Ripple around #Top10Criminals on twitter as Google search shows Modi as one of world's top ten criminals

By A Representative
It was “trending” on twitter at the very top on Wednesday for the whole day: Comments for and against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a virtual non-issue: A Google image search “top 10 criminals” leads one find that Modi appears once but twice as one of the top dozen criminals!

Every minute, tens of tweets poured in for the whole day on Wednesday, with some of them saying that it was “shameful” for a top search engine to put Modi as one of the top ten criminals in the world, while others commenting, “World knows it now”!
Interestingly, tweeting continued to bombard, with #Top10Criminals becoming the top trending event for most of the day. One of tweeters, Shekhar@MangoBwoy said, “True Modi being criminal is a private matter of BJP why Google meddling”. Sounding neutral, the twitteratti quoted from what appeared to be the Google explanation on the “top 10 criminals”, which said, “Sometimes Google search results from the internet can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries.”
Google has been further quoted as saying, “We assure you that the views expressed on by such sites are in no way endorsed by Google”. The California based company explains “Top 10 Criminals” with Modi appearing twice in the image section as follows: “Search results rely on computer algorithms that take into account thousand of factors.”
Google adds, “The beliefs and preferences of those who work at Google, as well the opinions of the general public, do not determine or impact our search results.” And since the “integrity of its search results is extremely important… accordingly, we not remove a page from our search results simply because its content is unpopular or because we receive complaints concerning it.”

Meanwhile, a top media group claimed, Google faced the “wrath of thousands of Modi fans on Wednesday on Twitter for it search results on 'Top 10 criminals'”, adding, “#Top10Criminals was trending on twitter because a search result for the same on Google threw up pictures of several Indians. And one of them is none other than Modi.” It noted, Modi’s picture appears, “not once, not twice, but thrice in the first 12 images.”
Others who secured a place in Google's “Top 10 criminals” search results in the images section included Osama Bin Laden, Dawood Ibrahim, Hafiz Saeed, Sanjay Dutt, American serial killer Ariel Castro, and so on. One also finds pictures of and Indian-American gay couple, Shannon and Seema, who got married in 2013. There is also the surprise picture of celebrated actress Sonakshi Sinha for being a “fashion criminal”!
While circles close to Modi, including the Prime Minister’s Office, did not immediately react, some twitteratti demanded an apology from Google, others wanted the Prime Minister’s name to out of the list, while still others took potshots at Modi. In an interesting tweet, @KejriwalFanClub said, “Hey @google PM Modi listed in #Top10Criminals list, also include Amit Shah on it. Without Amit Shah #Top10Criminals list is incomplete.”

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

'Policy long overdue': Coalition of 29 experts tells JP Nadda to act on SC warning label order

By A Representative In a significant development for public health, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to seriously consider implementing mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on pre-packaged food products. The order, passed by a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan on February 10, 2026, comes as the Court expressed dissatisfaction with the regulatory body's progress on the issue.

When tourism meets tribal law: The Vanajangi dispute in Andhra Pradesh

By Palla Trinadha Rao A writ petition presently before the High Court of Andhra Pradesh has brought into focus an increasingly important question in the governance of tribal regions: can eco-tourism projects in Scheduled Areas be implemented without the consent of the Gram Sabha? The case concerns the establishment of a Community Based Eco-Tourism centre at Vanajangi village in Paderu Mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju District, a region located within the Scheduled Areas of Andhra Pradesh.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

Vaccination vs screening: Policy questions raised on cervical cancer strategy

By A Representative A public policy expert has written to Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda raising a series of concerns regarding the national Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign launched on February 28 for 14-year-old girls.

The new anti-national certificate: If Arundhati Roy is the benchmark, count me in

By Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava* Dear MANIT Alumni Network Committee, “Are you anti-national?” I encountered this fascinating—some may say intimidating—question from an elderly woman I barely know, an alumna of Maulana Azad College of Technology (MACT, now Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology - MANIT), Bhopal, and apparently one of the founders of the MACT (now MANIT) Alumni Network. The authority with which she posed the question was striking. “How much anti-national are you? What have you done for the Alumni Network Committee to identify you as anti-national?” When I asked what “anti-national” meant to her and who was busy certifying me as such, the response came in counter-questions.

The ultimate all-time ODI XI: A personal selection of icons across eras

By Harsh Thakor* This is my all-time best XI chosen for ODI (One Day International) cricket: 1. Adam Gilchrist (W) – The absolute master blaster who could create the impact of exploding gunpowder with his electrifying strokeplay. No batsman was more intimidating in his era. Often his knocks decided the fate of games as though the result were premeditated. He escalated batting strike rates to surreal realms.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Minority concerns mount: RTI reveals govt funded Delhi religious meet in December

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* Indian Muslims have expressed deep concern over what they describe as rising hate speech and hostility against their community under the BJP-led government in India. A recent flashpoint was the event organised by Sanatan Sanstha titled “Sanatan Rashtra Shankhnad Mahotsav” in New Delhi on 13–14 December 2025.

Search This Blog