Numerous incidents of stone-pelting on the Hindu procession during religious festivals have occurred in the past few years, and it has become a regular affair. However, under the guise of secularism, these incidents were presented in such a way that the Hindu community’s counterattack or retaliation was exploited to paint them as the culprits.
As usual, The Print, a left-wing propaganda portal with strong pro-Islamist credentials that has a history of whitewashing crimes and atrocities committed by the Muslim community, emerges as the front-runner when it comes to presenting Muslims as the victims. Recently, The Print published an article with the heading “Hindutva vs. Hindutva, us vs. them — what’s fueling incidents of communal unrest in Maharashtra.”
The article talked about a few incidents of religious disturbance that occurred in Maharashtra during the preceding three months. The Hindutva agenda, according to The Print, was the driving force behind these communal unrests. In most of the incidents mentioned, the Hindus were portrayed as the perpetrators and Muslims as the victim of communalization. Below are the incidents and claims mentioned in the article by The Print and our team has fact checked it presenting the other side of the story:
Claim (Mumbai violence)
The Print states that on March 30, when the Ram Navami procession was carried out, the communal clash occurred between two groups when the objection were raised over loud music.
Fact
In its fact-check, the Only Fact team found that, as per the Indian Express article, incidents of stone-pelting and objection over the loudspeaker and loud music by an Islamist mob were witnessed during a Ram Navami procession as it passed through a few mosques in Malwani region of Mumbai.
Along with throwing stones at the Hindu group procession, the Muslim group also threw chappals at the idol of Lord Shri Ram. Around 33 seconds in the visual shared by the Twitter user it can be seen that the chappals were being hurled from the side where the men wearing skull caps are standing.
In addition, Tajindar Tiwana, a local, said that the Hindus had shut down the loudspeakers before they had arrived near the Masjid area. The Muslim crowd nonetheless resorted to the stone-throwing. Seven persons suffered serious injuries as a result of it.
Claim (Sambhajinagar violence)
In another similar incident reported from the Sambhajinagar on March 29, a mob of 500-600 pelted stones at police near injuring at least 10 people and torched 13 police vehicles.
Fact
The Hindustan Times reported that on the eve of Ram Navami in Sambhajinagar’s Kiradpura, tensions between two groups rose as a group of Hindu men visited the nearby Ram temple. They raised slogans on their way back, which sparked conflicts with neighbouring groups.
According to the Hindu Post, people who had gathered outside the Ram Mandir for the Ram Navami celebrations, stones from the other group (Muslim) were hurled at them.
Additionally, we found a few visuals from the Sambhajinagar incident that were posted on social media platforms and showed which group was using excessive violence. The Islamist mob wearing skull caps is seen fiercely pelting stones and setting fire to the vehicles in the visuals provided below.
Moreover when reporting on the violence, The Print reported that police vehicles had been set ablaze and that stones had been pelted at them, but they chose not to include any visuals from the incident because doing so would contradict their narrative of blaming Hindus.
Claim (Akola violence)
Sameer Sonawane had created an Instagram page related to the film “The Kerala Story,” and Arbaaz engaged in a chat with him. The chat further caused the communal unrest between two communities in the region of Akola.
When reporting on the Akola event, The Print, which withholds the identity of criminals from the Muslim community but does not withhold the names of criminals from the Hindu community, deliberately did not specify which community was the victim of the violence that resulted in the death and injuries.
Fact
The OpIndia article suggests that Arbaaz Khan, the mastermind behind the Akola violence, altered the contentious Instagram chat and made it viral on social media, inciting the Muslim mob to resort to violence against the Hindu community.
At the police station, a furious Muslim crowd had assembled and was chanting “Sar Tan Se Juda.” As a result of vandalism and arson, the riots caused a significant loss of both public and private property. Vilas Gaikwad, one of the victims of the violence, died as a result of it, while numerous others were hurt.
According to the Akola Police, the violence was escalated from the Muslim end. On the night of May 13, 2023, illegal gangs gathered and conspired to incite violence. They resorted to throwing nets and stones in various areas, including the old city area, Harihar Peth, and Pola Chowk.
They invaded the houses of the Hindu community, causing damage to government and public property. Armed with iron pipes and sticks, they brutally beat both civilians and police officers, resulting in the tragic demise of Vilas Gaikwad.
Arbaaz Khan was arrested on May 21 for instigating a communal disturbance in the region of Akola. The Print sought to falsely portray that Hindutva ideology was the driving force behind this violence as they did not disclose the victim’s name in their article. They would have undoubtedly named the victim if he had been a Muslim. You can read the detailed fact check report on the Akola violence by clicking here.
Claim (Trimbakeshwar temple)
At last, talking about the Trimbakeshwar temple, where a Muslim mob forcibly tried to enter the temple, The Print claimed ‘a group of people‘ tried enter the temple after closing hours and hence the next day police action by the another group was demanded.
Fact
The Times Now report states that on May 13, Muslim participants in the urs procession attempted to trespass into the Trimbakeshwar temple grounds and cover the revered Shivling with a chadar. The officials in charge of the temple and the security guards successfully thwarted the attempt at forced entrance.
The next day, in a letter to the Trimbakeshwar police inspector, the administrative officer of the Shri Trimbakeshwar Trust described an event that happened on May 13 and demanded an action against the group forcibly trying to enter the temple.
According to the letter, on May 13, some urus members made an effort to infiltrate the temple as the urus was in procession close to the north entrance of the Shri Trimbakeshwar Mandir. But the Maharashtra police security guards quickly intervened and stopped the Muslims from entering.
The Print’s claim that the group was entering the temple after closing hours hence they were stopped by the security guard is completely misleading.
Further, on the YouTube channel of Times Now, we got the footage where the group of 10-12 people were arguing with the security guard after they were denied entry inside the temple premises. The Muslim side defended itself by saying that they were only carrying out a long-standing custom of offering fragrant incense to the deity from the steps of the temple.
According to one of the accused, Matin Sayeed, it has long been tradition for two to three members of the Muslim community to go and offer loban from the step. The question now emerges is why a group of 10-12 people were forcibly trying to barge if just a two-three people used to carry out the tradition? And the board outside the temple clearly read only Hindus are allowed.
Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, issued an order to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter. The police filed a FIR on the unpermitted crowding at the temple’s main gate.
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