Investigative journalist Rana Ayyub has again become a victim of online harassment and threats after a right-wing social handle, Hindutva Knight leaked her number on November 8. Confronting floods of extremely obscene messages, phone calls and video calls from unknown culprits she registered a complaint to Mumbai police, however the situation remains hopeless.
“I have lived a nightmare tonight. This right wing twitter handle posted my number on twitter at 1.15 am. I was woken up in the middle of the night with panic and anxiety, incessant phone calls, video calls, lewd messages. My family stayed up all night. I have filed so many complaints with @mumbaipolice in the past that it feels futile but here I do it again” Rana posted on her Instagram, raising chilling questions on the lack of administrative liability and terrible state of women’s security.
“I have an archived link to his tweet where his massive followers are sending him screenshots of their late night texts to me. When will we wake up to the safety of women? If this can happen to me, a woman with a public profile, I shudder to think what happens to women who might not have my privilege or platform” she reflected in the same post.
As Rana Ayyub contacted the BKC cybercrime branch, Hindutva Twitter account showed-up unavailable after a while, but the violent comments and assaults did not stop and unrecognized culprits kept sharing the screenshots of calls and messages across different social accounts. Netizens reported that @HPhobiaWatch and @TheSquind are two linked accounts which often share hateful misinformation to stir-up communalism and target Muslims.
Standing in solidarity with Rana Ayyub the Women Press Freedom underlined that she is being targeted for criticizing Modi administrations’ policies and for emphasizing on human-rights.
On the other hand, CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists) Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi also slammed the harassment stating that “the relentless targeting of Rana Ayyub, one of India’s most prominent journalists, is shameful”.
As a Muslim journalist Rana has been on the barrel of Hindu nationalist throngs for a long time, often resulting in horrible psychological repercussions. Last year she received death and rape intimidations from Hindu extremists who also threatened her of “an encounter like Atiq Ahmad”.
An ICFJ analysis reveals that 62% of the abuses to demean Rana Ayyub on twitter are personal attacks which consist of “sexist, misogynistic, sexually explicit or racist abuse” while around 35% of such commentators target her reputation.
