Karnataka Police books Rana Ayyub over remarks on students who intimidated Muslim girls

The Karnataka Police in Dharwad have registered an FIR against journalist and author Rana Ayyub for allegedly describing students and others who have been harassing and intimidating hijab wearing Muslim students in Karnataka as “Hindu terrorists” during a television interview.

The FIR was registered at Vidyagiri police station in Dharwad under section 295 A of Indian Penal Code following a complaint by one Ashwath, a volunteer of Hindu IT Cell.

Hindu IT Cell is a Hindutva group which is known for harassing, threatening and doxxing Muslims across country.

Ashwath had filed the complaint following an interview Ayyub gave to BBC.

#FIR against journalist @RanaAyyub by Vidyagiri police station #Hubli–#Dharward division #Karnataka.@HinduITCell filed the complaint saying they are hurt by Rana's statement to @BBCWorld
calling students protesting against #hijabrow as #Hindu terrorists. #KarnatakaHijabRow

— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) March 4, 2022

“Another case has been registered against me, in Karnataka, by the same Hindu right wing group, for ‘hurting Hindu sentiments’ in my interview on the Hijab ban and the intimidation of Muslim women. To the government and its cronies, THIS WONT STOP ME FROM SPEAKING THE TRUTH,” tweeted award winning journalist Rana Ayyub.

Another case has been registered against me, in Karnataka, by the same Hindu right wing group, for ‘hurting Hindu sentiments’ in my interview on the Hijab ban and the intimidation of Muslim women. To the government and its cronies, THIS WONT STOP ME FROM SPEAKING THE TRUTH.

— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) March 4, 2022

Last week, United Nations-appointed independent rights experts issued a statement calling on India to end relentless misogynistic and sectarian attacks against journalist Rana Ayyub.

Rana Ayyub, independent journalist and defender women’s human rights, continues to be the target of intensifying online harassment by far-right Hindu nationalist groups, they said.

They pointed to the attacks as resulting from Rana Ayyub’s reporting on issues affecting minority Muslims in the country, her criticism of the Government for its handling of the pandemic, and comments that she made on a recent ban on hijabs at schools and colleges in Karnataka.