Today, on September 28, 2023, Sandeep Adhwaryu, the chief cartoonist of the Times of India, posted a cartoon concerning the Ujjain rape case, depicting a broad portrayal of Hindus as being indifferent and ignorant towards the rape.
The cartoon depicted a harrowing incident that unfolded in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, involving a 12-year-old girl who had been raped and was in a distressed state, desperately seeking assistance as she wandered from one house to another on the streets. This distressing video of the incident spread widely on social media, prompting a justified public outcry.
However, the cartoon of Sandeep Adhwarya was high on propaganda with many perceiving this depiction as an attempt to spread canards against Hindus.
ToI #Hinduphobic cartoon issue, @ForumSahyadri has moved complaint to @PressCouncil_IN against newspaper n @CartoonistSan n SRF legal head Adv @DhrutimanJoshi will take further legal steps against editor @TOIEditor to punish all responsible from Times Group!
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) September 28, 2023
We all will press for… pic.twitter.com/cFZkI5EW1a
The cartoonist Sandeep Adhwaryu overlooked the fact that it was a compassionate cow-worshipping priest who provided clothing for the girl and rushed her to the hospital. This act of kindness occurred after the young girl had traversed 8 kilometers through the city before arriving at Dandi Ashram on the Badnagar road.
It was man named Rahul Sharma who offered her clothes and called for emergency medical service. Rahul Sharma said, “I gave her my clothes. She was bleeding. She could not speak. Her eyes were swollen. I called 100. When I could not reach the cops over the helpline, I contacted the Mahakal police station and informed them about the situation. Police reached the ashram in about 20 minutes.”
Many have questioned the intention of the cartoon asking if it is beyond the realm of possibility that persons of other religions might have seen the girl but refused to help.
In light of this Hindumisic cartoon, Legal Rights Observatory (LRO) has filed a complaint with the Press Council of India against Times Of India and the cartoonist.
“We all will press for FIR against cartoonist Sandeep Adhwaryu n Editor under non bailable IPC Sections”, the LRO said in a tweet.
However after outrage, Sandeep Adhwarya took to his social media saying that the cartoon was done in his personal capacity and Time of India had nothing to do with it.
He removed the one featuring the TOI logo and issued an apology, although it wasn’t for the controversial cartoon itself but for including the logo of an organization that could potentially pursue legal action against him.
Hence deleting the tweet having cartoon with @timesofindia logo. My apologies for the confusion 🙏 https://t.co/rhYNJ9cRNM
— Sandeep Adhwaryu 🇮🇳 (@CartoonistSan) September 28, 2023
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