New Delhi: An Indian-American software engineer accused Microsoft's current and past CEOs—Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, and Bill Gates—of allowing the company’s technology to help Israel’s ‘genocide in Gaza’.
The employee, Vaniya Agrawal, shouted ‘Shame on you all. You’re all hypocrites’ before she was removed from the hall where some of the employees taking part the 50th anniversary event, India Today reported.
It is reported that Vaniya Agrawal shouted at the stunned bosses that 50,000 Palestinians have been murdered in Gaza using Microsoft technology, adding ‘How dare you. Shame on all of you for celebrating on their blood. Cut ties with Israel’.
Even as Vaniya was removed, Gates resumed his speech with what the report said a ‘nonchalant smile’.
‘I think Steve and I almost cared too much, and our life was the company, and Satya has this ability to care as much as we did, but with more of a team,’ he reportedly went on.
Later Vaniya shot off a ‘scathing’ resignation letter announcing that April 11 would be her last day in the office as she could not be part of an organization that supports ‘ oppressors’.
In her letter Vaniya alleged that the company was ‘complicit’ in Israel’s attack against Gaza.
‘Microsoft cloud and AI enable the Israeli military to be more lethal and destructive in Gaza. It is undeniable that Microsoft’s Azure cloud offerings and AI developments form the technological backbone of Israel’s automated apartheid and genocide systems,’ she reportedly stated.
Explaining why she was leaving the company, Vaniya said ‘it’s irrefutable that Microsoft is complicit - they are a digital weapons manufacturer that powers surveillance, apartheid, and genocide. And by working for this company, we are all complicit’.