Pahalgam attack: NCW backs slain Navy officer's wife over her online trolling
Himanshi has been in the eye of the storm after she asked people not to target Muslims and Kashmiris following the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has come out in support of Himanshi Narwal, wife of Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, saying it is not right to troll a woman based on her ideological expression or personal life.
Himanshi has been in the eye of the storm after she asked people not to target Muslims and Kashmiris following the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. “We do not want people going after Muslims and Kashmiris,” she said last week.
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Following her statement, the slain Navy officer's wife was reportedly trolled on social media platforms like X. While some made vile remarks about her personal life, others said she must not get her husband’s pension.
NCW flays trolling
In a statement posted on X, the NCW condemned the online trolling she has faced, stating it is condemnable and unfortunate that she was being targeted for her opinions.
“Many citizens were killed in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. Along with other people, Lieutenant Vinay Narwal was asked about his religion and then shot dead. The whole country is hurt and enraged by this attack. After Lieutenant Vinay Narwal's death, the way his wife, Himanshi Narwal, is being targeted on social media for a remark is extremely condemnable and unfortunate. Targeting a woman for her opinions or trolling her about her personal life is not acceptable at all,” NCW said in a post on X.
“Any agreement or disagreement must always be expressed decently and within Constitutional boundaries. The National Commission for Women is committed to protecting every woman's respect and dignity,” the panel said.
NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar posted on X separately that some people may not have liked Himanshi’s comments, but it is not right to troll her for her opinions and target her with personal remarks.
TMC MP seeks action
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale on Monday urged Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw to take action against social media accounts posting hateful comments against Himanshi.
In a post on X, Gokhale questioned why the accounts trolling her are not being blocked. “It is shocking to see the obscene and hateful comments being directed towards the widow of the Navy officer who was killed in Pahalgam. Most accounts spreading venom are BJP-affiliated. Why? Only because she appealed for communal harmony,” Gokhale alleged.
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“IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw should answer - why aren’t these accounts being taken down or blocked? Are trolls from your party immune from the ambit of the law even when they target a victim and a widow of a slain armed forces officer? Is this your “nationalism”?” he said, slamming the ruling BJP.