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2017 Baduria riots

Coordinates: 22°40′N 88°53′E / 22.66°N 88.89°E / 22.66; 88.89
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2017 Baduria riots
Date2 July 2017
Location
West Bengal, India

22°40′N 88°53′E / 22.66°N 88.89°E / 22.66; 88.89
Caused byFacebook post by an 11 Class student
MethodsProtesting, rioting, rock throwing, looting, arson, mobbing
Casualties
Death(s)1[1][2]
Injuries23[3]
Arrested71[4]
Basirhat subdivision is located in West Bengal
Basirhat subdivision
Basirhat subdivision
Location of the riots in West Bengal, India

Baduria riot refers to incidents of communal violence between Hindus and Muslims in the Baduria town in Basirhat subdivision of the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal state of India.

Background

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Tensions started rising after a social media post on The Holy Prophet Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام and Kaaba by a 17-year-old student on 2 July 2017. The images were seen as objectionable and went viral in Baduria. He was later arrested.[5] It is claimed that this violence was an outcome of local outrage of the Muslim groups, but according to some news sources and local media, villagers of Baduria, Basirhat and of its neighborhood claimed the rioters were outsiders.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

Riots

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Following the post made on 2 July by the school boy, a mob of an estimated 5,000 people blockaded the Baduria police station, demanding that the accused be brought before the crowd. The post also resulted in an arson attack on the accused's house. He was arrested on the evening of 3 July 2017.[12][13][14]

The Baduria police station was attacked and set ablaze along with several police vehicles on the night of 3 July.[15][16] A violent mob put up road blockades at several places and attacked members of other community, besides destroying many shops.[17][18]

Muslim mobs set upon shops and houses belonging to Hindus in Baduria, Swarupnagar and Taki.[19] Rath Yatras at several places were attacked.[12] Violent clashes were triggered between the two communities of Basirhat.[20] The Union government deployed four Border Security Force (BSF) companies containing a total of 400 personnel to check the violence in the region. Section 144 was imposed while the internet services were suspended.[21] In retaliatory attacks on 6 July, Hindu mobs attacked a dargah and vandalised shops and houses in addition to clashing with the police. The office of a local TMC leader also comes under attack. On July 7, several Hindu temples were attacked by a Muslim mob of about 70-90 people. They also allegedly attacked and harassed Hindu families.[22]

About 25 people including 20 policemen were reported to have been injured in the violence.[23] The house and party office of a local TMC MLA Dipendu Biswas was also set on fire by the rioters.[24] A 65 year old died after being stabbed by the rioter mobs in the clashes while trying to return home.[25][26]

Fake news and provocative statements

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Vijeta Malik who is reported to be the Haryana State Executive Member of BJP allegedly posted a well-known scene of a Bhojpuri movie Aurat Khilona Nahi and cited it as an incident in Baduaria clashes where Hindu women were severely abused and the crowd just watched.[27][28][29] This fake news went viral. Despite several appeals from Kolkata and West Bengal Police,[30][31] sharing of fake news continued and tensions were exacerbated.

Involvement of BJP leaders

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One Kolkata-based citizen Bhabotosh Chatterjee was arrested for sharing fake news and spreading communal hatred over the internet,[32] and another three were held for spreading fake news via multiple social media profiles.[33] In July, two FIRs were lodged against a Delhi-based BJP leader Nupur Sharma for sharing fake news[34][35] while the BJP IT cell secretary Tarun Sengupta was arrested in Asansol for posting ‘fake’ video on social media.[36][37] BJP MLA T. Raja Singh Lodh made a statement asking Hindus to respond "as they did in Gujarat, to prevent Bengal from becoming Bangladesh, or face being banished as they were from Kashmir".[38][39][40] The West Bengal Government ordered a judiciary inquiry on the fake news propaganda and the causes of the Baduria incident.[41][42] While responding to a PIL filed in the Calcutta High Court, the State stated that around 71 people had been arrested and a total of 86 cases had been registered with the police in this matter.[43]

References

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  1. ^ "Bengal violence over FB post: Man dies of stab wounds, clashes erupt in Basirhat". hindustantimes. 6 July 2017.
  2. ^ "West Bengal riots: Politicians stopped from visiting Basirhat slam TMC govt - News Nation". 8 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Fresh Violence In West Bengal's Basirhat After Police Lathicharge, Several Injured: 10 Updates". NDTV.com.
  4. ^ "West Bengal communal riots: Situation in Basirhat under control and normal, says Mamata Banerjee govt". firstpost.com.
  5. ^ "FB post, communal violence leave West Bengal town divided, scarred". Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Basirhat: Media's overblown reports belie deep Hindu-Muslim amity in violence-torn West Bengal region". Firstpost. 2017-07-13. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  7. ^ "What is behind the religious violence in India's West Bengal?". BBC News. 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  8. ^ "In Heart Of Bengal's Communal Unrest, Villagers Blame 'Outsiders' - The Deccan Post". The Deccan Post. 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2017-07-13.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Fake News And Real Violence". indianfolk.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  10. ^ "The Biggest Stories of July 09, 2017". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  11. ^ "A boy's blasphemy triggers communal tinderbox on the border". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  12. ^ a b "Bengal violence: Basirhat's Muslim leaders tried to pacify the rioting mob, but couldn't". Hindustan times. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  13. ^ "Facebook post snowballs into communal flare-up in Bengal". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  14. ^ "Baduria turns into battlefield over FB post". The Asian Age. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  15. ^ "Baduria violence: MHA seeks reports from WB Govt". Retrieved 6 July 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  16. ^ "Baduria communal clashes LIVE Updates: Army deployed in North 24 Parganas after police vehicles, shops set on fire in Basirhat of West Bengal". The Financial Express. 5 July 2017.
  17. ^ "Communal clashes in West Bengal, state government rushes paramilitary troops - Times of India". The Times of India.
  18. ^ "Violence in Bengal over FB post; Mamata alleges Governor threat". 4 July 2017.
  19. ^ "Violence in Bengal over FB post; Mamata alleges Governor threat". Hindustan Times.
  20. ^ "Violence in Bengal over FB post; Mamata alleges Governor threat". Indian Express.
  21. ^ "WB: Section 144 imposed in Basirhat post violent clashes over Facebook post". Deccan Chronicle.
  22. ^ "Baduria communal clashes: Rajnath Singh seeks report from West Bengal govt". Hindustan Times.
  23. ^ "Social media posts trigger seven communal riots in month in West Bengal". The Asian Age. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  24. ^ "West Bengal: Women at forefront of Basirhat violence". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  25. ^ "Bengali News, Latest Bangla News, 24 Ghanta Bangla Khabar, বাংলা খবর, Breaking Bangla Khobor | Zee 24 Ghanta".
  26. ^ "Bengal violence over FB post: Man dies of stab wounds, clashes erupt in Basirhat". Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  27. ^ "Fake alert: BJPs Vijeta Malik posts image from Bhojpuri film to show plight of Hindus in West Bengal". Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  28. ^ "BJP leader posts scene from Bhojpuri film, says this is 'plight of Hindus' in West Bengal". Firstpost. 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  29. ^ "BJP Haryana leader Vijeta Malik shares Bhojpuri movie still to show 'plight of Hindus' in West Bengal | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". dna. 2017-07-07. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  30. ^ "No fake news please: Kolkata Police arrest rumour monger who morphed Bhojpuri film scene to spread hate | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". dna. 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  31. ^ "Riot-hit Basirhat tense but under control: Official". Deccan Herald. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  32. ^ "West Bengal communal riots: One arrested for sharing fake image, inciting violence". The Indian Express. 2017-07-09. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  33. ^ "Arrested trio have many online profiles - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  34. ^ "BJP leader booked for fake posts". The Hindu. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  35. ^ "BJP leader booked for 'sharing fake pictures of Baduria clashes'". The Indian Express. 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  36. ^ "BJP IT cell secy held in Asansol for posting 'fake' video on social media". hindustantimes.com/. 2017-07-12. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  37. ^ "भोजपुरी फिल्म के सीन को बताया बंगाल की हिंसा, आरोपी भाजपा नेता गिरफ्तार". outlookhindi.com/. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  38. ^ "Basirhat riots: BJP MLA asks Hindus in WB to respond as they did in Gujarat". Deccan Chronicle. 2017-07-09. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  39. ^ "Basirhat violence: BJP MLA from Hyderabad wants Hindus to strike back". Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  40. ^ "West Bengal communal clashes: BJP MLA Raja Singh asks Hindus to respond like they did in Gujarat". The Indian Express. 2017-07-09. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  41. ^ "West Bengal riots: CM Mamata announces judicial probe, attacks BJP". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
  42. ^ "Bengal to order judicial inquiry into Baduria-Basirhat incident: Mamata". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
  43. ^ "West Bengal communal riots: Situation in Basirhat under control and normal, says Mamata Banerjee govt". Retrieved 2017-07-24.
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