SAHMAT, a voluntary organisation, in a statement on 28 April, condemned in the strongest possible terms the attack on Shabnam Hashmi in Rai Bareilly. She was attacked at about 12.30 on April 28 while she with her associates was distributing leaflets brought out by JAVAB – Janvadi Vichar Andolan Bharat – barely 100 metres from the Gadaganj Police Station in the Rai Bareilly constituency. Shabnam Hashmi and her associate were attacked by a gang of about 20 hoodlums who snatched all the Javab leaflets while pushing and abusing Shabnam Hashmi in the “most foul and sexist terms”.
At the police station, Shabnam had to argue with the SHO, telling him that no one can be stopped from exercising their right to free expression and that he had to file an FIR against the attack on her and the threats of rape and sexist abuses. The statement alleged that the SHO did not register an FIR and did not give her a copy of her complaint.