Controversial journalist Barkha Dutt has been complaining of harassment recently and has sought help from Delhi Police on Twitter to resolve the matter. In her tweet, she claimed that a sender had confirmed to her that her number was being circulated in groups.
Deluged with what’s app messages since yesterday that are abusive and threatening. Seems an organized hate campaign against some of us. One sender confirms my mobile number being circulated in groups. @DelhiPolice bringing this to your attention. pic.twitter.com/7FAfPoYmm4
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 18, 2019
However, in a tweet Dutt had posted herself on social media the previous day, she had advertised that her number was online and available to Kashmiris who needed help or ‘felt vulnerable’. Therefore, it appears that she was fully aware that her number was public.
My number is online and my DMs & doors are open to any #Kashmiris who need help or feel vulnerable. Those abusing and vilifying innocent citizens are sympathisers of terrorists in the garb of nationalists. They are reading from a script of hate which is totally what Jaish wants
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 17, 2019
The contradictory messages on the two tweets were noticed by people on social media as well.
Yesterday @BDUTT was advertising that her number is online, today she complains to @DelhiPolice that her number is online. pic.twitter.com/wNVJtrLc03
— बी’हाविन! (@WrongDoc) February 18, 2019
She was also called out for first claiming that Kashmiri students are facing violence and after no cases of attck or violence was found, claiming victimhood over lewd messages.
Barkha shared her phone number, opened her DM.
Obviously she didn’t get any message from Kashmiris. Because no Kashmiris were hurt.
She got some angry messages for spreading fake narrative.
Now she is playing victim.
She set the mouse trap! She is trending! She won.
— Eminent Intellectual (@padhalikha) February 18, 2019
Barkha has claimed that she has been receiving lewd messages and harassment after her number, which was online as per her own account, began circulating on social media. Although the harassment she suffered was condemned by everyone, she was criticized heavily for politicising the issue by claiming that the obscene image of a circumcised male genital she received was sent “in the name of nationalism”.
