Kathua: Vicious tweet campaign by rightwing handles, some followed by PM, Amit Shah

Rightwing handles are running a vicious campaign on Twitter on Tuesday, which closely mirror the demands of the Jammu lawyers who tried to prevent the chargesheet from being filed against the accused in the barbaric case of rape and murder of a minor in Kathua court. These handles are targeting the Kathua rape victim's lawyers, J&K Police and J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Twitter using the hashtag #CBI4KathuaCase. Many of the tweets are barely disguised communal hatred.

For the record, the Kathua victim’s lawyers have expressed confidence in the J&K Police Special Investigation Team, which has been investigating the rape and murder of the 8-year-old child. While the investigation has been proceeding satisfactorily, leading to arrest of several accused, the Jammu lawyers, overtly supporting the accused in the case, had demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI. Two BJP ministers in the state government, who joined a Hindu Ekta Manch March in support of the accused, had to resign from the government.

The resultant communalised atmosphere in Jammu around the case led to the victims’ lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat alleging intimidation and threats by the Jammu Bar Association. The Supreme Court on Monday directed the J&K govt to provide protection to the Kathua victim’s family members and their lawyers.

The day after the SC order, rightwing handles have begun a campaign of hatred against the lawyers and J&K Police. Many of these tweets, claiming to show ‘Claims’ vs ‘Facts’ in the Kathua case, are casting aspersions at anyone but the accused in the Kathua case. Many of these handles claim to be BJP party workers, and/or claim to be followed by PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.

One Neetu Garg, whose handle says "Blessed to be followed by PM @narendramodi and Shri @AmitShah ji", suggests that one of the Kathua victim’s lawyers is a seperatist sympathiser. Garg asks “Is it true that Talib Hussain an advocate in Kathua rape and murder case also runs an “NGO and nearest to separatists”? Why he provoked victims family for Crime branch enquiry done in J&K rather a CBI enquiry?”

‘Hindu Nationalist’ Vishweshwar/Nikhil, considering himself above the SIT and J&K Police, is questioning J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti based on his personal interpretation of ‘evidence’: “This is why people are asking for #CBI4KathuaCase , Dear @MehboobaMufti what are things stopping you for recommendation of CBI enquiry?”

Abhishek Kulshrestha, the Co-Convenor of @BJP4Delhi IT Cell & Social Media, as per his handle description, and followed by @narendramodi, @AmitShahOffice and @AmitShah, claims that "17th Jan, dead body of Asifa recovered by Police on the basis of Jagdish Raj while he was searching for his missing sheep. page 2 states that he was searching for his horses. Fact: Horses have become sheep during the course of the investigation."#CBI4KathuaCase

Another ace investigator Rishi Uvaach, whose handles says “To brag- Followed by PM Modi”, has found that the “Chargesheet filed by SIT is full loopholes. How can a medicine which doesn't exist be used as a claim in the SIT Chargesheet?”

Hitesh Bansal, "Followed by the Honorable PM @narendramodi ji", has published on his Twitter handle “Fictions vs Facts in Kathua case”.

Yesterday, senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan on Monday filed a criminal complaint against Madhu Kishwar, "for serious offences u/s 153A, 295A & 505 of the IPC against serial fake news purveyor & communal hate & violence inciting tweets of Madhu Kishwar.” Bhushan had told National Herald that he lodged a complaint because “There are many people who put out such tweets but we should go after the ring-leaders. She is one of the ring leaders of this gang of trolls”.

Also read:

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Kathua: Prashant Bhushan files criminal complaint against Madhu Kishwar

Kathua case: SC orders police protection for victim’s family, lawyer; issues notice

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