Drop cases against Neha Rathore, Dr Medusa and The Ranting Gola: NWMI

The Network of Women in Media, India has demanded the Indian government to drop criminal cases against satirists and political commentators Neha Singh Rathore, Madri Kakoti, and Shamita Yadav.

In a statement released on Thursday, NWMI termed the charges – over comments linked to the Pahalgam attack and the security lapse – as “absurd” and “draconian”.  

“The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) condemns the levelling of absurd and draconian charges of subversive activities against popular satirists and political commentators Neha Singh Rathore and Madri Kakoti (who goes by the name Dr Medusa) and the complaint filed against Shamita Yadav (who goes by the name The ranting gola), merely because they asked pertinent questions on the administrative and intelligence failures in the tragic Pahalgam attack of April 22, 2025.”

Bhojpuri singer Neha Singh Rathore was booked on April 27 under 11 charges after a Pakistani social media account reshared a video of her lashing out at the Narendra Modi government over the Pahalgam attack. A day later, University of Lucknow assistant professor Madri Kakoti, known online as Dr Medusa, was booked for similar charges for her social media post on the attack.  In her post, the satirist had criticised the media and government’s response to the Pahalgam tragedy. 

The FIRs in both the cases invoked charges which criminalise acts that incite secession, rebellion, or subversive activities, or encourage feelings of separatism, potentially endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India, without using the term ‘sedition’. 

The NWMI said that “it is a matter of immense concern” that Rathore and Kakoti have been charged with “inciting secession, armed rebellion” “simply because they exercised their democratic right to interrogate those in power”. 

According to NWMI, a complaint was filed against Shamita Yadav for allegedly spreading “anti-Bharat propaganda,” after she shared a series of videos condemning the security lapses in the Pahalgam attack and seeking accountability from the union government. 

NWMI said that the questions raised by the satirists had been voiced by numerous citizens as well. “Even the survivors of this tragedy have spoken out about the lack of any kind of security…” the network’s statement read. 

“The levying of serious charges of secession or separatism against political commentators is a chilling indicator of an inherently illiberal and authoritarian response to critical and dissenting opinions and ultimately strikes at the very foundations of a democracy,” the statement further noted.

NWMI has also extended support to Sanjay Sharma, owner and editor-in-chief of YouTube news channel  4PM, which has been banned in India because of a government order linked to “national security or public order”. The network has demanded an explanation from the government behind the blocking of the channel and the ban to be lifted.

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