Viral image of Swati Maliwal's hunger strike dates back to 2018
An image of a girl lying on a bed and looking very weak is being shared among Telugu speaking social media users with the claim that
By Satya Priya BN Published on 21 Sep 2021 11:00 AM GMT
An image of a girl lying on a bed and looking very weak is being shared among Telugu speaking social media users with the claim that "ఇ తల్లి పెరు స్వాతి మలైవాల్. డిల్లీలో 8 రోజులుగా ఉపవస దీక్ష చేస్తుంది. ఎందుకో తెలుసా? రేప్ చేసిన వారిని ఉరి తీయాలని. ఈ దీక్షను ఏ మీడియా చూపించడం లేదు. సామాన్యుడి మీడియా అయిన సోషల్ మీడియా ద్వారా ప్రజలకి తెలిసేలా చేయండి."
"The woman seen in the picture is Swati Malaival. She is fasting for the past 8 days in Delhi. Do you know why? To hang the offenders of rape. This protest is not being shown by any media. So lets us spread this word in the common man's platform Social Media (sic)," reads its English translation.
Fact Check:
The claim is MISLEADING.
When searched using Google reverse image search, we found that the girl in the viral image is Swati Malival from Delhi.
Swati Maliwal was on the hunger strike to push for stricter rape laws including the death penalty. This followed a series of horrific attacks on young girls.
This incident occurred in April 2018.
According to CNN.com, Swati is the chief of the Delhi Commission of Women. She staged a hunger strike lying on an outdoor stage in temperatures reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) in northeast Delhi.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/
According to Firstpost.com, Maliwal, 33, launched the protest at Raj Ghat in the wake of the rape incidents in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua districts.
Slamming the Delhi Police for trying to end her strike, Maliwal said private doctors on Monday examined her and the reports suggest that she can continue the hunger strike. Maliwal, who is having only water during her fast, has lost two kilos in three days, according to a DCW member.
Swati Maliwal ended the strike after President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated an ordinance to give stringent punishment including the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years.
According to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018, new fast-track courts will be set up to deal with rape cases and special forensic kits will be provided to all police stations and hospitals in the long run.
The ordinance stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 and 16 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls less than 12 years, officials said while quoting the ordinance.
Ending her fast, Maliwal said, "Everyday children aged three, four, or six years are getting raped in a brutal manner. I wrote letters and issued notices. I even submitted 5.5 lakh letters written by citizens to the prime minister but in vain."
Therefore, a hunger strike by Swati Maliwal in 2018 is being shared as recent.
