A quote attributed to writer and activist Arundhati Roy is currently circulating on social media. According to this quote allegedly given by Roy, she is drawing parallels between Islamic terrorism, and mothers and teachers who ‘terrorise’ millions of children every day; to apparently suggest that she is sympathetic to Islamic terrorism because she draws an absurd comparison.<\/p>\n
\nIslamic terrorists are not a problem
\nReal terrorists are teachers and Mothers says Arundhati Roy<\/p>\nGod save our country from so called intellectual terrorists like Her pic.twitter.com\/WblKyHERZb<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Rishi Bagree \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3 (@rishibagree) January 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Rishi Bagree’s tweet was retweeted more than 1,400 times. Bagree is a serial offender who has been caught multiple times spreading fake news on social media. He is followed on twitter by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah. Another twitter user who too is followed by PM Modi tweeted about Roy and her alleged quote.<\/p>\n
\nMothers and teachers make the kids sex slaves, throw their LGBT kids from terraces, behead non believers, kill, maim, bombard. I think her teacher\/mum must’ve hung her by her thumbs for being a witch. pic.twitter.com\/LuUAW5mvE4<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Gita S. Kapoor (@GitaSKapoor) January 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The IT cell of the BJP too swung into action. Aakash Verma who describes himself as a member of the BJP IT cell and a social media coordinator, and whose profile picture on twitter shows him with Subramanian Swamy also posted this quote on his timeline.<\/p>\n
\nAccording to Arundhati Roy- Mothers & teachers (Whom we consider God) are bigger terrorists than ISIS.#Shame<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/g9jgZ2fdPI<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Aakash Verma (@vermaaakash10) January 20, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Another user, when confronted by SMHoaxSlayer responded defensively, stating she had not created it but merely forwarded it as it was already circulating on social media and that she could not vouch for its authenticity.<\/p>\n
\nI haven’t created this. It’s being circulated all over SM. Can’t vouch for its authenticity.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Shuchi Singh Kalra (@shuchikalra) January 22, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
A closer look at the photograph reveals the BBC logo on the top left corner, implying Roy had made this statement in an interview to the British news broadcaster. Alt News discovered that the interview given by Roy to BBC and the photo of which has been used for the quote is of 2014<\/a>. As can be seen in the video of the interview posted below, the attire worn by Roy is the same that is shown in the photograph with the quote. A still frame from the video was probably taken and the quote superimposed on it.\u00a0Nowhere in the interview had Roy made this comment, nor in any other forum.<\/p>\n