetticad.

“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”

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

Twitter India retweeted it, saying “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.” ‏

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

The image soon drew criticism and backlash on Twitter, with many accusing the CEO of spreading hate.

Former Infosys director TV Mohandas Pai tweeted, “What a shame; How can people put such a hate poster and malign a community: @jack How can you as ceo of @twitter be party to this kind of hate? Shocking; this is @brahminphobia of the worst kind”.

What a shame; How can people put such a hate poster and malign a community: @jack How can you as ceo of @twitter be party to this kind of hate? Shocking; this is @brahminphobia of the worst kind https://t.co/bWU0eBo9yG — Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) November 19, 2018

.@jack This is the elemental problem with the team representing @twitter in India, & this is what your users here have been saying - it is unbelievable how blind your biases have made you to the ear-shattering hate sponsored by @TwitterIndia. You have institutionalized hatred. — Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) November 19, 2018

This is a pure hate poster targeting an ethnic group. Does it not violate Twitter policies? Would @jack hold up a poster like this targeting Jews or Muslim mullahs or Church patriarchy? — Sankrant Sanu सानु (@sankrant) 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

Twitter India later issued an apology.

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

“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,” wrote the micro-blogging site.