With fake video of priest assault, anti-peace elements attempt communal unrest in Kolkata

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KOLKATA: On Saturday, the Kolkata police took on hatemongers on Twitter after a video was shared purportedly showing a Hindu priest being beaten up during Navratri. A Twitter handle shared a video stating: “This brahmin’s Puja bell sounds during this navaratri disturbed those Muslims in a Muslim majority area​in West Bengal!”

While the tweet was roundly retweeted, several people tagged the Kolkata police asking them to verify the video. According to the Kolkata police’s Twitter handle the video is of an old incident showing a priest being manhandled by a victim’s family, who he had allegedly molested. FIRs had been lodged against the priest and the those that had accosted him.

The user has deleted the tweet now.

Kolkata Police wrote on Twitter: “This is a wrong and mischievous post. This priest was manhandled by the family members of the victim girl where he allegedly molested her. FIR was registered vide no.P3-205 dated 31.08. 17,u/s 354/509 IPC and counter FIR was registered against people who assaulted the priest. vide no P3 Case no 206dated 31.08. 17 u/s 34/323/341IPC. Legal action is being initiated against all the people spreading communal hatred.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knXgczWx8Yo&feature=youtu.be

https://twitter.com/IronyOfIndia_/status/911531480949460992

The incident comes amongst Mamata Banerjee’s tussle with the judiciary. On Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that her government would foil any attempt to divide people during the coming religious occasions. Asking people “not to be misled by any conspiracy made by troublemakers”, she said, “If there are some Facebook posts, some tweets to spread falsehood and misinformation, please be alert and counter them.” Inaugurating a Durga puja on Friday, she said Bengal is not a place for conflicts. “Please don’t spare those who will attempt to bring disrepute to Bengal, to our famous Durga puja festival.”

Her statement came amid fears of disturbances during the Durga idol immersions which are coinciding with the Tazia processions of Muharram. Banerjee said, “From Ganapati puja of Maharashtra to Guru Nanak Jayanti (of Punjab), Bengal has embraced festivals of different regions as its own. This is the spirit of the state.” Referring to the recent communal riot at Basirhat in North 24-Parganas district, she said, “Just imagine they had used video clips of a Bhojpuri film to claim this took place in Bengal. Did they know anything about our Bengal?

“They had falsely linked some incidents in Bangladesh with Bengal in another video. But they must know these things never happen in Bengal,” she said. “Fire can be used for lighting candles and lamps to dispel darkness. Fire should not be triggered by match sticks to spread conflict,” the chief minister said.

With inputs from PTI