Fact Check: BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari calls for Israeli-style treatment on Indian Muslims? No, here are the facts
A video has been circulating on social media, claiming it shows BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari calling for the massacre of Indian Muslims.
By - Md Mahfooz Alam
Claim:The video shows BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari instigating people against Indian Muslims, similar to the actions of Israel against Gazans.
Fact:The claim is misleading. In the video, Adhikari demanded India teach Bangladesh a ‘lesson’ akin to Israel’s Gaza strikes over the alleged lynchings of Hindus in Bangladesh.
Hyderabad: The Leader of Opposition in West Bengal, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, led a march to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata on December 26. He was accompanied by party leaders and several seers. The protest was organised against the alleged lynching of two Hindu men, Dipu Das and Amrit Monda, in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, a video of Adhikari, speaking to the media, has been circulating on social media, claiming it shows him instigating the massacre of Indian Muslims, similar to Israel allegedly carrying out against Gazans.
Sharing the video, an X user wrote, “Just as Israel has carried out the massacre of Gaza’s innocents, this BJP leader wants to orchestrate the same kind of massacre against India's Muslims! This is BJP leader Shuvendu Adhikari from West Bengal! What's astonishing is that, despite this call for massacre, neither has an FIR been filed yet, nor has there been any arrest.” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading. In the video, Adhikari’s speech was not directed towards Indian Muslims.
Source of the video
We conducted a keyword search and found the same video posted by the news agency IANS on December 26.
In the video, Adhikari could be heard saying, “The way Israel taught a lesson in Gaza, the government of the country which is run in the interest of 100 crore Hindus should also teach a lesson like Operation Sindoor.”
In his speech, there is no mention of Adhikari calling for the massacre of Indian Muslims. The news agency also reported that Adhikari made the statement on the lynching of Hindus in Bangladesh.
NDTV published the video on December 27, reporting that Adhikari demanded India teach Bangladesh a ‘lesson’ akin to Israel’s Gaza strikes, citing ‘one billion Hindus’ and Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.
The Hindu and The Indian Express also reported on December 27-28 that Adhikari was heard saying outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata on December 26, “The way Israel taught a lesson in Gaza, the government of the country which is run in the interest of 100 crore Hindus should also teach a lesson [to Bangladesh] like Operation Sindoor.”
Therefore, we conclude that the claim of the BJP leader calling for the massacre of Indian Muslims is misleading.
