In the aftermath of the horrific incident that took place in Manipur, where two women were paraded naked and subjected to an unspeakable act of humiliation, social media platforms were flooded with a surge of propaganda and misinformation. Among the various posts, a habitual fake news spreader named Mohammad Tanvir shared a picture of two men wearing RSS uniform and drew their connection to the dreadful incident in Manipur.
In his tweet, Tanvir made a bold claim, linking the accused responsible for the heinous act to the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). He further said that those who had committed a gruesome gang rape against Bilkis Bano were somehow declared cultured by certain sections of society. Tanvir seemed to suggest that a similar fate awaited the perpetrators in this case, where they would be shielded and eventually welcomed back into society with open arms as if their actions were somehow justified. He suggested that the heinous act with two girls in Manipur was done by RSS workers.
Next, Communist party leader Subhashini Ali shared a picture featuring a startling collage, juxtaposing the distressing image of the incident in Manipur with photographs of the two men dressed in RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) uniforms.
Along with the picture she wrote, They are the Manipur accused, “Recognise them by their clothes.” The implication was clear – she seemed to suggest that the RSS workers were directly involved in the horrific act that happened in Manipur.
Furthermore, another Leftist named Mayank Yadav added fuel to the already blazing fire of controversy. Sharing a picture of the two men in RSS uniform, Mayank Yadav linked them to the horrifying events that had unfolded in Manipur.
He claimed that the ones who paraded two naked women in Manipur turned out to be RSS cultured volunteers. He went on to hint at a deeper involvement of the RSS and BJP in orchestrating the riots, suggesting that a thorough investigation could reveal their significant role in the tragic events. He further suggested that If someone wants to save their sisters and daughters from such Sanghi-BJP monsters, keep their distance from BJP.
Apart from this, another leftist named Simab Akhtar shared the viral picture of the two men wearing RSS uniforms and wrote, “Both these cultured men are the ones who strip women naked in Manipur. This is the culture taught by RSS.”
So, is it true that the culprits who were involved in parading two girls by stripping them naked in Manipur were RSS workers? Let’s Fact Check.
Also Read: Did Veer Savarkar International Airport false ceiling collapse due to weak infrastructure?
Fact Check
During our investigation, we first did a reverse image search of the viral picture to verify its authenticity. During this, we stumbled upon a similar photograph on the Facebook profile of Chidanand Singh. The intriguing aspect was that Chidanand Singh was actively involved in politics and had connections with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Manipur, holding the position of Vice President.
On October 17, 2022, Chidananda Singh had shared the said photograph on his Facebook timeline. In the picture, he was seen standing alongside RSS workers during a ‘Path Sanchalan’ event in Imphal Jila, held on the previous day, October 16. Notably, his son, Ch Sachinanda, and cousin, Ashoka, were also present in the snapshot. His bio proudly proclaimed his status as the Vice President of BJP in Manipur, indicating his active involvement in the political landscape of the state.
As our investigation into the accusations surrounding Chidananda Singh deepened, we delved into his Twitter profile to gather more information. During this, we stumbled upon a tweet from July 24, 2023, where Chidananda Singh shared pictures of an official letter he had sent to the Director General of Police in Manipur, along with a copy of the FIR regarding the ongoing controversy linking his name to the Manipur incident.
In the letter addressed to the DGP, Chidananda Singh fervently refuted the allegations against him and his son. He expressed deep concern about the crisis that had unfolded in the aftermath of the viral video showing two women being paraded naked. In his plea, Singh implored the authorities to take swift action against the individuals responsible for spreading false news across various social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.
According to Singh, an edited image extracted from the viral video was maliciously superimposed onto photographs of himself and his son, who were innocently wearing the RSS Ganavesh (Uniform). This manipulated image was then used to make direct and damaging allegations against them, falsely implicating them in the disturbing Manipur incident.
He pointed out that the joint photo of himself and his son was taken from his own Facebook page and had nothing to do with the horrifying events of May 4, 2023. Singh expressed deep disappointment and distress over these blatant attempts to defame and malign not only him but also his family and the RSS organization.
Further investigation revealed that the doctored photo had been uploaded on the group/page named “Samagra Samskarika Vedi” and was subsequently shared by individuals such as Nuhman Kannat, Ajees Muhammed from their personal Facebook accounts, and Shankar Kondaparthi on their Twitter accounts, particularly in Kerala and some parts of South India.
With these startling revelations, Chidananda Singh earnestly called upon the authorities to take immediate legal action against the administrators and members of the Facebook groups responsible for spreading false and fabricated news. He also urged legal consequences for the individuals using their personal Facebook and Twitter accounts to propagate these damaging accusations.
After this, we came across a tweet by the Manipur Police from July 23, 2023. The tweet shed light on the official response to the accusations leveled against Chidananda Singh and his son, providing a crucial update on the investigation.
According to the tweet, a formal FIR (First Information Report) had been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS) in Manipur. The report had been filed by a functionary of a political party, who was deeply troubled by a manipulated picture circulating on various social media platforms. This photo depicted him and his son collaged with a screenshot from the distressing viral video of the two women paraded naked in Manipur. The caption accompanying the image directly implicated them in the appalling crime.
The Manipur Police swiftly responded to the alarming situation, taking up the case at CCPS to investigate the spreading of false news. Their primary focus was to identify and apprehend the culprits behind this misleading and harmful act.
The tweet offered a ray of clarity amidst the cloud of uncertainty and speculative accusations. By explicitly stating that a case had been registered for spreading false news, the Manipur Police implied that Chidananda Singh and his son were not involved in the tragic incident of two women being paraded naked in Manipur.
After this, we tried to search the names of the culprits who have been arrested so far in Manipur case in which two girls were paraded naked. During this, we stumbled upon a crucial report by Prabhat Khabar published on July 22, 2023. According to the report, a total of five individuals had been arrested in connection with the heinous crime. Among these arrests, the main accused was identified as HeraDas, indicating a crucial breakthrough in the case. Alongside HeraDas, four others were also apprehended as part of the investigation. These arrested individuals were named as Arjun Singh, Jeevan Elangbam, Tonva Singh, and Yumlembam Meitei.
Intriguingly, nowhere in the report was there any mention of Chidananda Singh or his son Sachinanda Singh’s names among the list of arrested persons. This finding served as a significant revelation, dispelling the earlier allegations and speculations surrounding their supposed involvement in the incident.
Hence, all these points prove that there were no RSS personnel involved in the horrific Manipur incident where two women were paraded naked. The allegations made against the Manipur BJP Vice President, Chidananda, and his son, Sachinanda, were based on a misleading and doctored photograph taken from Chidananda’s own Facebook page. Social media users, in their fervor, recklessly linked the image of Chidananda and his son wearing RSS uniforms to the distressing incident, making defamatory claims to tarnish the reputation of both the BJP and RSS.
| Claim | Culprits who were involved in parading two women by stripping them naked in Manipur were RSS workers |
| Claimed by | Mohammad Tanvir, Subhashini Ali, Mayank Yadav, Simab Akhtar, etc |
| Fact Check | False and Misleading |
Also Read: No, the Video of the burning Church is not from Manipur but from France
The goal of the Only Fact Team is to provide authentic news facts and debunk lies to safeguard readers’ interests.
Dear Readers, we are working to debunk fake news which is against India. We don’t have corporate funding like others. Your small support will help us grow further.
If you like our work, support and donate us using the Livix Media Foundation QR code.
Jai Hind!
