BJP falsely shares photo of journalist as party worker killed in Bengal violence

The West Bengal unit of the BJP was left red-faced after it falsely shared the photo of a journalist as its cadre killed in the post-poll violence in the state.

The journalist, Abhro Banerjee of India Today, took to Twitter to share how his photo was being used to spread misinformation, and said, “I am (still) alive.

“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,” he said in a tweet.

Sharing a news story about the same, he asked what if this was not about a person who was allegedly died in violence, but about someone accused of murder or rape and added, “Imagine, what kind of irreversible damage it would've done.”

“What if-what if this video was not about a person, who has allegedly died of post-poll violence, but about someone, who is accused in a murder or for that matter, a rape. Imagine, what kind of irreversible damage it would've done,” he tweeted. He also shared a screenshot of the video, in which his photo was shown, that had gone viral.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said 16 people have lost their lives in post-poll violence in the state. "At least 16 persons—mostly from the BJP and the TMC and one of the Samyukta Morcha — died in post-poll violence. We will pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to their family members. Our government will also provide jobs of home guard to the next of kin of Sitalkuchi victims," she said.