Who is Sonia Sehrawat? The RAF officer going viral amid CJP protests
RAF Assistant Commandant Sonia Sehrawat came under scrutiny after an Instagram post and a viral interview linked her to the CJP protest row. The episode then widened into an online debate over personal social media use, uniform protocol and how protests unfolded on the internet.
A controversial Instagram post, a fractured hand in a sling and a viral interview. RAF Assistant Commandant Sonia Sehrawat was already an Instagram star, commanding over 6 lakh followers. However, she has now found herself in the midst of a raging controversy amid the student protests over exam reforms in Delhi.
Sehrawat was deployed during the July 20 students' march to Parliament, which descended into violence as the protesters clashed with the security personnel.
She was among the security personnel injured in the face-off. However, she came under intense backlash after an Instagram story posted from her account went viral. The story was seemingly later deleted.
Acoording to viral screenshots, the post featured an image of a dead cockroach. "Can't fix themselves and they wanna fix the country," the caption read. It was perceived to be a veiled swipe at the satirical outfit Cockraoch Janta Party (CJP), which has been spearheading the protests.
Take a look at the screenshot here:
It soon received criticism online. Several users accused her of mocking the demonstrators, leading to a wider debate about whether serving personnel should publicly express opinions related to ongoing political protests.
Soon, social media users began scrutinising her posts. Another part of her timeline also gained attention - her Instagram posts from Goa just days before she returned for duty.
Several users pointed out that Sehrawat had been sharing pictures and updates from her Goa trip around five days before the protest.
Watch the video here:
When Sehrawat appeared in an interview wearing a sling because of her fractured hand, the clip quickly spread across platforms.
The internet also latched on to a moment from the interview where she was questioned about not wearing her name tag. In an interview with The Lallantop, when asked about it, Sehrawat explained that she had removed it because of the heat and discomfort.
Watch the video here:
The simple explanation became another widely shared moment, with users debating whether she was simply brushing the issue under the rug, or trying to come up with excuses.
The conversation around her also showed an unusual aspect of the current protest cycle - how quickly personal social media histories become part of public discussions.
Unlike previous protests, this time Instagram has become a major source of information.
Her image as a fitness-focused officer with a large social media following became part of online discussions, with users analysing everything from her content style to her presence during the protests.
As clips continued spreading, Sehrawat became one of the most recognisable faces associated with the CJP protests, not because of a political speech or official statement, but because of a series of moments captured online.
A deleted Instagram story. A Goa holiday timeline. A sling-covered interview. A question about a missing nametag.
Together, these small fragments created a larger internet narrative around one RAF officer who unexpectedly found herself at the centre of a protest that was unfolding both on the streets and across social media.
A controversial Instagram post, a fractured hand in a sling and a viral interview. RAF Assistant Commandant Sonia Sehrawat was already an Instagram star, commanding over 6 lakh followers. However, she has now found herself in the midst of a raging controversy amid the student protests over exam reforms in Delhi.
Sehrawat was deployed during the July 20 students' march to Parliament, which descended into violence as the protesters clashed with the security personnel.
She was among the security personnel injured in the face-off. However, she came under intense backlash after an Instagram story posted from her account went viral. The story was seemingly later deleted.
Acoording to viral screenshots, the post featured an image of a dead cockroach. "Can't fix themselves and they wanna fix the country," the caption read. It was perceived to be a veiled swipe at the satirical outfit Cockraoch Janta Party (CJP), which has been spearheading the protests.
Take a look at the screenshot here:
It soon received criticism online. Several users accused her of mocking the demonstrators, leading to a wider debate about whether serving personnel should publicly express opinions related to ongoing political protests.
Soon, social media users began scrutinising her posts. Another part of her timeline also gained attention - her Instagram posts from Goa just days before she returned for duty.
Several users pointed out that Sehrawat had been sharing pictures and updates from her Goa trip around five days before the protest.
Watch the video here:
When Sehrawat appeared in an interview wearing a sling because of her fractured hand, the clip quickly spread across platforms.
The internet also latched on to a moment from the interview where she was questioned about not wearing her name tag. In an interview with The Lallantop, when asked about it, Sehrawat explained that she had removed it because of the heat and discomfort.
Watch the video here:
The simple explanation became another widely shared moment, with users debating whether she was simply brushing the issue under the rug, or trying to come up with excuses.
The conversation around her also showed an unusual aspect of the current protest cycle - how quickly personal social media histories become part of public discussions.
Unlike previous protests, this time Instagram has become a major source of information.
Her image as a fitness-focused officer with a large social media following became part of online discussions, with users analysing everything from her content style to her presence during the protests.
As clips continued spreading, Sehrawat became one of the most recognisable faces associated with the CJP protests, not because of a political speech or official statement, but because of a series of moments captured online.
A deleted Instagram story. A Goa holiday timeline. A sling-covered interview. A question about a missing nametag.
Together, these small fragments created a larger internet narrative around one RAF officer who unexpectedly found herself at the centre of a protest that was unfolding both on the streets and across social media.
A controversial Instagram post, a fractured hand in a sling and a viral interview. RAF Assistant Commandant Sonia Sehrawat was already an Instagram star, commanding over 6 lakh followers. However, she has now found herself in the midst of a raging controversy amid the student protests over exam reforms in Delhi.
Sehrawat was deployed during the July 20 students' march to Parliament, which descended into violence as the protesters clashed with the security personnel.
She was among the security personnel injured in the face-off. However, she came under intense backlash after an Instagram story posted from her account went viral. The story was seemingly later deleted.
Acoording to viral screenshots, the post featured an image of a dead cockroach. "Can't fix themselves and they wanna fix the country," the caption read. It was perceived to be a veiled swipe at the satirical outfit Cockraoch Janta Party (CJP), which has been spearheading the protests.
Take a look at the screenshot here:
It soon received criticism online. Several users accused her of mocking the demonstrators, leading to a wider debate about whether serving personnel should publicly express opinions related to ongoing political protests.
Soon, social media users began scrutinising her posts. Another part of her timeline also gained attention - her Instagram posts from Goa just days before she returned for duty.
Several users pointed out that Sehrawat had been sharing pictures and updates from her Goa trip around five days before the protest.
Watch the video here:
When Sehrawat appeared in an interview wearing a sling because of her fractured hand, the clip quickly spread across platforms.
The internet also latched on to a moment from the interview where she was questioned about not wearing her name tag. In an interview with The Lallantop, when asked about it, Sehrawat explained that she had removed it because of the heat and discomfort.
Watch the video here:
The simple explanation became another widely shared moment, with users debating whether she was simply brushing the issue under the rug, or trying to come up with excuses.
The conversation around her also showed an unusual aspect of the current protest cycle - how quickly personal social media histories become part of public discussions.
Unlike previous protests, this time Instagram has become a major source of information.
Her image as a fitness-focused officer with a large social media following became part of online discussions, with users analysing everything from her content style to her presence during the protests.
As clips continued spreading, Sehrawat became one of the most recognisable faces associated with the CJP protests, not because of a political speech or official statement, but because of a series of moments captured online.
A deleted Instagram story. A Goa holiday timeline. A sling-covered interview. A question about a missing nametag.
Together, these small fragments created a larger internet narrative around one RAF officer who unexpectedly found herself at the centre of a protest that was unfolding both on the streets and across social media.
