The National Commission for Women (NCW) has condemned the online abuse faced by Himanshi Narwal, the wife of Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Himanshi Narwal, who lost her husband during their honeymoon just a week after their wedding, had appealed for peace in the aftermath of the attack and urged people not to direct hostility towards Muslims or Kashmiris. “We don’t want people going after Muslims and Kashmiris,” she had said on May 1.
Her appeal, however, was met with a torrent of abuse and harassment on social media by Hindutva supporters, with users questioning her stance.
The NCW responded to the backlash with a statement on social media platform X, calling the criticism “extremely condemnable and unfortunate”.
“Many citizens were killed in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. Along with other people, Lieutenant Vinay Narwal was asked about his religion and then shot dead. The whole country is hurt and enraged by this attack. After Lieutenant Vinay Narwal's death, the way his wife, Himanshi Narwal, is being targeted on social media for a remark is extremely condemnable and unfortunate. Targeting a woman for her opinions or trolling her about her personal life is not acceptable at all,” the NCW said.
The commission said that any disagreement with her views must be expressed within the bounds of decency and the Constitution. "Any agreement or disagreement must always be expressed decently and within Constitutional boundaries. The National Commission for Women is committed to protecting every woman's respect and dignity," the panel stated.
NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar also posted separately on X, expressing her support for Himanshi. “No one should be subjected to character assassination or online abuse simply for expressing an ideological stance or personal grief. The honour and respect of every woman must remain inviolate,” she said. Vijaya, who is also the National Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said that while some may have disagreed with Himanshi’s comments, it did not justify the abusive response she received online.