Notices put up warning photographing and video-recording women and minor girls bathing at the Ganga ghat

• Case of taking photographs of women without their permission at the Ganga Ghat

• The outcome of the complaints filed by Advocates and the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) : Photographs and videos of minor girls and women bathing on the Ganga Ghat as part of religious ritual, were going viral on the social media. It has come to light that they have been taken without permission. HJS and Advocates took this matter in their hands and filed a petition against such bloggers to the National Commission for Women (NCW) and Uttarakhand State Commission For Women. While stern action is expected, currently at least sign boards warning this type of photography, is some solace. The sign board reads, ‘taking videos and photographs of bathing women and minor girls is an offence.’

HJS and the advocates have welcomed the positive step; they added, we will have to be vigilant. We appeal to all the women to be careful about the environment around them and must report to the police, in case of an untoward incident.

No action against the bloggers yet

It is a shame that no action has been taken against those people who make videos of women and girls without their permission at the Hindu Holy places and post those on social media.

Hindus expect that Uttarakhand, where BJP is in power, such incidents should not take place

Advocates Ajay Kumar Gulati and Amita Sachdev have lodged a complaint with the Uttarakhand State Commission For Women and the National Commission for Women. They had also written a letter to the then Union Minister in the Ministry of Woman and Child Development. A complaint was also lodged with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

Advocate Gulati had written to the Divisional Police Office to act against such YouTube bloggers. On the other hand, there was an order from the Ministry that no further action should be taken regarding the complaint by Advocate Amita Sachdev. Under such circumstances, no action has been taken against such bloggers by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and National Commission for Women.