New Delhi : UN human rights experts said on Monday that journalist Rana Ayyub is being repeatedly attacked online by false and sectarian. The UN further said that such attacks should be promptly and thoroughly investigated by the Indian authorities and judicial persecution against them must be immediately ended. At the same time, India has also given its response to this statement of the UN and has warned the UN.
Let us inform that on the question raised by the UN, India said that the allegations of so-called judicial harassment against Rana Ayyub are baseless and unwarranted. India upholds the rule of law, but it is equally clear that no one is above the law. We expect SRs to be informed objectively and accurately. Promoting a misleading story only tarnishes the reputation of the United Nations.
After this, a note verbal will be issued by our Permanent Mission in Geneva, ANI quoted sources as saying. They will also raise it at the United Nations Office in Geneva.
What did the UN say
UN experts said independent investigative journalist Rana Ayyub is still a victim of online attacks and threats by right-wing Hindu nationalist groups. He pointed to the attacks as a result of his reporting on issues affecting minority Muslims in the country, criticism of the government for its handling of the pandemic and his comments on the recent ban on hijab in schools and colleges in Karnataka.
Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached more than Rs 1.77 crore of journalist Rana Ayyub in a money laundering case. It is alleged that the donations raised for relief work through the online crowdfunding platform Keto were used for personal expenses. During investigation, the agency found that Ayyub had not only created bogus bills in the name of certain entities to claim expenditure on relief work, but also made a fixed deposit of Rs 50 lakh from funds raised on the online platform.