Tripura has been in the news for quite some time now. The Trinamool Congress is desperately trying to make inroads into the North-eastern state which has turned into a BJP bastion under the leadership of chief minister Biplab Deb. So, it is very natural for fake news regarding the state to begin doing the rounds on social media – especially on the count of the supposed targeting of the state’s Muslim population. In yet, another bid to project Tripura as an unsafe state for Muslims, a slanted view of a recent ‘lynching’ was reported by the media and paraded around by liberals as a glaring example of how Muslims are being hounded in BJP-ruled Tripura.
NDTV, for example, in a report of the incident said, “A man was beaten to death in Tripura today on suspicion of stealing cows. Three suspected cattle smugglers had allegedly entered the state from Bangladesh late on Friday night. When the trio allegedly entered the house of one Litan Paul to steal cows, the owner caught them in the act with the help of a neighbour.”
It went on to add, “Two young men of the three suspects managed to escape but one couldn’t. He was then beaten to death by an angry group of locals.”
The Reality:
Here’s what most of the media did not tell you about the supposed mob lynching of the said Bangladeshi cow smuggler. The Tripura Police has recovered Bangladeshi currency (Taka) and a mobile phone from the possession of the man who was lynched. According to locals, the Bangladeshi trio had entered Litan Paul’s home with the intention to steal cattle and when Paul resisted, they cut off his ear. Paul is currently receiving treatment at the GB Hospital in Agartala.
Much of the media reportage of the incident has given a complete miss to the fact that Litan Paul – who is being accused of orchestrating a mob lynching, was in fact, the victim of a maiming effort by Bangladeshi criminals who were trying to chop off his ears and might have caused him further injury as well. For all we know, the Bangladeshis would have stopped at nothing short of killing the man if it meant getting hold of his cattle.
Tripura Police said, “According to the locals here, the thief is from Jamnagar in Bangladesh. There were two more with him, all from Kumilla district in Bangladesh. We recovered Bangladesh currency (taka) and a mobile set with Bangladesh connection from his possession.”
Fake News Regarding Tripura:
After incidents of communal tension were reported in Tripura over fake news of mosques being burnt, the state government issued prohibitory orders under section 144 in the Dharmanagar sub-division in the North Tripura district and Kailashahar sub-divisions in Unokoti district in Tripura. It all started in Rowa in the Panisagar subdivision of Dharmanagar district, where VHP was leading the march for the rights of Hindus who have been persecuted in Bangladesh during the recent Durga Puja attacks.
Read more: Tripura Islamists face the wrath of Biplab Deb and Amit Shah
Fake news of a Mosque being burnt down by Hindus led to Islamists trying to run a riot in the state – a disaster which was skilfully averted by the BJP administration of the state. Still, thousands of Islamists managed to converge, and in areas like Kadamtala, attacked houses, shops, and vehicles belonging to Hindus; videos of which have also gone viral on social media platforms. In essence, the mosque was never touched, but liberals believe it has been burnt to ashes. Based on fake news, Hindus were attacked by Islamists.
Mind you, the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections are approaching very soon. Along with it, states like Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are also headed to polls. So, it makes complete sense for the opposition and its stooges in the media to fabricate stories of anti-Muslim violence rocking parts of India. This time, the intended target is Tripura, because liberals want you to believe that a peaceful north-eastern state, ruled by communists for decades, is now taking the turn towards violence under the BJP and that the Muslims are at the receiving end of it all.
By rechecking the veracity of such stories and not relying on mainstream media for information alone, Indians can make sure they get the full picture of all such incidents as and when they happen.