As the Coromandel Train in Odisha tragedy has claimed more than 280 lives, a few online users have started circulating false tales and giving the horrifying catastrophe a community spin as the rescue effort draws close.
Image Source: Hindustan Times
Verified Twitter accounts published an overhead photo from the accident scene that showed a neighbouring religious facility. The same image was shared on other Twitter accounts with the text “Just Saying…Yesterday was Friday.
Just Saying
Yesterday Was Friday…#hindujanjagarti 🙏🚩 pic.twitter.com/HOEt7nFezs— Manjeet Yadav 🔱🚩🚩🚩 (@Manuhindu007) June 3, 2023
The trend-starting tweet was eventually removed after Mohammed Zubair of Alt News exposed the fake news. When the tweet was deleted, it had already received more than 4 million views and had received a substantial amount of engagement. The tweet also stoked debate over the “hand of the Muslims” in the train catastrophe.
This guy is blaming Muslims for yesterday's Train Accident by pointing at a religious structure assuming it is a Mosque. Turns out it is actually a Hindu Temple.
Hindus are the most bigoted and hateful people. https://t.co/uQCXvSqjTa pic.twitter.com/3VYGkezlN2
— Jokerrr (@jokerrr2_0) June 3, 2023
Apart from Mohammed Zubair, a former IPS officer M Nageswara Rao tweeted against the sabotage angle. He tweeted, “Sabotage angle” is being proffered in the #CoromandelExpressTragedy. And the paid artistes of IT Cell are propagandising it by adding communal masala with all sorts of lies.”
He further added, My experience as SP of two Railway Police districts and as Addl DGP of Railway Police in Odisha, indicate that it has been the standard tactic of Railway officials to allege “sabotage” in order to divert public attention and to cover up their deficiencies, inefficiencies and ineptitude. And by the time the investigation report is out the public will have forgotten the incident.”
He further said, “the politicians of ruling party at the Centre also find the “sabotage angle” as a convenient tactic to escape from the public wrath. Mind you, the General Elections are due in less than a year. So the #PseudoHindutva forces are burning a lot of midnight oil cooking up all sorts of communal bogeys to polarise Hindu votes in their favour in #LS2024. Therefore, I appeal to all Hindus not to fall for any communal propaganda in the #OdishaRailTragedy.”
Here is the original tweet:
“Sabotage angle” is being proffered in the #CoromandelExpressTragedy.
And the paid artistes of IT Cell are propagandising it by adding communal masala with all sorts of lies.
My experience as SP of two Railway Police districts and as Addl DGP of Railway Police in Odisha,…
— M. Nageswara Rao IPS (Retired) (@MNageswarRaoIPS) June 5, 2023
The derailment of the Coromandel Train in Odisha is considered to be one of the worst tragedies modern India has faced. Any form of communalism should be avoided and kept at bay. In times like these, people need to work above religion to help each other rather than spreading hate.
Also Read: Odisha Witnesses A Horrific Triple Train Crash; More Than 280 Dead
