The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Monday launched a nationwide legal helpline for students and young people who have alleged that they faced threats and harassment for participating in recent protests, saying it would provide assistance and institutional support to those seeking help.
The helpline number ’9811867474’, launched under the Chhatron Ki Goonj campaign, will receive complaints from students regarding threats, online abuse, intimidation, and harassment related to participation in protests, the Congress youth wing said in a statement.
Regarding this, National Youth Congress party president Uday Bhanu Chib said: On July 20 at Jantar Mantar, we received complaints from students through the helpline number, saying that people associated with right-wing groups were threatening them from the student protest. It alleged that some students and their families had also faced threats at their homes, and cited the cases of Ritika Singh and influencer Shraddha Singh, who, according to the organization, have spoken publicly about online abuse and threats.
Every complaint received through the helpline number will be reviewed, and legal assistance and institutional support will be provided where needed. Young Indians have every constitutional right to question the government and raise their voices without fear. We continue to believe that the authorities will fulfill their constitutional duty to protect these young voices and uphold their freedom of expression. However, if they fail to do so, the Indian Youth Congress will stand with every student through legal and institutional support, he said.
