This Isn’t a Muslim Doc Who Was Attacked by RSS Workers in Delhi

Ayesha Christina, founder of Neighbouring Woof, said that there is no religious angle to the incident.

An incident that happened in Delhi’s Rishi Nagar is being circulated with a false narrative.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A video of a woman soaked in blood, who alleges that she was beaten up while she and her team were catching dogs, is now viral with a false claim that she is a Muslim who was attacked by the members of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

However, speaking to The Quint, Ayesha Christina, founder of Delhi-based ‘Neighbouring Woof’, denied any religious angle to the incident.

You can view the archived here.(Source: Twitter/ Screenshot)

CLAIM

Social media users went on to claim that she is a Muslim doctor. One of the Twitter users shared the video with the following text: “The Hindu extremist group RSS, which houses Prime Minister Modi and the ruling party, beat Ayesha, A Muslim doctor, in a hospital. The trivial reason is the allegation that Muslims are spreading coronavirus, and India is witnessing a fierce campaign against Muslims. (sic)”

Several Twitter users have shared the video with a similar narrative.

You can view the archived here.(Source: Twitter/ Screenshot)

You can view the archived here.(Source: Twitter/ Screenshot)

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

The claim is being shared in the backdrop of an incident that took place on 3 July wherein members of Neighbourhood Woof, an NGO working for the welfare of street dogs, alleged that they were attacked by a few residents of Rishi Nagar in Delhi’s Rani Bagh.

They had earlier released a video mentioning the details of the incident but they nowhere mentioned that the attack was a religious one. We got in touch with Ayesha Christina and she clarified that the incident had no religious angle to it.

“My full name is Ayesha Christina Ben Kant. My grandfather was Sharma. My father, a Hindu man, gave his daughter a Muslim name? If that’s not a slap on the face to anybody who is giving this a religious twist, then I don’t know what is. This is discrimination but not religious discrimination. This is discrimination based on class, not religion.”

Ayesha Christina, founder, Neighbouring Woof

She further added, “The third parties, whoever they maybe, who are spreading this with religious motive, their thinking and agenda is very clear, at least to me. So, I don’t even want to engage with such people because if I engage, I will be encouraging their thinking.”

Ayesha also directed us to a video uploaded by the organisation in which they have mentioned the details related to the incident.

Meanwhile, in a press release, on 4 July, the Delhi Police had said that a complaint has been filed in the matter against the residents, under IPC 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 506 ( punishment for criminal intimidation), and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees).

“In view of late night hours, local residents enquired about their identities on which heated argument started and a scuffle happened between them. Thereafter, when the people from the NGO tried to flee from the spot in their car, 3 local residents were hit by their car and got some minor injuries,” the police had said, in a statement.

While it is true that the incident did happen in Delhi’s Rishi Nagar, the narrative with which it is being circulated is false.

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