Hashmi complains against 'hate campaign'

A social activist and the founder trustee of Anhad, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has approached Delhi police to complain about an alleged campaign against her on social networking website Facebook by supporters of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Shabnam Hashmi, a resident of Canning Lane, claimed that the campaign, in which 'filthy and sexist language' was being used, started when she commented on Modi being a panelist on a private news channel on 24 May.

According to her complaint, which was registered in Tilak Marg police station, 'The virulent attack amounts to criminal intimidation, threat to my life, humiliation as a person and more so as a woman, threat to my freedom of speech and thought and my right to liberty.'

She stated that the filthy and vulgar language used against her amounts to public insult and humiliation. 'Since I work across India, the attack is highly intimidating as all the people attacking me are staunch supporters of Modi as is evident from their posts on Facebook,' Hashmi  said.

She further stated that many of the posts were highly communal and many others directly urged people to kill her. She also said that on the basis of the content of the posts, Facebook should be directed to delete the abusers accounts and block their access completely.

Earlier, in January, Hashmi was detained along with other social activists by Gujarat police when they tried to enter Godhra where Modi was camping for his 23rd Sadbhavana fast. Her NGO had organised a programme 'In Search Of Justice' to protest against Sadbhavana fast.