Sona says Rangoli's account shouldn't have been suspended, invites flak
Singer Sona Mohapatra has been at the receiving end of criticism after she opposed the suspension of the Twitter account of Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's sister and spokesperson Rangoli Chandel. Rangoli's account was suspended on Thursday after she put out a series of controversial tweets. After the flak, Sona defended her views, saying she doesn't support Rangoli's hateful tweet and apologized to minority communities.
Rangoli's account was suspended after she attacked a certain religious community, in light of the recent Moradabad stone-pelting incident. She even called for their mass killings. An excerpt from her contentious tweet read, "Make these mullas + secular media stand in a line and shoot them dead... f**k the history they may call us nazis who cares... (sic)"
Soon after Rangoli's tweet surfaced, many Twitter users including Bollywood celebrities like director Reema Kagti, actor Kubbra Sait and Sussanne Khan's sister Farah Khan Ali reported her account and demanded police action against her for inciting violence and spreading hatred.
After Rangoli's account got suspended, a debate ensued on Twitter. In a tweet that has been widely condemned, Sona said that while she does not subscribe to Rangoli's views, she stands by her right to an opinion. Thereafter, fellow users asked if a call for genocide could be termed as a right to an opinion, and even questioned Sona's harassment allegations in wake of #MeToo movement.
Just read on my timeline that the ‘Rangoli Chandel-Kangana Ranaut’ handle has been suspended by @twitter ? While I might not subscribe to all their views,I also stand by their right to express them.Let’s not be so ‘politically correct’ quick to be offended dear #WokeSabha 🧚🏿♀️🔴
— ShutUpSona (@sonamohapatra) April 16, 2020
After receiving backlash, Sona claimed she did not follow Rangoli's account and that she had not read the tweet which got the latter suspended. She opined that Twitter could have 'force deleted' Rangoli's "hideously worded" tweet, instead of outrightly suspending her account. The singer said she does not believe in cancel culture as doing so "only invites more such hate".
-We live in a deeply polarised world where one side just refuses to listen in to the other. That’s the worst formula for any progress.
— ShutUpSona (@sonamohapatra) April 16, 2020
- Twitter could ‘force delete’ her hideously worded tweet. (Which I just saw)
- ‘Canceling’ her all together only invites more such hate. https://t.co/lO6qfMM6b5
Following a string of attacks and counter-attacks, Sona offered an apology to religious minorities. "Just to be super Black & White & clear, I do apologise to all the Muslims & minorities for any thing I have said that might make you feel vulnerable. Twitter & it's amplified tweets don't tell you the whole story, (sic)" she wrote.
Meanwhile, after her account got suspended, Rangoli accused Twitter of being "biased" and "anti-India." She added she does not wish to be back on the platform. "I have no desire of empowering such platforms with my perspective & honest opinions," she said in a statement.
