Malviya had shared the video, in which the face of the rape victim is clearly seen, on October 2 on Twitter.
File photo of BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya. PTI
A video shared by BJP’s TI cell chief Amit Malviya revealing the identity of the Hathras rape victim has sparked strong reactions from the National Commission for Women and Congress.
Malviya had shared the video, in which the rape victim’s face is clearly visible, on October 2 on Twitter. As of Sunday morning, the tweet is still on the microblogging platform.
The president of the National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma, has been cited by The Indian Express, “If she is a rape victim, then the incident of tweeting the video is really very unfortunate and it is also absolutely illegal.”
The chairwoman of the Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Women, Vimla Batham, also told the newspaper that she had not seen the video, but that if it revealed the identity of the woman, it was “definitely objectionable”. Batham was reported to have said that the commission would take notice and notify Malviya.
Congressional Leader Radhika Khera also reacted to the tweet, saying: “Only a man with a stingy, brazen and narrow mindset can be the chairman of BJP’s TI cell. This abusive man has proved it once again.”
Malviya subsequently retweeted a post from BJP leader Priti Gandhi that read:
Can you explain what law is violated if a video of the victim is posted? No reports suggest that she was sexually assaulted. It is just a fiction of the imagination of Lutyen Media. Are we governed by the rule of law or the hallucinations of a few? !! https://t.co/eVTBXGKkHv
– Priti Gandhi – प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) October 2, 2020
Section 228A (1) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) prohibits the disclosure of the identity of a rape victim. While the NCW chief said Malviya’s tweet is illegal “if she is a rape victim”, the law applies both in cases where there has been “alleged” rape and in cases where the crime has been committed. “
The FIR in the Hathras case has invoked 376-D of the IPC (which deals with gang rape) against the accused.
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