Journalist Calls Out BJP For Claiming Him As Its Worker Killed In Violence By TMC Members, Party Says ‘Erroneously Included’

New Delhi: While reports of violence and clashes in West Bengal between the ruling Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party members became the cause of concern, certain fake claims and rumours have increased the seriousness of the situation.

In the latest instance, a video blaming the TMC for violence had been posted on the official Facebook page of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) West Bengal unit. It showed photos of workers, who the party claimed were killed by the TMC workers.

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However, a photograph shown in the video of a young man identified as ‘Manik Moitro’, has brought upon controversy for the saffron party because the man that BJP claimed had died is actually Abhro Banerjee, a journalist, who is very much alive and called it out over the use of his photo.

The journalist took to Twitter and wrote: “I am Abhro Banerjee, living and hale and hearty and around 1,300 km away from Sitalkuchi. BJP IT Cell is now claiming I am Manik Moitra and died in Sitalkuchi. Please don’t believe these fake posts and please don’t worry. I repeat: I am (still) alive”.

BJP later issued a statement and said that “Banerjee’s photo was erroneously included in the video”. However, it retained the claim by writing: “To set the record straight, Shri Manik Moitro succumbed to his injuries in Sitalkuchi following violence instigated and inflicted by TMC members.”

Previously another widespread claim of BJP women workers having been gang-raped was busted by EC-appointed district SP Nagendra Tripathi who clarified that the reports of gang rape in Birbhum are fake. He added that the police are trying to find where this fake news originated from on social media and assured to take appropriate action against them.

Bengal Violence: What Has Happened So Far?

As soon as TMC emerged victorious in the West Bengal assembly election result, various instances of post-poll violence were reported in the state. 

BJP President JP Nadda alleged that at least 14 workers have been killed and nearly one lakh people have been affected due to the violence which he termed as being “retributive” Attacks by “TMC cadre”.

“The incidents which we saw after the results of the West Bengal poll shock us and make us worried. I had heard of such incidents during India’s partition. We had never seen such intolerance after the results of a poll, in independent India. We are committed to fighting this ideological battle and the activities of TMC which is full of intolerance. We are ready to fight democratically,” added Nadda as he arrived in Kolkata to meet the families of violence-affected BJP workers and supporters.

He said that he had never seen such intolerance after the results of a poll in independent India.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee has rejected the allegations. The TMC has claimed that five of their party workers have died in the violence while terming the deaths alleged by BJP as being a result of infighting between the saffron party’s old and new cadre.

“Bengal does not like violence nor do I. I will personally look into the law and order issues and make sure there’s peace,” Mamata Banerjee said after being appointed as CM for the third term.