Massive anti-Hindu violence broke out in different districts of Maharashtra after Friday (November 12) prayers. The Mumbai-based Islamist organisation Raza Academy had called the protest. The protest was called to create a new narrative about Tripura's communal violence. The Raza Academy had said the protest was called to protest the violence against Muslims in Tripura. The protest resulted in Nashik, Amravati and Nanded districts of Maharashtra getting affected. Heavy stone pelting was also reported in Malegaon.

Maharashtra witnessed blatant Muslim riots again with Islamists mobs going on rampage destroying shops and vehicles owned by Hindus and injuring numerous citizens in Amaravati, Nanded and Malegaon on Friday. While Amravati witnessed most fierce Muslim mob rampage when around 25 thousand Muslim mob gathered from many towns and villages outside Amravati, Nanded and Malegaon were no different. In Malegaon, Muslim mobs attacked police at various places injuring several of them. They were tear gassed by police as self-protection.  Almost all the Muslim-majority areas in all the cities and towns of Maharashtra remained shut on Friday.  

Heart Bleeds for Bangladeshis

Raza Academy and other Muslim organisations had called for a bandh on Friday to protest against the so-called atrocities in Tripura against Bangladeshi infiltrators. Raza Academy is the same organisation which was the culprit behind Azad Maidan riots in Mumbai a few years ago. And same as then, the police throughout Maharashtra except Malegaon remained a silent spectator while Muslim rioters went on a rampage spree looting cash from shops, destroying them and burning vehicles.

RAZA ACADEMY’S NEXUS WITH SHIV SENA AND NCP 

BJP MLAs and party office bearers point out the meeting between Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the Raza Academy’s members a few months ago. The Raza Academy, which is the culprit behind the 2012 Azad Maidan riots, remained silent during the BJP rule in Maharashtra, leaders point out. As soon as Maha Vikas Aghadi  Government came to power, a Muslim organisation claiming to be a scholarly institution started throwing tantrums against Raza Academy which is said to be a competitor to MIM in radicalisation of Muslims of the State. And it’s also said to have blessings of senior MVA leaders. 

Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik, who kept calm while the three cities were burning on Friday, started sermonising Hindus to keep calm when Hindus in those cities started protests. Sanjay Raut, a self-proclaimed Chanakya of ruling MVA, also instructed Hindus to keep their cool.

Amaravati Police Act Against Hindus Unprovoked

Chitra Chowk to Main Road is a two and half kilometers distance covering fully Hindu areas including main markets of Amravati. The Muslim mob of around 25 thousand rioters went berserk destroying major shops and looting cash from counters. More than fifty major shops were destroyed and twenty looted of cash and merchandise. More than sixty stalls of street vendors were burned down by the Muslim rioters. Dozens of vehicles were also damaged by the rioters including burning down of six two wheelers. But police remained a silent spectetor by doing nothing to control the rioting mob. Encouraged by police inaction, rioters have even beat up eight shop owners and their staff.

According to the local residents and journalists, around forty shops and several vehicles were damaged by the rioters. Many shops were looted. Few two wheelers were also burned down.  Ironically, the rioting was mainly witnessed in the area where Former CM Ashok Chavan lives

The local police officially told local media that only 22 shops were partially damaged and one two wheeler burned down. But the local shop owners and merchants association contradict the numbers given by police.

In Amaravati, MIM Army and Muslim League, were the few names of many Muslim organisations that were involved along with the Raza Academy in Friday’s riots. 

BJP State spokesperson Shri Shivarai Kulkarni told Organiser that the police remained a silent spectator throughout the rioting. He further said that the people of Amravati feel ditched with no one there to protect them, while police had prior information that the Muslim mob was gathering in large numbers on Friday and people were even called in from several other places outside Amaravati. He added that the police has not learnt any lesson from the Raza Academy’s rioters in Azad Maidan in Mumbai a few years ago.  

Next day after the riots, the BJP called “Amaravati Bandh" to register a protest against these Muslim riots. The bandh was successful with spontaneous support from all sections of society. People took to streets for silent protests against the Muslim riots. But.the Amaravati Police, which kept calm and remained a silent spectator during the worst riots by Muslims on Friday, used brute force against the protesters. The police lathi charged Hindus who were peacefully protesting against arson and riots. Later, BJP condemned the police bias against Hindus. 

Nanded Police Still Unmoved 

Nanded city also witnessed heavy rioting by the Muslim mobs which went on a free rampage as the police remained a silent spectator. By what is told to organiser by the local journalists, the police are in total denial of any rioting in Nanded despite the riots been shown on many TV channels. They have not registered a single FIR so far. When asked by local reporters, the Nanded Police said that they are waiting for someone to come forward to register a complaint. 

According to the local residents and journalists, around forty to fifty shops and several vehicles were damaged by the rioters. Many shops were looted. Few two wheelers were also burned down.  Ironically, the rioting was mainly witnessed in the area where former CM Ashok Chavan lives. According to some local journalists, Chavan's Muslim punters were seen looting shops and damaging properties.  

Nanded is home town to Congress leader Shri Ashok Chavan, ex-Chief Minister and current PWD Minister of Maharashtra. The riots happened in the very vicinity of his residence yet the police have not registered an FIR till the night of november 12. 

The areas of Nanded that witnessed arson and rioting on Friday are Deglur Naka, Labour Colony, Kala Mandir area, Doctor Lane, Shivaji Nagar, which are Muslim-majority areas. And the funny part is that no Muslim organisation has come forward to accept the responsibility and they are saying that the local Mullas and Maulavis had arranged the "Bandh". The fact of the matter is that pamphlets calling for Bandh were distributed well in advance in the city and other villages.   

It’s important to note that on November 2, the Deglur Biloli Vidhan Sabha by-elections were won by the Congress with a huge margin of 42 thousand. The riots followed in this holy city and the inaction and ignorance of the police are a matter of grave concern.

Even after widespread arsons in Nanded city, the city police are unmoved and have not registered an FIR against Muslim mobs. Next day after the riots, Hindus in Nanded protested against the Muslim riots against members of their community. BJP's Nanded MP Shri Prataprao Chikhalikar visited various spots where Hindu properties and shops were damaged in the riots. He also met Police Superintendant and submitted a memorandum demanding strict action against the culprits with immediate effect. 

Meanwhile, BJP State President Chandrakant Dada Patil condemned Friday's violence saying, "If Balasaheb Thackeray was there today, he would have slapped the leaders of the State Government." 

MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar has said that the State Government is slipping hence the rioters are freely arsoning. MLA Nitesh Rane has also warned that the Thackeray Government is testing the patience of the Hindus. “The State Government must control Raza Academy and apprehend the culprits immediately,  otherwise we know how to finish them,” Nitesh Rane  has tweeted. 

BJP's ex-Minister for Agriculture Dr Shri Anil Bonde who hails from Amravati district, has clearly accused ruling MVA for the riots. He said, “Whenever Sharad Pawar is ruling, and when his Government faces trouble, riots happen in Maharashtra. It’s the history of Maharashtra.”  

Police Stoned In Malegaon

Malegaon is the infamous city in Maharashtra for its history of Muslim riots. The city is Muslim-majority one and continuously gives trouble to the administration. On Friday, the police was stoned at various places in Malegaon. In self defense police resorted to shelling of teargas. Many police personnel were injured but the administration is not giving numbers. Even after use of tear gas, Malegaon witnessed rioting and arson till Friday night. 

Even though Raza Academy and other Muslim organisations had called for a bandh to protest against the so-called atrocities on Bangladeshi infiltrators in Tripura and were responsible for riots in the State previously, the police took no action to prevent riots. The Home Ministry has neither taken any action even after widespread riots nor has single leader from the ruling alliance of MVA condemned Friday riots. What is worrisome is the fact that in Shiv Sena’s Dussehra rally, State Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had proclaimed that the Maharashtra will soon become Bengal!   

Each and every Muslim majority area in every city and town remained shut next day after the riots. Muslim-majority areas like Bhendi Bazaar, Paidhuni, Dongari, Govandi, Kalina in Mumbai and Mumbra in Thane remained closed but no untoward incident was reported from these areas. 

Condemning the violence, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis said, “The State Government should immediately intervene and bring the situation under control. Reports of violence during morcha organised by Muslim organisations following developments in Tripura is worrisome.”

The Islamists in Bangladesh spread fake news on October 13 that Quran had been desecrated in one of the Durga Pooja Pandals. Muslim mobs started attacking the pooja pandals, temples and Hindu houses. On October 15, when Hindus were celebrating Dussehra, a Muslim mob of more than 200 people attacked the ISKCON temple in Noakhali.

In the anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh, over 15 Hindus lost their lives, and many properties were destroyed. The VHP demanded that the Union Government needs to talk sternly with the Bangladesh Government and send a fact-finding team of Members of Parliament (MPs). It had also asked international organisations like United Nations, European Union and UNHRC to send delegations to Bangladesh to assess the situation.

 Serious doubts have started to surface within the political circles of Maharashtra that the Muslim riots on Friday were stage managed by the ruling MVA as controversial videos started surfacing. In one of these videos, Shri Arjun Khotkar, ex-Minister from Shiv Sena is seen instigating Muslims saying, “Insha Allah, Come what may, We are with you!”. 

Factsheet: Breaking the Spell of  Tripura Incident

Various credible sources have busted the ulterior motives of few self- serving beings and organisations. Uncountable videos, reports and channels have surfaced which were responsible for exacerbating  the situation.

Here are some major fact-checks to invalidate the myths revolving around the Tripura incident and its aftermath in Maharashtra:
Fact Check of some common visuals were shared on social media as violence against Muslims in Tripura. The claims were either false or highly exaggerated. The claims of the Quran being burned and 16 to 18 mosques ransacked were totally false but propaganda around it boiled the atmosphere.

However, after the background check, it was revealed that the evidences provided belonged to different incidents like the visuals of fire at a Rohingya camp and CPI (M) headquarters.

One of the common accusations was that the rally of the saffron groups like VHP was creating ruckus by carrying out rallies in the State and terrorising the minority. There is no veracity in the statements claimed.

The reality was that the visuals of the VHP rally were lifted from Ram Navmi celebrations in Kolkata, 2018. It was not linked to the Tripura incident at all.

Critiques claimed via several videos that the Tripura Police was giving protection to the criminals. After the reality check, the Tripura police verified that the videos are not from Tripura.

Staunch allegations by the Muslims that their properties have been vandalised by Hindus have been debunked. Few photos were identified from Jaunapur (UP) where old houses, Mosques collapsed.

There are considerable amount of misinformation and fake news within the Tripura violence incidents. Some videos were identified as old BBC videos on Delhi riots.

Video of mob killing a man falsely equating it to communal violence in Tripura was also shared on social media. Video of Karachi fuel station blast was shared as violence in Tripura.

The refugee camps of Rohingyas in Bangladesh has been a frequent video misused by the opportunists to escalate the situation.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs and State administration have expressed their concerns and vowed to take actions against the perpetrators. MHA has attempted to quash rumours of demolishing mosques and misinterpreting the condition of women in the State in the backdrop of the calibrated communal disharmony in Tripura.

Tripura police booked several Twitter accounts under UAPA 

•     Act for spreading fake news
•     Spillover Effect in Maharashtra

The popular content creators in Maharashtra on social media who have huge fan following among Muslim community created a perception that Muslims in Tripura are under attack and they need to stand with them.

Some names are Mufti Haroon Nadwi (Director-Viral News Live, JUH President-Jalgaon), Mufti Salman Azhari (Mumbai-based Barelvi Scholar), Tahaffuz E Deen Media (Aurangabad-based digital Media Center).

Several organisations also took part in protests in Maharashtra against Tripura violence. On October 29, 2021, Popular Front of India carried protests in more than 15 places in Maharashtra. On November 8, 2021, a nationwide protest was also carried out by Rashtriya Muslim Morcha.

What happened on November 12, 2021

No major activists from other Muslim organisations like Jamat-e-Islami, Jamiyat Ulema-e- Hind, Popular Front of India, AIMIM were thoroughly contributing for the protest to make it successful though they announced  their support.

But local Barelvi Centres made it happen. Barelvi leaders associated with Raza Academy, All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema, TNR Board campaigned for the Bandh.

Frequent incidences of Tauheen (insult to Prophet Mohd) in India, rumours of Quran being burned, mosques being vandalised triggered them. As they are continuosly raising the issue of Blasphemy law (Prophet Mohd Bill) to stop tauheen.

Their demands were as follows: Arrest Wasim Rizvi, Prophet Mohd Bill to stop Gustakhi of Rasool, President Rule in Tripura. Most affected areas were Marathwada, West Vidarbha and Mumbai-Thane region.

Meanwhile, on 12th November 2021, a delegation of Congress leaders including AICC General Secretary Tariq Anwar, INC MLC Bhai Jagtap, INC MLA Amin Patel held a meeting with Raza Academy Patron Moin  Miya Ashrafi.

A former Minister and Shiv Sena leader participated in a rally in Jalna and instigated the crowd.

The preparation of Maharashtra bandh was in full swing. Posters, public announcements, public meetings and support videos from the political representatives were the mediums to launch the bandh.

Bandh was executed at major cities of Maharashtra like Dhule, Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Mumbra, Nashik, Latur, Deglur, Akola, Khuldabad, Parbhani, Solapur, Chikhali, Bhokar, Mantha, Gangakhed  and Jintur.

Violence was reported at Nanded, Amravati, Malegaon, Pusad, Bhiwandi. Hindu shops were looted and burned down.
Some important and primary names who led the protests in Maharashtra are as follows: Moin Miya (Patron, Raza Academy). He is the chief of Jamia Qadria Ashrafia Madrassa (Mumbai), and chief of All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema. Saeed Noori (Pydhonie, Mumbai), He is the President of Raza Academy. Maulana Abdul Azeem Rizvi (Nanded), an important member of TNR Board & Raza Academy. Sayyad Jamil Sayyad Janimiya, (Jalna) and Maulana Mufti Shafi, (Hingoli).

Thus, the bubble is bursted. This spillover effect witnessed in Maharashtra has zilch link to the ‘Tripura incident’. It was an appalling and malicious game played by the phoney bunch. 

A Deceptive Toolkit: Fabricating the Tripura Episode

The recent ‘Tripura Incident’ is an old school cheap tactic played by the opposition and critiques to lambast the Government and to disrupt the peace in the state.

The Government and the opposition have locked horns and none of them is budging from their stance. The facts have been twisted to set a vendetta vis a vis communal harmony. Its genesis can be traced from the Bangladesh violence occurred in October 2021. 

In Tripura district on October 26 evening, numerous fake videos of other incidents of Bangladesh on Rohingyas were also projected as photos of Tripura violence.

On October 29, Section 144 was imposed after a group of unidentified miscreants ransacked a Kali temple in Kubjhar area of Kailashahar. In another incident, NSUI and Trinamool Chhatra Parishad activists attacked an ABVP leader in Kailashahar on October’ 29 2021 itself.

The attempt to portray that Muslims in Tripura are living under threat and administration of the State is mere spectator is quite apparent here.

The opposition is leaving no stone unturned to utilise this opportunity to win political browny points. Fake reports, doctored videos and misinformation are being spread to create chaos and set a narrative to vitiate the social harmony.

In a letter dated November 3, West Agartala police station requested Twitter to block at least 68 accounts from its platform and provide their personal information, saying that an FIR has been registered against them under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA). The opposition has targeted the ruling BJP over this. The Tripura Police booked 102 social media account holders under terror charges, for allegedly spreading “objectionable news items/ statements regarding the recent violence, and served notices to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube asking them to delete these accounts and provide particulars of the  individuals operating them.

After Tripura Police booked Supreme Court lawyers, who claimed to be members of so-called independent fact-finding team, for allegedly sharing “fake information on social media” on reported communal violence, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) condemned and demanded the police to withdraw the cases.

A Tripura Police team arrested and brought two Delhi-based women journalists to the State from Assam after they were booked for promoting “communal hatred” during their reporting on the October 26 communal violence. They got bail against 75,000 bail bond each.

AIMIM sent a letter to the CM of Tripura, Biplab Kumar Deb on Tripura violence, role of Tripura Police and its acts of ‘intimidation’ against members of fact finding teams and threats to invoke UAPA against them.

The critiques have said that the Government is  trying to suppress the voice of journalism and  killing journalism. Several protests have taken place in different parts of the country by organisations like Rashtriya Muslim Morcha and Bahujan Kranti Morcha in Maharashtra, All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) and workers from Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur College of Nursing, New Delhi. Janta Dal Secular (JDS), Gulbarga, Karnataka also protested, Imam Muazzam Organisation of Birbhum, West Bengal submitted memorandum in their. All India Sunni Jamiat-E-Ulma and Raza Academy organised Malegaon Bandh on November 12, 2021 against anti-Muslim violence in Tripura. All India Lawyers Union (AILU) demanded to immediately withdraw UAPA and other charges against lawyers. This protest turned violent resulting in imposition of curfew and Article 144 in several locations. Grave repercussions of the incident was witnessed in Maharashtra. Stones were hurled and at least 18 police personnel, including three officers, were injured after protests in Maharashtra against the alleged communal violence in Tripura took an ugly turn. The incidents of stone-pelting mainly occurred in Amravati, Malegaon and Nanded city during the rallies taken out by some Muslim organisations. Internet services in the city remained suspended for three days.

In Amravati, over eight thousand people gathered outside the district collector's office to submit a memorandum demanding that atrocities against the minority community should be stopped. They started pelting stones while returning from the DC office after submission of memorandum. Against the backdrop of back-to-back incidents of stone-pelting, police issued orders imposing curfew within the city limits under Sections 144(1), (2), (3) of CrPc to avoid any untoward incident.

The incident is not just the talk of the town anymore. Several international organisations in the USA, EU and Pakistan have also expressed selective opinions and outrage as usual with half knowledge. The hypocrisy in their outlook is not surprising. While the Government staunchly refuted and dismissed the allegations targeted by the opposition. Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma called reports about incidents of violence in the state “fake news” and claimed that it is an attempt to tarnish the Northeastern state’s image. A conspiracy is brewed against the Government to hinder the development of the State.

Earlier, the Union Home Ministry released a statement saying that the news circulating on social media of vandalism at a mosque in Tripura is fake, adding that it is a "complete misrepresentation of facts”. It also said that there is no report of simple or grievous injury or rape or death of any person in any such incidents in Tripura as alleged in some social media posts.

The Home Ministry said that in Maharashtra, there have been reports of violence and unsavoury statements that are aimed at disturbing peace and harmony based on fake news regarding Tripura. The MHA specifically attempted to put to rest rumours of a particular mosque in Gomati district being vandalised. "This is very concerning and it is urged that peace is maintained at all costs.”. The home ministry made it clear that there is no reported case of damage of the structure of any mosque in Tripura in the recent past.

The definition of tolerance and secularism is different for Hindus and Muslims for these perpetrators of fake narrative. Muslims can be allowed to destroy the Hindu culture and beliefs, but Hindus are not even allowed to even reply, as Hindus will be considered as intolerant and unwilling to coexist with the ‘minority’. Until when and why this discriminatory lens of politics will go on? How long fake news paddlers be allowed to play with social fabric of the country! There’s a need to take the matter to culmination by giving exemplary treatment to the culprits. India cannot be always a soft State.

The Tripura incident can be seen as a corollary to the upcoming Assembly elections of Tripura in 2023. The recent Tripura episode is being falsified by the political opponents like the TMC and INC to set precedence against the BJP. The irony is that the same set of people who went 1500 KMs to Tripura but could not go and check in their backyard in Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, Bankura, Jhargram and Birbhum when state protected violence was happening during May 2021.

The critiques and the political competition has stooped extremely low. There is no constructive criticism left. Their methods and thinking of playing the ‘trump card’ of polarising politics is pitiable.

(With Research inputs from Vedika Znwar)