Since the January 7 general elections in Bangladesh, where Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina won a sweeping majority, ultra-Islamist forces under the leadership of Al Qaeda-connected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) launched “India Out” movement reciprocating Maldives clearly with the agenda of unseating Sheikh Hasina by provoking anti-India and anti-Hindu sentiment in the country. For the last several weeks, this ‘Maldives Syndrome’ although is gradually gaining traction mostly within half-educated and uneducated segment of the populace, ruling Awami League seems to be totally ignorant of this matter where its unwillingness of taking measures in nipping this “India Out” movement in bud may ultimately pose serious security threat to the country thus jeopardizing law and order situation and even turning into a massive security issue to neighboring India.
Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League fails to understand, in Maldives, since Mohamed Muizzu was elected president in September 2023, a wave of anti-India sentiment has swept the country. Of course, ultra-Islamist’s “India Out” movement in Bangladesh is totally different from the one in Maldives, as in Bangladesh, such notoriety does not enjoy support from the government. Still, this can find ground in Bangladesh especially because of active participation of radical Islamic forces, including hundreds and thousands of madrassa teachers and students as well as religious bigots and anti-Hindu elements in the society.
Most importantly, promoters of “India Out” movement who are using social media platforms as well as YouTube are grossly violating YouTube’s community standards. If Bangladesh government can bring the matter to attention of YouTube, which is own by Google, all of the channels running “India Out” propaganda would be shut-down, while people behind such propaganda would face ban on social media and YouTube.
It may be mentioned here that, as part of pushing-forward “India Out” or “Boycott India” campaign ultra-Islamists are also branding Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as well as patriotic organizations such as Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh as “terrorists” while they are spewing venom against Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, ruling Awami League and secularist forces in the country.
One of the prominent promoters of “India Out” campaign is an individual named Pinaki Bhattacharya, a fugitive living in France. He 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.
