Editors Guild slams Yogi Adityanath government in U.P. for ‘obstructing’ media coverage of Hathras rape case
Last updated on February 17th, 2023 at 12:13 pm
On Sunday, the Editors Guild of India censured how the media was blocked by the police of the Yogi Adityanath’s government in Uttar Pradesh from reporting the advancements of the Hathras rape case.
The rape in Hathras and the series of sexual assault on women in Uttar Pradesh and other states, stresses how unsafe women are in India, in spite of the rigorous laws.
On September 14, a young 20-year-old Dalit girl was raped and assaulted by four men in a field at Hathras village in Uttar Pradesh, was brought to a Delhi hospital but sadly, she passed away on September 29.
She had multiple fractures, critical spinal injury, and suffered from paralysis because of her injuries. The U.P. police said that when the men were trying to strangle her to death after the rape, she gashed her tongue too.
Her body was forcefully taken by the U.P. police and cremated late at night. The victim’s family alleged that they were locked up n their home and were not permitted to see or do the final rites.
The sexual assaults, mistreatment, and suppression of lower caste women have been utilized despite strict laws. In the past few months, Uttar Pradesh has reported many sexual assault cases. The recent data by the National Crime Records Bureau reveals that U.P. has recorded the highest number of offenses against women in 2019.
The Guild, in a statement, said that restricting the media from visiting the victim’s village and tapping there journalists’ mobiles, impairs and deters media from functioning. The Guild asked the legislature to make conditions in Hathras that doesn’t block reporters in any capacity.
“Hathras rape case is the worst such case where media has faced impedance however the Guild expresses concern that attacks on the media are becoming a trend lately, as other state governments have also behaved the same with the media,” the statement added.
Read: ‘Manhandling’ of Priyanka Gandhi en route Hathras, NCW probes UP Police for explanation
On social media, the Editors Guild of India objected to the rushed cremation of the rape victim’s body by the U.P. Police without authorization or presence of any relatives. The Opposition has also condemned the injustice done to the victim and her family and has begun a nationwide ‘satyagraha’ from Oct 5, against the U.P. state government.
