Instead of rallying for the zero tolerance policy against sexual harrsement, stalking and crimes against women, many are busy playing hate policics and fueling ‘love jihad’ rumours in the wake of the horrific murder of 21-year-old Nitika Tomar in Faridabad on Monday. The young woman was shot dead, and the act caught on CCTV, by a man whose sexual harassment she had been resisting for a long time, and his accomplice. The accused identified as Tausif, and Rehan, are obviously Muslim, and have been arrested, but cries of ‘love jihad’ and #KshatriyaLivesMatter continue to rise along demands for their execution via a ‘police encounter’.
According to a report in India Today, protesters blocked the Mathura highway demanding strict action against the two accused. They had earlier broken into a shop in Faridabad and created a ruckus, after the local police reached the protesters staged a demonstration and blocked the road. The woman’s family was reported to be a part of the dharna.
Nitika Tomar’s murder on Monday afternoon, was caught on CCTV and the footage of her being shot dead outside her college in Ballabgarh in Haryana’s Faridabad district went viral on Tuesday, leading to massive online rage demanding death for the accused, and running with hastags of ‘love jihad’ and #KshatriyaLivesMatter. The video clip showed how the accused tried to grab Tomar who tried her best to save herself. When she resisted and foiled the abduction attempt, one of the accused pulled out a revolver and shot her dead at point blank range. Within hours the two accused were arrested by Haryana Police.
It was when they were identified as Muslim that the outrage blew up. The accused, Tausif and Rehan, are both residents of Haryana. According to news reports the victim’s family has also called this a case of ‘love jihad’. The family has claimed that Tomar was attacked outside her college by a man who was stalking her, and the second accused is his associate. According to the India Today report they had even filed a complaint with Haryana Police, against the main accused accusing him of kidnapping in 2018. However that issue ‘was settled’ later. The news report quotes Haryana Police Commissioner who said, “in 2018, Nikita’s family filed a kidnapping case against Tausif but the family later said they did not want to take action.” It is not clear why the family did not pursue the case to safeguard their daughter.
बल्लभगढ़ वाला अपराधी पकड़ लिया गया है और उसे बख्शा नहीं जाएगाhttps://t.co/XyGlqUO4Y7 pic.twitter.com/0DX049wuto
— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) October 27, 2020
Now after the girl has been killed in such a brutal manner, the news reports state that her mother has said she will not cremate the body until the accused is “encountered.” India Today quoted the victim’s sister who pinned the blame on Haryana Police, “when the boy tried to kidnap our sister in 2018, police didn’t do anything and instead asked us to reach a reconciliation. The boy was asking her to convert and marry him. Our sister obviously didn’t agree.”
According to Zee news, the accused, Tauseef and Rehan, were produced before a court in Faridabad district and sent to two-day police remand. The report added that Tauseef’s family has “strong political connections” and is related to Haryana Congress MLA Chaudhary Aftab Ahmed who represents Nuh (Mewat). That is all the RW social media influencers need as a talking point.
So the kiIIer in the #NikitaTomar murder case, Tauseef’s family has @INCIndia connections. But why is @ABPNews describing Congress as ‘grand old’ in a news story? This is not an editorial. pic.twitter.com/GG0T8JIGVH
— Shefali Vaidya. (@ShefVaidya) October 27, 2020
It’s more than 24 hours when #NikitaTomar was killed in Faridabad for not converting to Islam by #Taufeeq and his gang but still not a single reaction from the women activists of our film industry who otherwise immediately come out with candles & placards . #Shame pic.twitter.com/3JpavszBJ6
— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) October 28, 2020
The Congress, meanwhile, has put the issue of women’s safety in the country, and BJP governed Haryana at the Prime Minister’s doorstep.
हरियाणा के फरीदाबाद में निकिता मर्डर केस ने एक बार फिर हरियाणा और देश को दहला दिया है। प्रधानमंत्री जी, सिर्फ खोखले नारे देने से बेटियां नहीं बचेंगी; बेटियां बचाने के लिये बेटियों को सुरक्षा देनी पड़ेगी।
देश की बेटियां प्रधानमंत्री से पूछ रही हैं- कब तक डर के साये में हम रहेंगी? pic.twitter.com/11Vj1U6Wgh
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 27, 2020
मोदी-खट्टर की नेतृत्व वाली सरकार में महिलाओं पर हिंसा एक आम विषय हो चुका है।
सरेराह और सरेआम एक छात्रा को गोली मारकर जघन्य हत्या कर दी जा रही है और सरकारें बेटी बचाओ व सुशासन के विज्ञापन की बंशी बजा रहीं हैं।
बहुत ही शर्मनाक है! pic.twitter.com/PZYp5poYbo— Varun Choudhary (@varunchoudhary2) October 27, 2020
While the local police continue their investigations, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the Faridabad murder. Chairperson Rekha Sharma said, “NCW is taking suo motu cognizance of the incident and writing to DGP Haryana to nab the other accused.”
@NCWIndia has written to #DGP #Haryana for free & fair investigation in the matter & to ensure that the guilty be punished. The Commission has sought an action taken report at the earliest. A copy of the letter has also been sent to ACP, Ballabhgarh.https://t.co/7Os6JGaogd
— NCW (@NCWIndia) October 27, 2020
Rekha Sharma, who hails from Haryana and was an active BJP politician before her appointment to the NCW, was recently in the news talking about the bogey of “love Jihad” a communal term used by trolls who attack Hindu-Muslim couples, esecially where the male partner is a Muslim. She had discussed “the rise in love jihad” with Maharashtra Governor BS Koshiyari, when on a visit to Mumbai to review the implementation of schemes meant for women. The term once again has resurfaced to feed on the murder of an innocent young woman.
#NikitaTomar stalked and killed by #Touseef. No doubt that this culture needs to be ended and the murderer has to be brought to justice.
But remember, Sanghis who are crying out for hanging this Muslim are the ones who conveniently stood with the Thakur rapists in #HathrasCase.
— Kiruba Munusamy (@kirubamunusamy) October 28, 2020
Trolls have been busy asking for ‘revenge’ and peddling bizarre booklets which “promise a comprehensive look into Love Jihad, the mechanism of coercing young women into changing their religion through various tactics”.
Meanwhile, Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij has, however, claimed that in 2018, the victim and her father had denied the kidnapping charges against the accused. According to India Today TV, Anil Vij said the victim and her father submitted an affidavit on the 2018 FIR, saying there was no kidnapping, and added that Tomar’s family had refused to pursue the case. The news report also quoted the victim’s brother who said, the police had arrested the accused in 2018 but “after talks in a panchayat, the matter was settled.”
Unfortunately, calling this cold blooded murder ‘love jihad’ turns it into a communal issue, and takes away from it being a serious lapse of security for women. As CPIML politburo member Kavita Krishnan posted, “The communal hatred in the Faridabad stalking case actually helps stalkers, because it spreads the notion that stalkers are a problem ONLY if they happen to be from the “other” community. Stalkers from the same community are able to pass off, culturally, as lovers”
Priyadarshini Mattoo stalked, killed by Santosh Singh. Malvi Malhotra stalked, killed by Mahipal Singh. #NikitaTomar stalked, killed by #Touseef. BJP MP Babul Supriyo says stalking is “boy chases girl”. Sanghis selectively communalise stalking by Muslim man as “love jehad”. pic.twitter.com/Z8yzkzqIIV
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) October 28, 2020
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