THE VICTIM SHAMING:

As news of

the incident broke, BJP leaders responded with a smear campaign that used pictures of Varnika with male friends and glasses of

alcohol to suggest that she was of questionable character and imply that she had been asking for trouble. Chandigarh BJP vice-president Ramveer Bhatti said Varnika should not have been out at midnight and said the real question was what she had been doing outdoors at that time. It prompted a trending hashtag, #AintNoCinderella. Women from across India posted photos of themselves out at midnight, in support.