Twitter erupts as Google search shows Modi as one of 'top 10 criminals'

There was some frenzy on Twitter on Wednesday after a Google search for top 10 criminals showed the names of Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal and Hrithik Roshan, among others. The list also featured the names of Dawood Ibrahim, Osama Bin Laden, notorious American gangster Alphonse Gabriel ‘Al’ Capone and Hafiz Sayeed, besides several other unknown faces. 

Even as Google’s apology for this remains awaited — the search engine has not shown much enthusiasm about taking the link down — the incident has met with near-unanimous contempt on microblogging site Twitter. Users have gone on to call inclusion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image in the search anti-Indian, even racist. Many have also noted the slight disfiguration in Modi’s image as it appeared in the search, in this context. 

 

Meanwhile, there also were some Twitter users who used this opportunity to take pot-shots at Modi and criticising him for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The hashtag #top10criminal has become one of the top trends on the popular social media platform.

The ‘Top 10 criminal’ search results also included pictures of Indian-American gay couple, Shannon and Seema, who got married in 2013. Sonakshi Sinha featured too, with individual keyword ‘Fashion Criminal’. Interestingly, former American president George W Bush was also part of the search result.

This is not the first time that Google’s search algorithm has yielded inappropriate results. Earlier in 2009, it had found itself in trouble with a racially biased search result for Michelle Obama.

Here are some tweets on the subject: 

Narendra Modi is India's first ever Prime Minister to feature on #Top10Criminals.

— Pyaar Se Mario (@SquareGas) June 3, 2015

#Top10Criminals trend is shameful. Google must rectify its facts. It has been years since that incident, Dawood is no more a top criminal

— Office of RoGa (@RoflGandhi_) June 3, 2015

Kinda baffled why Narendra Modi's Pic appears Twice if you search #Top10Criminals in Google pic.twitter.com/1jEoECOQCP

— Joy (@Joydas) June 3, 2015

780 Crore ads to media, now after #Top10Criminals trend may be time for some ads to google?

— Sir Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhaqat) June 3, 2015

Really a sad day for Amit Shah for not being named in #Top10Criminals :-(

— Manoj Kumar Sahu (@ManojSahuG) June 3, 2015

Won't be surprised if they ban Google in India next! #Top10Criminals

— Hasiba B. Amin (@HasibaAmin) June 3, 2015