ANI faces backlash for sharing fake news on attack on Hindus in Bangladesh
New Delhi: A video shared by ANI, South Asia's leading news agency, has sparked outrage for spreading misinformation.
The video, initially shared by ANI, has been shared by others later on claiming that a "helpless Hindu father" is pleading for justice for his missing son in Bangladesh.
However, the man in the video, who is seen wearing a skull cap in others photos holding a photo of his son named Mohammad Suny Hawlader, is actually a Muslim.
The protest seen in the video involved several Muslim families demanding justice for their missing relatives. After being called out for the false narrative, ANI deleted the video, but it had already been picked up by right-wing accounts and other media outlets that rely on ANI's feed.
This fake news was first shared by @smitaprakash' s @ANI which they later deleted after getting called out. The video with misleading caption is now shared by Right wing accounts and other media outlets who rely on ANI feed. The man with a skull cap with a photo of his missing… https://t.co/ifa6Qa9JYt pic.twitter.com/rCGjX0JkX3
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) August 13, 2024
Netizens have questioned how a reputed news agency like ANI could fail to verify the facts before sharing such a sensitive story. While the misleading video has been removed, its impact continues to spread across social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, perpetuating the false narrative.
South Asia's leading news agency couldn't verify a news properly before sharing it?
— TIND Posting (@tindposting) August 14, 2024
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT
Imagine it got busted here but the news will continue showing on facebook and Instagram feeds.
WhatsApp university would have published a book by now.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Odisha: Normalcy returns to violence-hit Malkangiri; internet services fully restored
Malkangiri (PTI): Normalcy returned to Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday, nearly a week after around 200 villages were damaged in violent clashes in a village, with the district administration fully restoring internet services, a senior official said.
Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan said internet services, suspended across the district on December 8 to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation following the clashes, were restored after the situation improved.
The suspension had been extended in phases till 12 noon on Monday.
The administration also withdrew prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village, where arson incidents were reported on December 7 and December 8.
Though the violence was confined to two villages, tension had gripped the entire district, as the incident took the form of a clash between local tribals and Bengali settlers following the recovery of a headless body of a woman on December 4, officials said.
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The violence broke out after residents of Rakhelguda village allegedly set ablaze several houses belonging to Bengali residents, forcing hundreds to flee. The headless body of Lake Podiami (51), a woman from the Koya tribe, was recovered from the banks of the Poteru river on December 4, while her head was found six days later at a location about 15 km away.
Officials said the district administration held several rounds of discussions with representatives of the tribal and Bengali communities, following which both sides agreed to maintain peace.
Relief and rehabilitation work has since been launched at MV-26 village, with preliminary assessment pegging property damage at around Rs 3.8 crore.
A two-member ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo visited the affected village, interacted with officials and locals, and submitted a report to the chief minister.
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, the officials said, adding that despite the withdrawal of prohibitory orders and restoration of internet services, security forces, including BSF and CRPF personnel, continue to be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
On Sunday, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi visited MV-26 and neighbouring Rakhelguda villages, and held discussions with members of both communities as part of efforts to rebuild confidence and restore peace.
More than two lakh Bengali-speaking Bangladeshis were rehabilitated by the Centre in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts in 1968, and they currently reside in 124 villages of Malkangiri.
