New Delhi, India – Weeks after the conclusion of the Jantar Mantar protests, a disturbing wave of online harassment has targeted women who participated in or shared content from the demonstrations. According to a report by The Hindu, several women are facing severe online abuse, including doxxing, rape threats, and calls for violence, often for videos or posts deemed disrespectful to public authorities or the Prime Minister. The harassment has persisted even after some women issued public apologies, highlighting a coordinated campaign of intimidation and cyberbullying.
One such case is that of Shradha Singh, a 23-year-old M.Sc. student with 3.78 lakh Instagram followers. She posted a seven-second reel from the protest site with a Harpic ad jingle, which she said was meant for “entertainment purposes.” After the video was reposted by meme pages alleging she had insulted the Army, she deleted it within an hour and later posted two apology videos. Despite this, she told The Hindu that she continues to receive rape and death threats, with her phone number and address circulated online. “This is not trolling anymore; it is abuse and harassment,” she said, adding that some accounts refused to take down her video, claiming they had been paid to post it.
The report verified multiple instances of women being targeted. One woman was declared “most wanted” in a post that sought information about her whereabouts, with her name, city, and an FIR later circulated online. Another 22-year-old content creator, who requested anonymity, said her photographs were included in a collage seeking the arrest of 12 women accused of “abusing” the Prime Minister. She shared that she was harassed in a public market with her mother and that relatives have been calling her parents. “I have a right to express myself,” she stated, vowing not to delete her posts.
The harassment appears to be coordinated, with posts amplified by accounts such as The Jaipur Dialogues and Hindutva Vigilant, which called on followers to share personal information and locations of the women. Some accounts claimed to have received takedown notices over videos they shared. The Hindu’s report underscores the dangerous consequences of online mob mentality, where women are subjected to disproportionate and often criminal threats for exercising their democratic rights. As the women struggle with the fallout, the incident raises serious questions about digital safety, accountability, and the role of social media platforms in curbing coordinated harassment.
