UP government targets some (un)usual suspects

The TLDR: The UP police has been distributing FIRs like laddus in the Hathras case. They do not, however, target the accused—or anyone related to the actual crime. Yesterday, the UP government arrested one journalist and opened an investigation into another. It also actively sought the intervention of the Supreme Court to ensure a “free and fair” investigation. And at least some officials leaked a story that appears to point toward the victim’s family. What has become increasingly clear: an official narrative that looks very very familiar.

The conspiracy

The UP government now has a clear narrative about what happened in Hathras—and laid it out in plain view yesterday. 

The affidavit: In response to a Supreme Court petition demanding a CBI probe, the government welcomed the court’s intervention in these terms:

“An affidavit filed by the government said ‘false narratives gained momentum at the behest of vested interests.’ There was a ‘criminal conspiracy to spread caste conflict and instigate violence.’ ‘Vicious propaganda’ was being spread by sections of the media with ‘oblique motives’ and political interests. ‘Sections of political parties deliberately mislead the public to create communal disharmony.’”

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