Ground report: How a bogus communal angle was added to the Odisha train tragedy

Viral social media posts alleged a mosque and the Muslim community were purportedly involved.

WrittenBy:Basant Kumar
Date:
   

The Odisha train accident involving three trains has claimed approximately 275 lives and left 1,000 injured. But that hasn’t stopped unscrupulous elements from attempting to add a communal angle to the tragedy that took place on June 2.

On social media, posts alleged a white structure near the tracks was a “mosque”, implying that members of the Muslim community were purportedly involved in the accident. These posts went viral, forcing the Odisha police to issue a clarification about handles “mischievously giving communal colour to the tragic train accident”.

The building isn’t a mosque at all – it’s an Iskcon temple. The temple head, Chaitanya Chandra Das, told Newslaundry it was built nearly 20 years ago and has no connection whatsoever to the Muslim community.

Watch. 

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