As the politics around the Hathras case is getting dirtier by the day, different narratives are being woven around the unfortunate incident. Media houses are reporting on every development relating to the case and as a consequence things are either being misinterpreted or blown out of proportion.
Today a video went viral on social media showing the District Magistrate of Hathras talking to the family of the Hathras victim, which was twisted by India Today journalist Rahul Kanwal.
The @dm_hathras caught on camera intimidating grieving victim’s family. Half the media is gone, other half will be gone soon. We will remain here he tells the victim’s father. How can there be a fair probe if this is the attitude of senior officials. 8 pm #Newstrack @IndiaToday pic.twitter.com/HZPylf9tDQ
— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) October 1, 2020
Sharing the video on Twitter, the journalist claimed that the DM was “intimidating” the family of the victim. However, on listening to the video, one finds that the DM was telling the victim’s family that the police are with them. The officer was heard telling the family, “Aap apni vishwasniyata khatam mat kariye. Ye media wale, mai apko bata du, aaj abhi adhe chale gye, kal subah tak adhe aur nikal jaenge, do char bachenge kal shaam tak. Hum he aapke sath khade hain. Ab apki ichchha hai apko bar bar bayaan badal k nhi badalna hai (Do not lose your credibility. Let me tell you half of these media people have already left, half of them will leave by tomorrow morning. Very few will be left by the evening. But we are standing by you. Now it is your wish whether you want to keep changing your statement or not)”.
However, the DM’s statement in which he is expressing solidarity with the family of the victim has been twisted by the journalist as intimidation. While he said that the police is with the family, Rahul Kanwal circulated fake news by saying the DM was intimidating the family.
Priyanka Gandhi had shared a video showing Victim’s father being prompted to speak
It is noteworthy, that earlier in the day Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had posted a video of Hathras’s victim’s father on Twitter alleging that the family was being pressurised. However, it was clearly obvious from the video that a voice in the background was suggesting the victim’s father to say certain things on camera. The voice was suggesting the father to demand court monitored CBI probe.
