Many now celebrating Jemimah Rodrigues targeted her last year, report

New Delhi: When Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur pulled off huge victory against Australia beating it in the semis on Thursday, social media has been celebratory calling, especially Rodrigues as ‘India’s pride’.

The unbeaten 127 from Rodrigues and 89 from Kaur helped India beat Australia in women’s ODI at the DY Patil Stadium.

Rodrigues, debuted in Under-19 cricket in the 2012-13 season as a 13-year-old, is the second Indian woman to hit double-century in the domestic Under-19 one-day trophy after Smriti Mandhana.

However, Rodrigues, also a national-level hockey player, faced horrific vilification campaign unleashed by Hindutva channels, commentators and a news agency last year.

The campaign that targeted her was exclusively due to her Christian faith, according The Wire.

Mumbai’s Khar Gymkhana club cancelled her membership after some of the members claimed that her father Ivan was using the club premises for ‘religious activities,’ to what they reportedly said “convert” the “vulnerable” .

Hindutva commentators targeted her honorary membership, granted in recognition of her achievements, alleging that her father Ivan used the premises for conversion with some even calling for her to be gang-raped.

It was then a news agency carried interviews of Gymkhana leaders reporting that their decision to revoke her membership was spontaneous following objections, according to The Wire.

Now Fact-checker and Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair cited the Times of India reporting in those days that the club’s president Vivek Devnani had denied these allegations.

It is reported back then as Vivek Devnani saying that allegations were a product of a faction in the club playing politics ahead of an election there.

Years later she said in her post match interview ‘I want to thank Jesus – I could not do this on my own. I want to thank my mom, dad, coach and every single person who believed in me’.