Rhiya Ahir hits back at ‘fake, degrading’ claims as CJP protest icon decries misogynistic online attacks

Rhiya Ahir, whose image became one of the defining visuals of the recent CJP protests and was widely shared across social media as a symbol of the student-led movement, has alleged that there is a concerted attempt to discredit her and distract from the larger cause by targeting her personally.

The model and content creator has hit back at viral claims surrounding her Instagram subscriptions, describing the narrative as “fake” and “degrading.” In a series of Instagram Stories, Ahir said Instagram Subscriptions are a legitimate feature available to creators and accused several social media pages of twisting the story for “two minutes of traction.”

She also urged followers to report accounts spreading what she described as hateful content, arguing that the backlash reflected the “deep-rooted misogyny” women continue to face online.

The controversy erupted after social media posts claimed Ahir had begun monetising her newfound popularity through paid Instagram subscriptions, shifting the focus from the protests themselves to her personal life.

Now, in an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Ahir has opened up about what it was like to go viral overnight, the torrent of online abuse and trolling she has endured, and why she believes the spotlight should return to those at the heart of the movement.

“The real face of this protest is not me. It’s the students. Let’s not get sidetracked by all this,” Ahir told Gulf News.

Controversy in a nutshell

Instagram Subscriptions are an official feature that allows eligible creators to offer exclusive content to paying subscribers for a monthly fee.

Introduced by the platform as a monetisation tool for professional creator accounts, the opt-in feature gives subscribers access to exclusive Stories, posts, Reels and other content.

Ahir, however, argues that some social media pages have misrepresented her use of the feature, describing the resulting coverage as “fake” and “degrading.”