‘Can’t make money in a country whose people you defame’

Zainab Abbas

Pakistan sports presenter Zainab Abbas, in India to report on the ongoing World Cup, has flown out of the country. Abbas left after a complaint to the Delhi cybercrime about alleged anti-India and defamatory tweets. Reports though stated the International Cricket Council (ICC) has stressed that Abbas left due to personal reasons.

Supreme Court lawyer Vineet Jindal who filed a complaint on October 4 stated, "There are three tweets I have highlighted. Two of the tweets are nine years old, one of them has been tweeted in 2019. I got to know about the tweets when one of my followers (on social media) shared them."

The remarks

Screenshots of these alleged tweets are attached in Jindal's complaint. The 2019 tweet dated August 11 wishes an Eid Mubarak to all. It states that the true spirit of this Eid is sacrifice. This is followed by: ‘We must remember the sacrifices by the people of Kashmir for their right of self-determination. It is time for the world to stand for what is right. Have a blessed one.'

Vineet Jindal, lawyer, Supreme Court

There are two others: one which says March 5, 2014 from an account: @zainablovessrk and it reads: ‘Hahaha true it does man went delhi and it smells of cow piss. Oops that's their maaaaaa kaali ma.' There is another dated March 4, 2014 that read: ‘this 120 crore population can not produce one fast bowler. Eat some F'''ing meat u shud shahkaharis.'

Jindal said, "Once I verified the information, I filed a complaint with the Delhi Cyber Crime on October 4. I also wrote a letter to Jay Shah secretary, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Ajay Bhalla Home Secretary (India) referencing the tweets."

Mock talk

Stating that her remarks were derogatory to the, "integrity and sovereignty of the country," Jindal's mail stated, "Now, she has been given a chance to be a presenter at the ICC World Cup in our country instead of being penalised for such remarks on her social profile. Her remarks indicate that she despises and has hostility towards the faith of millions of Indians. I have also made a complaint against Zainab with Cyber Cell, Delhi Police on 04.10.2023 for her hostile and scathing comments against Hindu Dharma and Anti-Bharat statements and requested Delhi Police to lodge an FIR against her and investigate
the matter.

"Considering all the above facts, there is no reason to allow a person with such hostility towards our country, to be given a chance to be a presenter here at the ICC World Cup. Therefore, it is requested to kindly consider the removal of Zainab Abbas as the presenter at the ICC World Cup 2023," it ended.

Legal recourse

Jindal said, "I am a law- abiding citizen. I did not retort on social media; I went and filed a complaint following due process. Why just Hinduism? Nobody should post such comments about any religion. I asked that she be removed. She was here and should not be allowed to make money in a country, the people of which she defamed."

The reason

The Delhi lawyer who said he is also a, "social activist" when asked that there are different narratives about her return, from she going back for "personal reasons" to her "being deported" to another that, "she has flown out of the country for safety reasons," said to this reporter, "I am happy you brought that up. She has run away because she knows she will face legal action. There is some talk going on about how she is facing threats. If there were, she could have asked for special security here."

Will pursue

Jindal said, "I will continue with legal action and press for the registration of an FIR. I think it is laughable for some people from Pakistan, and the media there to call India intolerant or say that there is no freedom in this country. Look at the Pak blasphemy law, people have been killed. In that country the slightest ‘insult' to their religion is punished very severely," Jindal finished signing off that, "people can take action but always through correct, legal means and ordinary persons should never assume they are powerless." Several media reports have said that Abbas had denied all allegations. As the controversy simmers and opinions are divided, one thing is certain: the Internet (social media) has a very long memory. Once you tweet, it is impossible to delete.