Image from 2018 shared as post-poll violence in West Bengal

Violence in West Bengal erupted soon after the TMC won the recently-concluded state elections. At least 11 people have died in the violence, according to media reports, and the BJP has claimed that six of them were party workers. The TMC, on the other hand, has claimed that four of its workers died in the violence.

Twitter user @Priyankkashyap2 shared a picture of mob violence with the hashtag #BengalBurning. She wrote that the image shows the “condition of Hindus” in Bengal.

BJP Tamil Nadu IT and social media head Nirmal Kumar shared the picture too and used the hashtag #PresidentRuleInBengal.

Journalist Unnikrishnan R Santhosh shared the picture as well.

It has also been posted by Facebook users.

Old image

A reverse-image search led us to a report in Hindustan Times from March 30, 2018. “A police patrol party in Raniganj, Burdwan, where clashes and incidents of arson were reported following a Ram Navami procession,” reads its description. The image has been credited to PTI.

“The imam of a mosque in West Bengal’s Asansol town has appealed for peace and restraint hours after his 16-year-old son was found dead following the violence that started in the industrial town and other areas in the state after the Ram Navami celebrations,” says the report.

India Today had also carried the picture in a report from three years ago.

An old picture of violence in West Bengal during Ram Navami celebrations has been falsely linked to the post-poll violence in the state. Several people have shared the image along with pictures of the recent violence.

Save Bengal, it should not be late. #BengalBurning #AmitShah pic.twitter.com/ezr3ktwnWP

— Lucky Gautam (@Luckygautam007) May 4, 2021