Actor Riya Ahir Fumes Over "Showing Off Body" Backlash: "They Are Demonizing Me"

Indian women participating in large-scale protests organized by an online Gen Z group (born between 1995 and 2007)—sparked by unfairness surrounding a recent medical school entrance exam question leak scandal—are facing online harassment, including sexual harassment.

According to the U.S. daily The New York Times (NYT) on the 19th (local time), Riya Ahir, a 27-year-old model and actor based in Mumbai, western India, drew widespread attention after joining a massive protest last month by the Gen Z political movement group "Cockroach People's Party" (CJP).

A photo showing her boldly blocking a police bus carrying detained protesters with a single hand went viral online.

However, Ahir was subsequently criticized online for "flaunting her body," pointing to her outfit and posture at the time, which featured her hips slightly pushed back.

False claims were also circulated that she sold explicit content on the social media platform Instagram for 149 rupees (approximately 2,200 won).

The NYT reported that these acts were carried out by anonymous accounts promoting Hindu nationalist ideology.

In an interview with the NYT, Ahir pointed out, "Not long after receiving unexpected attention, the hate began pouring in. They are trying to demonize me and undermine the credibility of the women who participated in the protests."

Incidents also occurred where not only the Indian women who participated in the protests, but even their family members, were threatened by local police officers.

Indian police officers visited the relatives' home of Danish Ali, a graduate student and student activist in Delhi, stating that they were "investigating," and called his father to intimidate him by saying that his daughter "should focus on her studies."

Kangana Ranaut, a member of parliament belonging to the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also recently joined in criticizing so-called Westernized young women in India.

She labeled young Indian women as the "sewage generation," criticizing them by saying, "They have nothing to contribute to society and are unfit to even be housewives."

Previously, Prime Minister Modi also mentioned the profanities used by female protesters, calling it a "culture shock" and asking, "How can the daughters of this country use such language?" However, he made no particular remarks toward the young men who chanted slogans alongside them.


Experts point out that the reason attacks are disproportionately directed at female participants in the Gen Z protests stems from deeply rooted misogyny within Indian society.

The NYT criticized this as an additional risk that women striving to uphold their convictions must endure in a patriarchal Indian society.

Ahir asked rhetorically, "There is no need to fear someone who says, 'If I see you, I'll shatter you into pieces.' If I want to raise my voice for my country, do I really have to wear a sari (traditional Indian attire wrapping the entire body)?"

The CJP was formed after controversial remarks made last May by Indian Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant, who compared unemployed youth to cockroaches.

Just as allegations of question leaks surfaced ahead of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate medical programs, the CJP led protests in the capital of New Delhi for nearly two months, ultimately forcing Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign.

Meanwhile, the day before, the BJP replaced the official who had led its social media strategy for over a decade since 2015.

This marks the first organizational reshuffle by 45-year-old BJP President Nitin Nabin, who took office as the youngest ever last January, and is interpreted as an attempt to strengthen online communication with Gen Z voters ahead of the 2029 general election.

While the CJP's Instagram account has surpassed 20 million followers, the follower count of the BJP—which calls itself the world's largest political party—stands at 9.7 million, failing to reach even half that number.

(Photo: X, AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.