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India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Fact Check: This video DOES NOT show West Bengal Muslim girl forcing Hindu girl to date her brother
A video allegedly showing a Muslim girl in West Bengal slapping a Hindu girl is being widely shared online. The video appears recorded on a school or college campus and shows a girl in a uniform being repeatedly slapped. Hindi text in the video claimed this was a new form of 'love jihad' and that the girl was slapping and forcing the other one to be in a relationship with her brother. advertisementA Facebook user shared the video with the caption, 'Situation of West Bengal Girls.' India Today Fact Check found that this video is not from West Bengal but from ProbeReverse-searching keyframes from the viral video, we found that many Bangladeshi social media accounts had shared it with the claim that it showed two girls fighting over a Bangla conversation heard in the video translates to: 'What is happening? You have made me lose sleep in the morning. You have made me angry. Why did you talk to Milan? You should not talk to Milan anymore. This is a warning. Are you planning to fall in love with Milan? How can you even think of that?'Although we cannot say this with certainty, the conversation doesn't indicate that a Muslim girl was forcing a Hindu girl to date her also found a clarification post by the West Bengal police. As per this post on X, the video is not from Bengal but from Dhaka's Shahid Muktijoddha Girls High West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) July 28, 2025A Facebook page called 'S Muktijoddha Girls' High School' features a group photo of its students. On comparing the uniforms of the students in this school with those of the girls in the viral video, we found clear sum up, this video does not show a West Bengal incident.- EndsTune InMust Watch Want to send us something for verification? Please share it on our at 73 7000 7000 You can also send us an email at factcheck@
India Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Why idea of free-fair polls in Bengal is ghorar dim
"Ghhorar dim", as the Bangla phrase, which means "a horse's egg" goes, captures the absurdity of the idea of free and fair elections in West Bengal. Not just reported large-scale immigration and the shadow of political violence, an election machinery, which is allegedly far from independent, makes the idea of a fair franchise a pipe dream. As ghorar dim, the idea of fair elections here remains a an administrative meeting last week, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reminded block-level officers (BLOs) that they were state government employees. This is important because the BLOs are key to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls that is expected to begin in Bengal West Bengal is the only state where the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office operates under the state's Home and Hill Affairs Department, without functional freedom. The state has seen an influx of illegal immigration from Bangladesh, leading to demographic changes in several districts. Retributive political violence, as seen after the last Assembly elections, also cast a cloud over the idea of participatory IMMIGRATION AND SIR IN WEST BENGALEven as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is underway in Bihar and speculated to begin in poll-bound Bengal next, Mamata Banerjee has openly opposed it, calling it a targeted move against Bengali voters. The Trinamool Congress leader, who has launched a Bhasha Aandolon from Rabindranath Tagore's Sanctuary Bolpur, has asserted that "people from Gujarat were preparing Bengal's [voters'] list".This even as the West Bengal CEO flagged major irregularities during sample checking of voter lists in South and North 24 Parganas, where 127 fictitious voters were allegedly entered by two Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) without BLO verification, reported The Economic Times newspaper on SIR is a legal and essential exercise mandated under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, to ensure the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls ahead of major tenure of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly ends in May 2026, with elections expected to be held earlier next REMINDER TO BLOs ON DUTY STIRS DEBATEA recent reminder by Mamata Banerjee to the BLOs that they are state government employees before and after elections does not offer much hope on an administrative meeting on July 28, Mamata reminded the BLOs, who are officials of the state government, that they work for the Government of West Bengal, not the Election Commission of India (ECI), reported The directed them to ensure that not a single name is removed from the voter's rolls, adding not to "harass" voters by removing names from electoral lists."After the election is announced, it comes under [ECI's] purview. Before that, it is the state government, and again after the elections, it is the state government," she elections, the Election Commission of India relies on government officials, including teachers, state employees and staff from some PSUs like nationalised banks, for conducting polls. The BLOs, who are state government employees, are mandated to assist in updating and verifying voter including BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, have argued that Mamata's "intimidatory statement" pressures BLOs to prioritise state loyalty over Election Commission of India (ECI) directives, potentially undermining impartial voter list a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, Adhikari termed the Mamata's appeal as "direct and unwarranted interference", calling it an "attempt to influence the revision of electoral rolls for political motives", reported news agency BENGAL CEO'S OFFICE UNDER STATE CONTROLMoreover, West Bengal is the only state where the CEO office operates under the Home and Hill Affairs department of the state government, the ECI recently CEO's office also lacks financial and administrative week, the ECI directed West Bengal to establish a separate election department to ensure institutional autonomy ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls."The Commission has noted the lack of financial and administrative autonomy available to the CEO, West Bengal, in the existing arrangement, wherein the CEO's office functions with limited financial powers relying on a minor permanent advance from the Finance Department. Further, the CEO's office has been categorised as a subordinate branch of the Home and Hill Affairs Department, which is led by a principal secretary-level officer, whereas the CEO himself is of ACS rank," the Election Commission wrote to the West Bengal Chief Secretary, in a letter dated July 17, reported The Indian Commission also directed the Chief Secretary to declare the CEO's office as an independent one structural and organisational issue, as also flagged by the BJP, raises concerns about the ability to conduct unbiased elections, as the CEO's office remains financially and administratively tethered to the state, potentially compromising its Home, Hill Affairs, and Revenue departments are under CM Mamata state president Samik Bhattacharya claimed that while the ECI aims to make the CEO's office more independent, the state government is resisting the move, "making it clear", he said, "who is trying to control the process", reported the ECI's push for a SIR of electoral rolls, which is speculated to be exercised next in West Bengal, has met resistance from SHIFTS IN BENGAL RAISE RED FLAGSRecent analyses highlight significant demographic changes in West Bengal, particularly in border districts, where the Muslim population has risen disproportionately over the last few decades. Many of the illegal migrants have been found to possess legal documents like the Aadhaar Card and Voter ID has put a question mark about the integrity of elections in the states where non-citizens are like Murshidabad and Malda have seen a notable rise in Muslim populations, with Murshidabad's Muslim share increasing from 63.7% in 2001 to 66.3% in 2011, and Malda from 49.7% to 51.3%.Many fear that the latest data, when released, will reveal even starker shifts, coupled with reports of illegal migration from Bangladesh, have fuelled concerns about voter list leaders, including the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, have claimed that such changes enable the inclusion of "illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya voters" in electoral rolls, a charge Mamata Banerjee has dismissed as politically week, Adhikari claimed that a sharp rise of over 70,000 Form-6 applications, along with domicile certificates issued after July 25, aimed at "enroling illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants" signals voter roll 70,000 Form-6 applications have been submitted on average in the last week, a sharp rise from the usual 20,000-25,000, especially in Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Maldah, North Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, and North & South 24 Parganas districts," he wrote on conclusion, the idea of free and fair elections in West Bengal remains elusive due to demographic changes, the state government's influence over electoral officers, and structural issues with the state poll body. Now, with the 2026 Vidhan Sabha polls approaching, these factors cast a shadow over the state's electoral integrity, making "ghhorar dim" an apt metaphor for an unattainable ideal.- EndsTune InMust Watch
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘People who came here with dreams disgraced', say TMC MPs in Gurgaon
Gurgaon: Five Trinamool Congress MPs on Tuesday visited the city to interact with migrant workers, several of whom were rounded up and detained last week as Gurgaon police launched a drive to identify Bangladeshis and Rohingya living illegally in the city. Rajya Sabha MPs Mamata Thakur and Prakash Baraik, and Lok Sabha MPs Sharmila Sarkar, Pratima Mondal and Bapi Haldar went to Maidawas village in Sector 64, where they listened to accounts of the detention and fears of a recurrence from the settlement's largely Bengali-speaking migrant population. The MPs assured them of help by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal govt. "West Bengal is a part of India. Our people are not Bangladeshis. Police here should behave and treat them respectfully. Many people complained of being tortured and humiliated by cops even though they had all the documents… they were detained because they spoke in Bangla. Our govt is there for our people, and we will take every step to ensure their safety," Haldar, the parliamentarian from Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituency, said. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon Sarkar, who represents Bardhaman East in Lok Sabha, told TOI that the party delegation was sent to Gurgaon by chief minister Mamata Banerjee to address panic among people from the state after the verification drive led to many of them packing up and leaving. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Extend your summer in Mallorca Viva hotels Book Now Undo "The drive could have been handled better. These people came with dreams, but they have been disgraced in Gurgaon," Sarkar said. Starting July 18, Gurgaon police started detaining workers to follow up on the Union home ministry's May 2 directive to identify and deport illegal immigrants from the country. Around 250 people, most living in slum settlements, were detained in four 'holding centres' till police 'verified' their identity documents. Of these, 10 were eventually found to be undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh. The drive sparked a political row as TMC accused BJP of targeting Bangla-speaking workers indiscriminately. "These illegal detentions are an insult to our mother tongue and ashmita (identity)… Speaking Bangla is being treated as a crime…" Mamata Banerjee had said. A senior police officer told TOI the drive was simply to identify and deport undocumented migrants. He added that many workers were seen leaving the city to go back to their hometowns in buses with West Bengal registration plates. "We had asked West Bengal authorities to verify documents within 48 hours, but they took long, and that's why people had to stay at holding centres for four days. They were given good food, bedding and filtered water. Some people are doing politics and causing unnecessary panic, forcing people to leave," the officer said. Lok Sabha MP Mondal refuted Gurgaon police's claims that the workers were detained for days because the West Bengal govt delayed the verification process. Mondal, who represents Jaynagar constituency, said police had seized workers' mobile phones. "So, they couldn't reach out to us. Still, we responded speedily to verification queries," she said.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Mob damages homes belonging to minorities in Bangladesh; Govt orders repair works
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Dhaka: At least a dozen homes belonging to the members of the Hindu community were damaged by a mob over the weekend in northwestern Bangladesh, according to officials and media office of the interim government's Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, on Tuesday said orders have been issued to repair the houses damaged in the violence in Gangachara upazila of violence erupted on Saturday after a 17-year-old Hindu youth allegedly made derogatory remarks against the Prophet on social media, Bangla language daily Prothom Alo have arrested the teenager, a third-semester student at a private polytechnic institute, the paper Gangachara police station officer-in-charge Al Emran, the paper said the police received a complaint that a boy had posted offensive content on Facebook."Once the allegations were found to be true, he was detained around 8:30 pm on Saturday and brought to the police station," he said, adding that he was sent to a juvenile rehabilitation centre following a court the incident, enraged locals carried out attacks and vandalised several homes belonging to members of the Hindu community on Saturday night and again on Sunday afternoon. The situation was brought under control by the army, according to the office said 12 Hindu households were damaged in the violence."Three families, including that of the detained boy and his uncle, are staying at their relatives' homes at a neighbouring village," the chief adviser's office said."The repair works of the Hindu households will start from Tuesday under the supervision of the district and concerned sub-district administrations," it said in a male members of 19 of the 22 affected Hindu families are now living at their homes, but the female members were staying elsewhere since their houses were damaged, it said, quoting Rangpur's deputy commissioner Mohammad Rabiul said local authorities were trying to identify the people involved in the violence, and legal actions would be taken against them."The local civil social leaders are working with the administration and police to restore harmony in the neighbourhood," it added.
News18
a day ago
- News18
Mob damages homes belonging to minorities in Bdesh; Govt orders repair works
Last Updated: Dhaka, Jul 29 (PTI) At least a dozen homes belonging to the members of the Hindu community were damaged by a mob over the weekend in northwestern Bangladesh, according to officials and media reports. The office of the interim government's Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, on Tuesday said orders have been issued to repair the houses damaged in the violence in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur. The violence erupted on Saturday after a 17-year-old Hindu youth allegedly made derogatory remarks against the Prophet on social media, Bangla language daily Prothom Alo reported. Police have arrested the teenager, a third-semester student at a private polytechnic institute, the paper said. Citing Gangachara police station officer-in-charge Al Emran, the paper said the police received a complaint that a boy had posted offensive content on Facebook. 'Once the allegations were found to be true, he was detained around 8:30 pm on Saturday and brought to the police station," he said, adding that he was sent to a juvenile rehabilitation centre following a court order. Following the incident, enraged locals carried out attacks and vandalised several homes belonging to members of the Hindu community on Saturday night and again on Sunday afternoon. The situation was brought under control by the army, according to the paper. Yunus' office said 12 Hindu households were damaged in the violence. 'Three families, including that of the detained boy and his uncle, are staying at their relatives' homes at a neighbouring village," the chief adviser's office said. 'The repair works of the Hindu households will start from Tuesday under the supervision of the district and concerned sub-district administrations," it said in a statement. The male members of 19 of the 22 affected Hindu families are now living at their homes, but the female members were staying elsewhere since their houses were damaged, it said, quoting Rangpur's deputy commissioner Mohammad Rabiul Faisal. It said local authorities were trying to identify the people involved in the violence, and legal actions would be taken against them. 'The local civil social leaders are working with the administration and police to restore harmony in the neighbourhood," it added. PTI AR ZH ZH view comments First Published: July 29, 2025, 17:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
