‘I’m Being Targeted’: Journo Named in Ankhi Das’ Police Complaint

Facebook India’s public policy head Ankhi Das had filed a police complaint alleging Awesh Tiwari had threatened her.

On 17 August, Facebook’s public policy director for India Ankhi Das filed a complaint with Delhi Police alleging threats to her life and harassment.

(Photo: Altered by Arnica Kala/ The Quint)

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bharadwaj

On Monday, 17 August, Facebook’s public policy director for India Ankhi Das filed a complaint with Delhi Police alleging threats to her life and harassment.

The complaint was filed three days after a news report by Wall Street Journal stated Das had blocked Facebook from applying hate speech restrictions on several BJP leaders including Raja Singh, Anant Kumar Hegde and Kapil Mishra.

The complaint names five individuals including Awesh Tiwari, state bureau chief of Hindi news channel Swaraj Express. Das’ complaint, filed with the Cyber Cell unit of Delhi Police, alleges that Tiwari had threatened her on Facebook on 16 August.

Speaking with The Quint, Tiwari has strongly refuted the allegations against him. He said he has never contacted or interacted with Das nor has he issued any threats.

“When I read the Wall Street Journal article, I was actually surprised and I have seen that over the last few years that posts on communal discord, problems of tribals, Naxal-affected areas and even on Hindu-Muslim unity were being removed or blocked.” Tiwari said.

Tiwari said he has shared the Wall Street Journal article along with a point-wise summary of the report on Facebook.

“Next day I was informed that even my name has been included in the complaint. I wasn't too surprised about this,” said Tiwari.

“What I was surprised about was that on one hand Opposition parties are questioning Facebook, its integrity has come under question, instead of answering the media or the public asking questions, she has resorted to targeting me, targeting an ordinary person like Himanshu Deshmukh and targeting unknown persons.”

“Facebook is accountable to crores of people, to those who use it. Ankhi Das should’ve given them an answer but she never did that.”

Awesh Tiwari, Chhattisgarh Bureau Chief, Swaraj News

Tiwari also filed a complaint against Ankhi Das on 17 August. Raipur Police lodged an FIR for 'inciting communal animosity' and 'criminal intimidation'.