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BJP Shares Image Of India Today's Journalist As Slain BJP Worker Manik Moitra
Writer: Yusha Rahman
Yusha, an engineer turned journalist with a core interest in sensible journalism. Since the time she worked in an MNC, she saw how fake news was rife to malign images of communities, leaders, etc. This encouraged her to give up her career in MNC and passionately work towards curbing fake news and propaganda.
India, 6 May 2021 2:02 PM GMT
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As the founding editor, Bharat had been heading the newsroom during the formation years of the organization and worked towards editorial policies, conceptualizing and designing campaign strategies and collaborations. He believes that through the use of digital media, one could engage the millennial's in rational conversations about pertinent social issues, provoking them to think and bring a behavioral change accordingly.
Creatives : Yusha Rahman
Yusha, an engineer turned journalist with a core interest in sensible journalism. Since the time she worked in an MNC, she saw how fake news was rife to malign images of communities, leaders, etc. This encouraged her to give up her career in MNC and passionately work towards curbing fake news and propaganda.
BJP president JP Nadda in a press conference released a video of post-poll violence in which they used the image of a journalist of India Today who is alive as a BJP worker who was killed in Sitalkuchi West Bengal.
BJP West Bengal released a video after the violence that erupted in West Bengal post the declaration of State assembly elections result on May 2. The video was shared to show how after winning the election, party workers of Trinamool Congress (TMC) were on a rampage and has beaten and killed the workers and supporters of the oppositions, especially BJP. This video was shown in the press conference addressed by BJP National President JP Nadda in Kolkata.
The video was also shared separately on the Facebook page of BJP West Bengal.
At around 2:16 timestamp of the video shared on the Facebook page of BJP West Bengal, an image of a man occurs claiming that the man is Manik Moitro, who died in Sitalkuchi in the post-poll violence.
Claim:
BJP West Bengal in the video has shown the image of Manik Moitro who died in Sitalkuchi.
Fact Check:
The image shared as Manik Moitro is actually of a journalist of India Today whose name is Abhro Banerjee.
Abhro Banerjee tweeted and confirmed that the image shared by BJP West Bengal is of him and not Manik Moitro; and also that he is alive. He tweeted, "I am Abhro Banerjee, living and hale and hearty and around 1,300 km away from Sitalkuchi. BJP IT Cell is now claiming I am Manik Moitra and died in Sitalkuchi. Please don't believe these fake posts and please don't worry. I repeat: I am (still) alive."
Abhro has also shared the same post on Facebook, along with the downloaded video that was shared by BJP West Bengal.
Abhro while speaking to India Today said, "I woke up a little late this morning and saw over 100 missed calls. Even before I could check what happened, my friend, Arvind, told me that the BJP IT cell has used my picture in place of Manik Moitra, who had allegedly died in Sitalkuchi. I was shocked as I am 1400 kms away and the kind of misinformation can be quite damaging." According to India Today, the photograph used with the name 'Manik Moitra' was picked up from the author page of Abhro Banerjee on the IndiaToday.in site, and that he's in Delhi.
The Logical Indian also spoke to Abhro who said that he was speaking to Kolkata Police regarding the matter.
On May 3, ABP has reported about the death of Manik Moitro, a BJP supporter from Sitalkuchi, in post-poll violence, but the man in the video was neither Manik Moitro nor dead.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.
Also Read: Rape And Murder In Midnapore, West Bengal Falsely Linked To Post-Poll Violence
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