Chinmayi Sripada's launches campaign against online rape threats

Chinmayi Sripada has started an online campaign called #RapeThreatsNotOK.  This campaign demands that Twitter close accounts of those users who have threatened women in the virtual world.

Chinmayi Sripada, a leading Indian singer, has declared war against social media in a bid to get a permanent solution for the women being subject to disgraceful and distasteful comments online.

Chinmayi has registered her opinions about every social or political issue. Be it during the times of Chennai floods, the cyclone, when students were protesting for Jallikattu or recently when there was political unrest in the Tamil Nadu. 

After receiving rape and acid attack threats herself, she has started an online campaign called #RapeThreatsNotOK. 

Dear Richa, 

“You need to be raped …” 

“I’ll throw acid on your face”

I am a playback singer in the film industry and I am used to being trolled. But these violent threats left me shaken and scared for my life.

Twitter refused to act when I tried to report these tweets and told me to file a police complaint. 

Richa, Twitter's response left me furious! I have the time and resources to fight a legal battle, but what about the millions of ordinary women who use Twitter and face rape threats everyday?

Sign my petition asking Twitter to do a mass shutdown of accounts that have tweeted rape threats against women. 

Rape threats can never be OK. Rape is one of the worst forms of violence. Threats of rape are weapons used to subjugate women and silence them.

If Twitter does a large scale shutdown of accounts that threaten to rape women, it will send a strong message that the platform cannot be used for such vicious attacks.

Let’s make Twitter acknowledge this issue on 8th March, which is International Women’s Day. Sign my petition so that I can show them fifty thousand signatures by tomorrow and make them take action.

Twitter must clean up its act and become safe for women! #RapeThreatsNotOK

Thank you for your support, 

Chinmayi Sripada

This campaign demands that Twitter close accounts of those users who have threatened women in the virtual world.

In the petition, the singer describes how she had earlier filed a police complaint against a few individuals who had threatened her on social media. With the help of her fans, three men were arrested, who spent 10 days in jail. 

In the petition, she said “I am a celebrity, and I have time, support and resources to fight. But what about the millions of ordinary women who use Twitter and face rape threats every day? It is the responsibility of Twitter to ensure that their platform is not used for promoting violence against women. That’s why I started this petition asking Twitter to send a strong message against online abuse by doing a large-scale shutdown of accounts which tweet rape threats against women.”

The petition that was tweeted by her on March 7 has gained momentum and currently has about 53,000 supporters.

Chinmayi Sripada rose to fame for her critically acclaimed song "Oru Deivam Thantha Poovae" from the National Award winning movie Kannathil Muthamittal. She is also the first female singer in India to have an iOS App.