Amidst a wave of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act that show no signs of slowing out, the Union government has been attempting to drum up support for the Act — from reaching out to Bollywood stars, endorsing Jaggi Vasudev’s view, and the BJP even asked people to give a missed call to 8866288662.
This number which was launched by the party on January 2, 2020, has been widely shared by BJP leaders for support. People are supposed to give a missed call on the number and pledge support to CAA.
However, in what appears to be a bizarre trick to make the number go viral, many Twitter users made enticing offers and attached the same toll-free number.
Of course, it did not take long for this to descend to trying to pretend to sell sex and make women the bait, in an apparent effort to get more missed calls.
A cursory glance on Twitter shows that this number has been used with all sorts of things — people pretending to be a lonely woman looking for company, asking for dates, or simply, because they are bored. Each message concealed what the actual utility of the number was.
“Hey TweetHearts Save my number & Call me 8866288662,” one reads.
“Too bored today, so ready to share my number with all my followers,” reads another.
The number was shared in all ways that exploited people’s worst weaknesses — call and play a quiz to win Rs 10 lakh, call for “guaranteed” employment opportunities, for company (call on the number, and drinks and food would be on the tweeter), and even the Rs 15 lakh that PM Modi had promised to deposit the bank accounts of citizens prior to his election in 2014.
Hey TweetHearts
— सृष्टि शर्मा (@ShrishtySharma) January 4, 2020
Save my number
& Call me
8866288662
BJP, the ruling party in India launched a missed call campaign, asking people to call 8866288662 & show their support to the CAA 2019
— Adarsh Singh (@adarsh_singh_) January 4, 2020
This is how it's being propagated on Social media
This is how BJP works
This is how PROPAGANDA works
#99535_88585_AgainstCAA
1/1 pic.twitter.com/4z9N2eeey0
To all those who are dying for my number in DMs
— Vaishnavi Mishra (@Mishra_Jiiiii) January 4, 2020
8866288662
Cause why not
Anyone Up for call ?
— Nehahahahaha (@_Chaoticwriter_) January 4, 2020
Would love talking to random people here
8866288662
The only mobile number which gives you everything from jobs, free data, Netflix subscription, booze, 15 lakh rupees, girl chat etc etc.
— Caprashantg (@caprashantg) January 4, 2020
8866288662#ItniHeraPheri#JhoothBolo_BaarBaarJhoothBolo pic.twitter.com/AdFTxuqFeU
If someone's tryna love me or date me please now is the time I am free. Call me on 8866288662
— aNOushka (@attentionsucker) January 4, 2020
Hello all,
— एक हिंदुस्तानी (@nipun141) January 4, 2020
In case you feeling bored, or you have any issues then call on this number now
8866288662
Feel free stay happy #CallofDuty
For Android users, just a missed call on 8866288662 will get you 4 years of free subscription of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotstar!
— Anjali Rao (@mockingchika) January 4, 2020
No conditions apply*
The story of CAA support, in four pictures... pic.twitter.com/ueLNmqDRr8
— Meghnad (@Memeghnad) January 4, 2020
A contact of mine shared this on their whatsapp story. pic.twitter.com/NpAyejTcke
— Sushant Gambhir (@TheGambhir) January 4, 2020
This was brought out in the open by multiple users, with one such user even being called out by Netflix, after the user tweeted that giving a missed call to the number would give one a free subscription.
Boomlive reported that they tried to get in touch with BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya, but he cut the phone midway through the conversation.
This is absolutely fake. If you want free Netflix please use someone else's account like the rest of us. https://t.co/PHhwdA3sEI
— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) January 4, 2020
This came out on the day the Hyderabad witnessed over a lakh in attendance in a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Protests have been on every night at New Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh. Large turnouts have also been seen at Bengaluru, Kochi, Mumbai and other places.