NEW DELHI: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday termed the BJP IT cell a “pit of toxic masculinity”.He alleged that while women felt safe at physical protest sites such as Jantar Mantar, they were being targeted online with “filth” and threats, news agency ANI reported.In a post on X, the deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha claimed that the digital environment had become increasingly hostile for women and specifically blamed people associated with the BJP’s IT cell.“Where the girls are feeling unsafe is in the digital space. Boys and men supporting the ruling party are indulging in rape threats, prostitution jibes and doxxing. This is the IT cell, the pit of toxic masculinity,” Gogoi said.Contrasting the behaviour of young people at protest sites with that of online trolls, Gogoi said, “The beauty of Jantar Mantar was that many girls and young women said that they felt safe in the crowd. Many said they were supported and even protected to an extent by the boys and young men.”“The young men at Jantar Mantar showed empathy, strength and courage. This is an example of positive masculinity,” he added.“The perpetrators of this filth should be identified, named and shamed,” Gogoi asserted.His remarks come in the wake of a viral incident involving a girl from Noida who was seen hurling abuses during the Jantar Mantar protest.Prime Minister Narendra Modi later posted a video on Instagram asking people to avoid using abusive language and said that he “forgives” those who did.The incident also led to the girl’s identity being revealed, following which she faced online harassment.Gogoi highlighted that targeted harassment in the digital space, including against people seen acting out during public protests, could cross the line into doxxing and gender-based abuse.(With agency inputs)
