A day following the distressing incident of a 12-year-old girl’s r*pe in Ujjain city, Madhya Pradesh, the Times of India has drawn criticism for a cartoon that appears to criticize the Hindu religion despite her being rescued by pujari Rahul Sharma
In the cartoon created by Chief Cartoonist Sandeep Adhwaryu and shared by the Times of India, Hindus are depicted worshipping a cow while the injured girl, who was seeking help in Ujjain, walks by. The cartoon suggests that the Hindus chose to prioritize cow worship over helping the girl.
Who is Rahul Sharma, Ujjain Hindu priest who rescued 12 year old r*pe victim girl as Sandeep Adhwaryu Hinduphobic cartoon goes viral
Only person who came to rescue the rape victim girl in Ujjain is Priest Acharya Rahul Sharma.
He covered her with a towel & rushed her to the hospital. He also informed the MP Police.
TOI's cartoon linked a rape incident with Hinduism but ignored the role of a Priest. Why so? pic.twitter.com/hJly5Mmd0l
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) September 28, 2023
A raped minor girl, who went from door to door, was helped by Acharya Rahul Sharma, a priest of Gurukul Ashram in Ujjain. He covered her with a towel and rushed her to the hospital.
Not all heroes wear caps… Real ones apply Tilak on forehead. pic.twitter.com/goe3ozhSwb
— BALA (@erbmjha) September 28, 2023
However, the cartoon fails to include a crucial detail: the girl was actually assisted by a Hindu priest named Rahul Sharma.
As previously reported, the victim girl, scared and injured, was wandering the streets of Ujjain seeking assistance, having suffered injuries to her private parts and bleeding.
She walked approximately 8 kilometers within the city seeking aid, but her pleas went unanswered until she reached Dandi Ashram on Badnagar Road in Ujjain. There, Rahul Sharma provided her with clothing and called for emergency medical services. He promptly informed the police, who rescued the girl and transported her to the hospital.
What Exactly Sharma Revealed?
Later in during conversation with NDTV, Rahul Sharma revealed, “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.”
Sharma noted that around 9:30 AM on Monday, as he was leaving the ashram, he spotted the partially n*ked and injured girl near the gates, with blood running down both of her legs. Several other media reports also emphasized that a Hindu priest associated with Dandi Ashram had saved the girl.
Sharma mentioned that despite her fear of others, the girl seemed to trust him to some extent.
In addition he also revealed, “Whenever someone else approached her, she tried to hide behind me. Then police came and took her with them.”
TOI’s Cartoon
However, the Times of India’s cartoon chose to target Hinduism by portraying Hindus worshipping a cow while ignoring the girl’s plight, instead of acknowledging and commending the Hindu priest for rescuing her.
Following the outrage on social media sparked by the cartoon, Sandeep Adhwaryu issued a ‘clarification,’ asserting that it was his personal cartoon and had no connection to the Times of India.
Ujjain Case Updates
In response to the r*pe case, the police have arrested 3 individuals, including an auto-rickshaw driver.
According to Narottam Mishra, the home minister of Madhya Pradesh, a suspect has been detained, and a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to examine the situation. The accused has been charged with rape under the Protection of Children from S*xual Offences (POCSO) Act.
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