In recent years, YouTube, one of the world’s largest online video-sharing platforms, has become a breeding ground for hate speech, cyberterrorism, and misinformation. Despite claims of enforcing community standards, YouTube has failed to take action against channels that propagate vile propaganda against India, Hindus, and Indian businesses. This failure not only undermines India’s image but also poses a significant threat to its economy.
YouTube, owned by Google, boasts over 2.5 billion monthly users and is the second most visited website globally. However, its popularity has been marred by the presence of channels like “Pinaki Bhattacharya” operated by individuals with anti-India, anti-Hindu, and pro-Islamist agendas. Pinaki Bhattacharya, a fugitive from Bangladesh, uses his channel, with around two million subscribers, to spread venomous propaganda against India, Hindus, and Indian political figures.
Pinaki Bhattacharya’s content violates multiple community standards policies of YouTube, including hate speech, violent extremist or criminal organizations, harassment, misinformation, and vulgar language. Despite these violations, YouTube has taken no action against Pinaki Bhattacharya, allowing him to continue his malicious activities unchecked.
As part of his involvement in ultra-Islamist force’s “India Out” notoriety, Pinaki Bhattacharya has been calling for “boycott of Indian products” (including Indian medical services) while he also is calling upon people to destroy Indian economy, and been passing highly-derogatory comments on Indian nationals and Hindus on a regular basis.
All of such actions are clearly against YouTube’s community standard policies including ‘Hate Speech Policy’, ‘Violent Extremist or Criminal Organizations Policy’, Harassment & Cyberbullying Policies, ‘Misinformation Policies’, ‘Medical Misinformation Policies’, and ‘Vulgar Language Policies’. For violating each of these policies, contents of the accused channel are removed while in the case of Pinaki Bhattacharya, where he has been violating almost all of the community standards and continuing notorious propaganda against India, Hindus and Indian business conglomerates, he should have been permanently banned from the platform. But until now, there has been no action against this individual either by video-sharing platform YouTube as well as social media platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). As each of the video contents of Pinaki Bhattacharya on YouTube are against India, Hindus and Indian business conglomerates, by not taking any measures against his channel, YouTube authorities are becoming abettor of his crime, where Indian authorities, Hindu rights groups as well as Indian business conglomerates are lodge civil suit against YouTube demanding hundreds of billions of dollars for attempts of harming image of India, defaming and demonizing Hindus and continuous attempts of causing harm to Indian business conglomerates. In such cases, YouTube authorities cannot ignore or avoid their responsibility as Pinaki Bhattacharya’s activities are no secret because his channel has almost two million subscribers and his dangerous activities through these channels are already reported in Indian and international media outlets.
Few years ago, Pinaki Bhattacharya fled Bangladesh and sought asylum in France under false claim of being a victim of political persecution. In reality, during his stay in Bangladesh, a “neo-Muslim” Pinaki under the garb of producing life-saving drugs in his pharmaceutical factory, was in reality, producing illicit sexual drugs, counterfeit medicine and ‘Yaba’ tablets – a dangerous drug containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine and distributing these contraband items through underworld crime rackets in Bangladesh.
It is important to note – one of Pinaki Bhattacharya’s primary agendas is to promote the “India Out” campaign, urging Muslims to boycott Indian products and services. He spreads derogatory remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and other patriotic forces, portraying them as terrorists and portraying India as an evil nation.
YouTube’s inaction against channels like Pinaki Bhattacharya not only violates its own community standards but also makes it complicit in spreading hate speech and inciting violence. By allowing such channels to thrive, YouTube is facilitating the demonization of India and Hindus, contributing to a hostile environment that harms India’s image and economy.
In addition to spreading hate speech, Pinaki Bhattacharya uses his channel to promote false narratives about historical events, such as the demolition of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya. He falsely accuses Hindu organizations like the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of perpetrating violence against Muslims, ignoring historical facts and evidence.
Pinaki Bhattacharya’s association with extremist organizations and his criminal activities in Bangladesh, including the production and distribution of illicit drugs, raise serious concerns about his credibility and intentions. Yet, YouTube continues to provide him with a platform to spread his toxic ideology, undermining efforts to promote peace and harmony.
The consequences of YouTube’s failure to address hate speech and cyberterrorism extend beyond India’s borders. By allowing channels like Pinaki Bhattacharya to operate unchecked, YouTube risks fueling extremism and inciting violence in other regions as well.
To address this issue, Indian authorities, Hindu rights groups, and Indian business conglomerates are considering legal action against YouTube, demanding accountability for its role in spreading hate speech and misinformation. By holding YouTube accountable, India aims to protect its image, safeguard its economy, and promote a more inclusive and tolerant online environment.
YouTube’s failure to combat hate speech and cyberterrorism poses a significant threat to India’s image and economy. Channels like Pinaki Bhattacharya continue to spread venomous propaganda unchecked, undermining efforts to promote peace and harmony. It is imperative for YouTube to take swift and decisive action against such channels to prevent further harm and promote a more inclusive online community.
