23-year-old bowler Arshdeep Singh, an Indian bowler, was mercilessly criticised on social media after dropping a catch in a match between India and Pakistan in Dubai.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, condemned Wikipedia on Monday for enabling “intentional efforts to instigate” after cricketer Arshdeep Singh’s Wikipedia page was modified to link him to the Khalistani movement.
“No intermediary operating in India can allow this type of misinformation and purposeful efforts to incite and #userharm – breaches our government’s expectation of Safe & Trusted Internet,” the Minister tweeted.
Why Mr. Chandrasekhar Also Included Screenshots Of The Modified Wikipedia Entry?
The 23-year-old bowler was severely abused on social media after dropping a key catch during India’s match against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. India was defeated in the match.
An unregistered user altered the word “India” to “Khalistan” in multiple places on Mr. Singh’s Wikipedia page, and his name was changed to “Major Arshdeep Singh Bajwa.” Wikipedia editors later corrected and reversed the alterations.
Furthermore, there were other tweets from various accounts criticising Mr. Singh. Many Twitter users, politicians, and cricketers also came out in support of Mr. Singh.
How Former Cricketers React To The Incident And Twitter Trolling
“Beware of enemies of the nation who are maligning @arshdeepsinghh over a lost catch,” Congress MP Manish Tiwari tweeted. They are described as pathetic.
Unfortunately, cricket between India and Pakistan is more than just a game. We support him. He is from Sri Anandpur Sahib, my parliamentary constituency. #arshdeepsingh.”
Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), tweeted, “Stop criticising young @arshdeepsinghh.
How Politicians Backed The Young Bowler
Nobody drops the catch on purpose. We are so proud of our guys… Pakistan played better. Shame on those who put our own players down by shouting derogatory things against Arsheep and his team on this forum. Arshdeep Singh is the real champion.”
Gurmeet Singh, Punjab’s Sports Minister Mr. Singh has also received backing from Meet Hayer. The AAP published a short video of Mr. Hayer on the phone with Mr. Singh’s mother.
“The entire country is behind Arshdeep. When he returns, I shall accompany you and welcome him with drums. “He will arrive after winning the final,” said the message.
The Indian government condemned Wikipedia on Monday for publishing incorrect information on cricketer Arshdeep Singh’s page linking him to the separatist Khalistani movement, saying such incitement is unacceptable.
What Happened In The Asia Cup Match Against Pakistan In Dubai On Sunday
Some social media users attacked Singh after he dropped a key catch during India’s Super 4 Asia Cup match against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday.
Following the missed catch, his Wikipedia page was updated to include a link to the separatist Khalistani movement.
“No intermediary operating in India can allow this type of misinformation (a)n(d) purposeful attempts to instigate (a)n(d) user damage – breaches our government’s expectations of a secure and reliable internet,” he said.
The guidelines required social media businesses to remove anything that was deemed offensive as soon as possible, create grievance redressal officials, and assist with investigations.
This Is Why IT Ministry Issued Draught Guidelines Proposing A Tribunal
Significant social media intermediaries with more than 50 lakh users must perform additional due diligence, including the hiring of a chief compliance officer, a nodal contact person, and a resident objection officer, all of whom must be the Indian citizens.
In June, the IT ministry issued draught guidelines proposing a tribunal to hear user appeals against inaction on complaints or content-related decisions made by grievance officers of social media companies.
Several cricketers and politicians have backed Arshdeep Singh, arguing that in a high-pressure game, anyone can make a mistake.
When Ravi Bishnoi came in to bowl the 18th over, Pakistan needed 34 runs to win. On the third ball of the over, Arshdeep Singh lost a pretty easy catch of Asif Ali, resulting in a significant momentum shift and Pakistan won by five wickets.
