Tweets offer 'Netflix subscriptions', 'free data' in return for call to support CAA

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, January 4

As the opposition for the contentious citizenship amendment law intensifies, a curious set of tweets seems to have appeared on social media—all having to do with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s toll-free number set up in support of the law.

The tweets, whose provenance is still unknown, all seem to induce a reader into calling the toll free number ‘88662-88662’. In return, the tweets appear to offer a wide array of things—from free ‘Netflix subscriptions’, ‘free data’, jobs, even sex phone operators.

One tweet, for example, from a Twitter account that goes by the username @MohanBubna says in a tweet: “My girlfriend is not talking to me so please call her on 8866288662. And request her to talk to me”.

One such tweet promising ‘Netflix subscription’ in return for the call prompted the company to clarify that it was untrue.  

The source of the tweets is unknown.

The toll-free number that forms a common thread in all of these tweets was part of the BJP’s outreach programme on the contentious law. Home Minister Amit Shah recently repeated the number several times at the launch of one such outreach in Rajasthan on Thursday.