Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell head Amit Malviya shared photos of vandalised Hindu idols at a potter’s shop in West Bengal, falsely claiming that the incident is a communal attack.
BOOM found that the incident has no communal angle, with both the accused belonging to the same community.
The Claim: Photos show Kali and Saraswati idols vandalised in a communal incident in Nadia, West Bengal
Malviya shared the photos with a caption claiming the vandalism was an “assault on Sanatan Dharma” and showed rising “anti-Hindu hatred” under Mamata Banerjee’s rule in West Bengal.
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What We Found:
1) Incident Details
According to news reports multiple idols of Hindu deities Kali and Saraswati idols were vandalised at a pottery workshop in Santipur, Nadia district of West Bengal.Aaj Tak Bangla interviewed the shop owners, Jayanta Das and his son Palash, who alleged that two brothers - Amit Dey and Asit Dey, vandalised the idols following an argument. They further added that the CCTV footage confirmed the same.
2) West Bengal Police Deny Communal Spin
BOOM reached out to Santipur police station in Nadia who denied any communal angle to the incident, adding that the absconding accused had been identified as Amit Dey and Asit Dey.
Ranaghat Police District posted a statement by Laltu Halder, Additional Superintendent of Police dismissing the false claim and identifying the reason as a personal argument.
Additionally, BOOM also reached out to Jayanta, the victim and owner of the pottery factory who confirmed the identities of the accused, denying the communal claim.