Disturbing pictures of Hindus attacked are of Pakistan, not West Bengal
A set of photos is viral with a bleeding man and woman claimed to be dalit Hindus from West Bengal.
Claim: “पश्चिम बंगाल के हुगली जिले के तेलीपारा में दलित हिन्दुओं के घरों को जलाया जा रहा हैI”
Translation: “Houses of Dalit Hindus are being burnt in Telinipura, West Bengal.”
The pictures claiming that the houses of Dalit Hindus are being burnt in the violence in Telinipura, West Bengal have gone viral on social media. The post and the pictures have been shared extensively on social media.
Soon, a lot of people started sharing the posts,
People started sharing the posts on Twitter as well,
Truth
Upon doing a Google Reverse Image search, it was found that the first two images which are of a woman and a man seriously injured are of Punjab, Pakistan.
Pakistani lawyer, activist, and author Rahat Austin, tweeted the pictures on May 10, 2020. He wrote, “Another attack & Sexual Assault on Poor Non-muslim, Hindus. Gulab & his wife were attacked by neighborhood in Chak No 121, Rahimyar khan,Punjab, Pakistan. Both were not only injured but the wife was sexually assaulted in front of general public to humiliate & force them to leave area”
The official account of Punjab, Pakistan Police replied to the tweet and said, originally in Urdu, that, “It is primarily a land ownership dispute claimed by both Hindu and Muslim families, on which the parties clashed and the medical reports of the injured are being processed by both sides, after which further legal action will be taken.”
On May 12, 2020, the Punjab police in the same thread, originally in Urdu, said, “Case No. 42/20 Crime 354/506/148/149 of this incident has been registered and the accused have been arrested.”
Further, even Superintendent of Police SP Atif Nazir tweeted by attaching the FIR copy and stated that it was a land dispute between the parties.
Land dispute between the parties. FIR registered by RY Khan police and accused arrested . pic.twitter.com/tXhEIp8W5R
— SP Atif Nazir (@SP_Atif_Nazir) May 11, 2020
A Twitter account named, ‘Voice of Pakistan Minority’ also tweeted the images, on May 11. They wrote, “Once again attack on #Hindu community, Gulab and his wife were attacked by neighborhood goons in Rahimyar khan, Punjab. His wife was sexually assaulted in front of Public. Shame on you people who are torturing minorities in #Pakistan.”
Gulf News also reported on the incident. The news report was published on May 12, 2020. The headline read, “Pakistan: Hindu couple in rural Punjab brutally attacked, reason unclear”
The last image in the viral posts that is of a huge fire gutting down huts; Google Reverse Image Search led to a series of tweets that said the houses of Hindus were burnt in Tharpakar, near Sindh, Pakistan.
Rahat Austin tweeted that, 21 houses were burnt down in Tadasos, Tharparkar, Sindh. He wrote, “About 21 Houses of Hindus are burnt in Village Tadados, Tharparker, Sindh, Pakistan. The source says that some people including children are burnt and are in critical condition.”
About 21 Houses of Hindus are burnt in Village Tadados, Tharparker, Sindh, Pakistan. The source says that some people including children are burnt and are in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/HlEUXex0cu
— Rahat Austin (@johnaustin47) May 11, 2020
Another tweet by a user named, Aneesa Baluch said, “A report coming from #Tharparkar Near Border area of Sindh Around 21 houses of Hindus are burnt in Tadados, #Tharparkar, Sindh The source says that some people, including children are burnt & in critical condition. This is condition of #Hindus in Pakistan. #SaveUsandHindusByPak“
More people tweeted,
JK Now reported on both the incidents, on May 11, 2020, with the headline, ‘Pakistan murders Hindus yet again; 21 houses with children inside set on fire’.
The article read, “In an act of utter inhumanity, Pakistan continuing its atrocities on Hindus burnt down 21 houses belonging to Hindus in Sindh of Pakistan. Hindus including children were beaten up and forced to leave their homes, those who were still inside their burning houses are reportedly critical. In another village, the local goons of Pakistan attacked a poor Hindu family and sexually assaulted a woman from the family forcing them to leave their locality.”
Pakistani news portal, Instant also reported the news,
According to a recent report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), has said that both Hindu and Christian communities in Sindh and Punjab continue to face forced conversions and violence in Pakistan.
The report also said that the religious minorities in the country are being deprived of their right to freedom of religion, noted that the girls were abducted, forcibly converted and coerced into marriage, the commission also noted lack of several basics of life.
The HRCP report also mentioned how minorities in Pakistan have faced hardships over the years,
and also highlighted the plight of women in Pakistan,
Therefore, it is established that the viral pictures of violence are NOT from Telinipara in West Bengal’s Hooghly district but from different incidents of anti-Hindu violence in Pakistan, where minorities have faced constant violence.
It is also to be noted that viral pictures are also of different incidents of atrocities against Hindus in Pakistan. The viral claims that the images are of West Bengal are absolutely false.
