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Dubai: The Airtel Twitter row yesterday has given way to a more important discussion in India - blatant and open bigotry.

On Monday, tweep Pooja Singh contacted Bharti Airtel Limited support on Twitter. When a Muslim customer care agent replied, she requested to be connected to a Hindu agent. Airtel obliged and tweeps started slamming both Singh and the telecom company.

However, the discussion led to a more important one. Many Indian tweeps are now concerned about the blatant bigotry in the country and the impunity that bigots enjoy.

An example of this was Twitter user @Anandajoshi’s reply to @pooja303singh. He wrote: “Even I don’t buy anything from Muslim people. I don’t ride in their auto or bike. There is nothing to be afraid in saying that. We don’t need their service. #iamproudhindu #ThisisHindustan.”

Indian jounalist @virsanghvi posted: “What frightens me is how India has changed so much that people have no problems saying this sort of garbage openly and how cravenly our big companies accept it. Day after day, the instances pile up. Very worrying.”

Many Twitter users observed how this behaviour was relatively recent.

Tweep @namitabhandare highlighted: “Even a few years ago this would have been impossible but now bigotry and hatred are perfectly ordinary.”

And, @Libertarian196 posted: “We all stood by and watched it gather momentum.”

Tweeps @rajanmahan posted: “We now live in so-called #NewIndia where #hate n #bigotry are worn as badges of honour by many! Wonder how each of us can contribute to restore a #culture of #decency n #Harmony”

Other Indians weighed in on what had caused the change. Most of them thought it was the current Indian government, which seemed to be turning a blind eye and even encouraging this behaviour.

Twitter user @crazyshoaib wrote: “It has changed because the ruling administration is ENCOURAGING such hate and media is helping in spreading it by having debates where panelists are allowed to utter such crap and go unobjected by anchors.”

@KPadmaRani1 posted: “If you have noticed... such hate messages find many buyers. People are feeding their alter egos which have over powered thought process’ in these 48 months.”

@ajay43 tweeted: “When the ruling dispensation covertly - and sometimes overtly - encourages bigotry, this is the fallout.”

Twitter user @SamKhan999 said he wasn’t surprised. “I was more shocked when Indian majority [2014 national elections] rewarded .... From that point nothing surprises or shocks me anymore,” he wrote.

Tweep @KhalidFaridi199 also felt this had become a daily scenario in India. He tweeted: “In the case of Islamophobia and Muslim hatred in India today it’s acceptable to support murderers, terrorists, corrupt, bigots.”

Meanwhile, Pooja Singh, who in her Twitter bio, calls herself a proud Indian continued to receive flak for her tweet. @nandy_aveek posted: “...you call yourself a proud Hindu! and love the army. Our Indian Army does not make us learn to diversify or disrespect. We have the third largest standing army and it comprises of all religions and that is my complete INDIA.”

Pakistani journalist @MehrTarar also expressed concern. She wrote: “A tweet that’d make any decent person feel nauseous, but what’s heartening are [Indian] people’s responses to her. That’s the India I saw in my six trips. And WHAT Quran or Koran teaches: be truthful, be honest, do your work with responsibility and integrity, don’t cheat, steal or lie.”

However, some went the hate route and trolled Singh with threats of bodily harm.

To this, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, @OmarAbdullah posted: “I hold no brief for the bigoted Airtel customer but those of you flooding her timeline with hate & abuse are as bad, if not worse, than her. If you can’t occupy the high ground it’s best to exit the ground altogether.”

And tweep @MNZB01 replied: “Correct, whatever is her ideology or mentality, one needs to respect her as a lady and refrain from abusive tweets.”