JNU freelance protestor, Shehla Rashid, who was earlier accused of siphoning off public donations collected for Kathua rape case, was today found spreading rumours about Kashmiri students being threatened by a mob in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Shehla first started by tweeting an urgent tweet where she claimed that about 15-20 female students were stuck inside a hostel and were surrounded by a mob. She claimed that police was there but were not able to disperse the mob.
#SOSKashmir 15-20 Kashmiri girls trapped in a hostel in Dehradun for hours now, as an angry mob outside demands that they be expelled from the hostels. This is in Dolphin institute. Police is present but unable to disperse the mob.@INCUttarakhand @uttarakhandcops @ukcopsonline
— Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) February 16, 2019
After Uttarakhand Police confirmed that the said message is not true that there is no mob, Rashid immediately accused the Police of ‘gaslighting’ the victim.
Rather than gaslighting the victims, @uttarakhandcops should try explaining why repeated news of attacks on Kashmiris are coming in from Dehradun. Try setting your house in order, rather than trying to discredit the victims.
— Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) February 16, 2019
In fact, Ashok Kumar, ADG (Law & Order) even clarified that there is no such situation and the incident Shehla talked about in her tweet was a rumour spread on social media.
Ashok Kumar, ADG (Law&Order), Uttarakhand: The incident of students being trapped in a girls hostel is a rumour being spread on social media. A procession was taken up by locals in wake of the #PulwamaAttack where people were chanting ‘Pakistan murdabad’. pic.twitter.com/4DGkVxn7YP
— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2019
SSP Dehradun, too, took to social media to appeal to people to not spread rumours regarding the incident.
#DONT_SPREAD_RUMOURS
शुधोवाला स्थित हास्टल मेॆ वर्तमान कतिपय अफवाहें फैलाई जा रही है कि हास्टल मेॆ बालिकाओ को बंद किया गया हैं। जो कि बिल्कुल निराधार है वर्तमान में हास्टल मेॆ 75 बालिकाओ रह रही है व ऐसा कुछ भी नही व स्थिति सामान्य है। pic.twitter.com/ykHvHXaeZC— SSP Dehradun (@DehradunSsp) February 17, 2019
In fact, CRPF, too had to weigh in and refute the rumours saying that miscreants on social media are spreading rumours.
ADVISORY: Fake news about harassment of students from #Kashmir is being propagated by various miscreants on social media.
CRPF helpline has enquired about complaints about harassment and found them incorrect.
These are attempts to invoke hatred
Please DO NOT circulate such posts— ??CRPF?? (@crpfindia) February 17, 2019
In fact, not only the police but the general public at large has also come forward and given proofs that there is no such incident in Dehradun.
FAKE NEWS. My cousin lives literally next door on Bhauvala Road. She said there was no such mob!
Shehla, Jignesh Mevani et al spreading rumours and panic…and @sardesairajdeep etc fanning it. @uttarakhandcops please take action on these for spreading rumours and causing panic https://t.co/28qYnQyb24
— tequila sherbet (@nishthavishtha) February 16, 2019
It was only after multiple people calling her out for fearmongering and spreading fake news and rumours did Shehla acknowledge that the students in the hostel she was talking about are safe.
The girls in Dolphin Institute Dehradun are safe. @uttarakhandcops are protecting them. Rumors and insinuations that the incident had something to do with “Pakistan” are false. Would like to thank Srinagar Mayor @Junaid_Mattu for being available and ensuring safety of the girls.
— Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) February 17, 2019
Interestingly, Shehla was not the only one propagating the rumour. Editor of The Kashmir Walla, an online portal, too had joined in last night. He, of course, was called out immediately too.
— Khalid Shah (@khalidbshah) February 16, 2019
However, Fahad Shah as well took almost 18 hours to acknowledge that the ‘girls were safe’.
This is not the first time Rashid has been made accountable on social media. Earlier, after the gruesome Kathua rape case, Rashid had run a social media campaign with others and collected money to be given to the families of Kathua as well as Unnao rape case. The money was to be equally divided between two families. However, reports had emerged accusing Rashid of not keeping her part of the promise as the money never reached her. Shehla Rashid later refuted media reports even as the reporter stood his ground that the Kathua family received no money.
