Rapid Action Force (RAF) Assistant Commandant Sonia Sehrawat has come under criticism after an Instagram story she posted during the recent student protests over the NEET UG paper leak went viral. While the post was later deleted, it has sparked widespread criticism online, with many questioning whether her conduct as a uniformed officer violated service rules. Her active Instagram presence has also come to light.
Instagram Story Sparks Controversy
Sehrawat has more than six lakh followers on Instagram and is well known on social media. She was recently deployed to manage the crowd during the student protests at Jantar Mantar on Monday, where clashes broke out between protesters and the police. However, the controversy began after Sehrawat shared an Instagram story about the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a group leading student protests demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
What Triggered Online Backlash?
The post featured an image of a dead cockroach with the caption, "CAN'T FIX THEMSELVES AND THEY WANNA FIX THE COUNTRY." The post quickly went viral, with many criticising her for mocking the protesters. As criticism increased online, she later deleted the story. The CJP also strongly objected to the post. "ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING. This RAF official actually sees the peaceful protesters as cockroaches and thinks that the brutality of the police was justified because of that,” a post by the CJP read on X.
Questions Over Service Rules
However, the controversy didn’t just end there. Users raised questions about whether the officer violated service guidelines. According to the rules, government personnel are advised not to use "ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity, or engaging in any conduct that would not be accepted as a government servant." The rules also advise officers not to use photographs in uniform as profile pictures on personal social media accounts.
In contrast, Sehrawat's Instagram account, named '3star_Sonia', uses a profile picture of her in service uniform. Reacting to the incident, an unnamed officer, interviewed by ThePrint, said: "Making political comments such as this one, even from a personal account when the personnel is personally involved in the duties, should amount to a disciplinary issue. Let's see if the top brass take cognisance and take a tough stance on it."
Active Presence On Instagram
Scrolling through her Instagram profile shows that Sehrawat regularly posts photos and videos from her personal life. Her profile includes posts of temple visits, bike rides, fitness sessions, saree photos, meetings with students and other lifestyle content. In one post from July 16, she is seen making a reel on a beach with the song "Laila" playing in the background.
She wrote in the caption: “This freedom is costly but smile is priceless. So shed the tears and keep spreading happiness." Other posts carry messages such as "Wear your attitude with pride, own it like a loaded message," along with content related to Kalyug, Satyug and Lord Shiva. One of her highlights has an “Olive Officer” title and contains photos of her in the uniform.
Injured On Duty
She was reportedly injured while managing the crowd during the protest. Speaking to IANS about the incident, Sehrawat said it was her job to stop protesters if they become unruly and don’t maintain discipline. “I repeatedly gave instructions from the front and also requested the boys and girls to maintain distance and sit peacefully. But in a crowd, there are many people who push from behind."
She added, "If they do not maintain discipline and become uncontrollable, then it is our job to stop them... I got injured while trying to protect the girls. The extent of the injury will be known after the X-ray,” Sehrawat said. When the reporter asked whether the CJP protesters used drones that day, she was heard saying, “No political questions.”
Sehrawat On No Name Plate
When a reporter asked her why the personnel were not wearing their name plates, she reportedly said it was because of the heat. She later added that the name plates often fall off, so she kept hers in her pocket to protect the dignity of her name. However, netizens questioned the explanation, asking whether concern for the dignity of a name plate should also extend to the dignity and concerns of the country's youth.