Covid- 19 Blues - Fake news is more dangerous than Corona virus

Covid- 19 Blues - Fake news is more dangerous than Corona virus

Syed Ali Mujtaba

In a crucial time when the nation  is facing the biggest  ‘ disaster’ after the independence and government is trying its level best to get over it, a section of media has started an all-out war against Muslims- the largest minority of the country by floating baseless and fake news against them.

We are confident that we as a nation will defeat the coronavirus, but the virus of hatred which is being spread by media will have a far-reaching impact and pose a threat to our national integrity if not stopped immediately.

Given below are some fake news items which were carried by ‘mainstream’ media.

1-    Headline: Tablighi Jamaat members kept in Ghaziabad hospital roam naked in the ward, make lewd gestures toward female staff

       (The header is malicious reflects hatred, it is typical TV headline – unprofessional journalism )

2-    Blurb: (A couple of days ago, the role of Tablighi Jamaat in the spreading of the Wuhan Coronavirus across numerous states of India had come to light)

( The blurb is an allegation with motivated intent. )

Now let’s come to the news:

3-    There is no end to anti-social behavior of attendees of Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi who had now spread the deadly Coronavirus in the entire country.

           (The intro starts with a bias motive and opinion is on the pyramid)  

4-    After attacking medical teams who were searching for Tablighi members for who had attended the religious congregation to check them for possible infection, and spiting on doctors at an Isolation centre, now some members of the Jamaat has been found roaming naked in their ward and making lewd gestures for female staff at a Ghaziabad Hospital.

     (The 3 w and H rules are not followed in the information. Info 1- Tablighi members attacked the medical team – where did they do that? Info 2- some members found roaming naked in their ward and making lewd gestures for female staff – 3 w & h rule missing – some members found roaming naked- In hospital a proper dress is given to the patent. No patent is allowed to wear his own dress. There are male nurses and attenders in the ward. No photo of naked men is produced for supporting allegation nor for lewd gesture towards female staff.  No names are attributed in this statement and it is a It is a concocted narrative)  

5-    The Chief Medical Officer of the District MMG Hospital in Ghaziabad has written a letter to the Ghaziabad police informing about criminal behaviour of the Jamaatis.

(Even the letter is produced the name of the CMO is missing in the story. An amateur work)

6-     The CMO writes that the members of the Tablighi Jamaat who as kept at the isolation ward of the hospital have been roaming in their wards naked with their pants.

        (First it was said that they were roaming naked now it is said here, they wearing pants.)

7-    The letter states that obscene comments and songs are being heard from the ward, and inmates are asking for beedi-cigarette from the staff of the hospital. The CMO also writes that those people are also making lewd gestures towards female employees of the hospital.

The letter by CMO states that the staff nurses of the hospital had already written a letter to the police regarding the matter, and requested the police to take necessary action so that the Jamaatis kept their can be disciplined.

(The entire story now centers on the CMO letter. Was CMO witness to obscene comments/ songs? No name of the staff member is given in the story that can be the originator of the news and may have reported to the CMO.  The purported letter may have been generated by the vested interest with criminal intent to malign the Tablighi without any authentic source of reportage. The intention was through the purported letter as source of evidence noise in the media could be made against the Tabligis and police action could be taken against them), 

8-Yesterday, Tablighi Jamaat members kept in a quarantine facility was found misbehaving with the staff and making unreasonable demands for food etc.

(It’s a malicious reporting without following the basic tents of news reporting. misbehaving with the staff / unreasonable demands for food – all allegations)

9-    The occupants of the centre had attempted to spread the potential coronavirus to doctors and other medical healthcare workers who were attending to them by spitting at them.

(Now this is despicable view with criminal intent. It is labial and can be booked for sedition)

Conclusion- The news is generated based on the letter of the CMO. The news has never been verified or investigated. Action against the Jamat members was on this factious report.

The  above news item has been produced by websites ; i) OpIndia.com - by OpIndia Staff news ii) abplive.com/ By : ABP News Bureau iii) timesnownews.com by Times Now Digital iv)zeenews.india.com v) hindujagruti.org vi) sarkardaily.com vii) clicknow.in viii) innewsreader.news.blog ix) m.dailyhunt.in x) deccanherald.com xi) www.indiatoday.in xii) AajTakaajtak.intoday.in  xiio) www.youtube.com – The list is endless.

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmal.com

Home Ministry knew about Markaz- Covid 19 link as early as on March 18

Home Ministry knew about Markaz- Covid 19 link as early as on March 18

Syed Ali Mujtaba

Home Minister Amit Shah and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval knew about Markaz- Covid 19 link as early as on March 18. Can a FIR or PIL be filed against them for concealing information and risking people’s life?  

 The security agencies had sent them an alert on the Markaz infection after tracking 9 positive cases at Karimnagar, in Telangana on March 18.

Shah and Doval knew about the situation building up in the Markaz since then but did not any action and allowed the situation to deteriorate till March 29.

According to top home ministry sourcess Home Minister Amit Shah requested the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to go to Markaz on March 28-29 night to clear the mess.

It is on March 29 at about 2 AM that Doval reaches Markaz and persuades Maulana Saad to get the occupants to be tested for the Covid-19 infection.

Initially, the Delhi police had gone to Markaz but verbally there was some opposition by the clerics but it was only after the intervention of Ajit Doval that the Jamaat leadership yielded to cleaning up of the masjid.

In retro if the NSA chief Ajit Doval had talked to the Home Minister Amit Shah on March 18 and taken prompt action, things may have been taken under control at least ten day ago.

It is well known that Ajit Doval is on call on a first name basis with virtually all the Muslim Ulemas in the country. Ajit Doval spends time with the clerics to form a national strategy for India.

On March 18 Doval could have called Maulana Saad, head of Nizamuddin Markaz and discussed the seriousness of this matter. He could have quarantined all the inmates at the Markaz then and there. Those who may have any symptoms could have been taken to hospital for the necessary treatment. The matter should not have come to such a pass if the government had shown maturity and some sense of responsibility.

The people of this country in the PIL should demand answers from the Union government as to why it had put such a large number of people at risk when it was in know of things. Why the government did not alerted the Markaz about its links with the pandemics and under the national disaster management act it could have canceled the congregation.  

The mindset of ‘Chalne do’ ‘Dekhyen ge’ was actually at work in the home ministry. Or there was a diabolic mindset at work wanting to politicize and create communal polarization in the country.

In the end both Shah and Doval have failed in their duties or they were successful at their game plan!

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com

Corona Blues – It’s time to break from Past and build new India

Corona Blues – It’s time to break from Past and build new India

Syed Ali Mujtaba

It is hard to remember that just a few weeks ago; our country was in motion, a moving anarchy that is how many westerners call India. There were protests all over the country over citizenship issue. The Citizen Amendment Act, the National People’s Register and National Citizen’s Register had stirred a hornet’s nest. It triggered communal riot in Delhi where Hindus killed Muslims and vise-versa. Human being divided themselves into religious groupings and gunned for each other’s life.

In the order of the day there was hyper nationalism, safrronization, anti-Pakistan, anti-Kashmir, anti-Muslim rhetoric’s, government made anti-poor policies, crony capitalism and neo-liberalism were promoted.

There was live demo two things simultaneously going on in our country and we witness them with remorse. One was Indian economy going for a free fall from the cliff. This started with demonetization, then the promulgation of tax regime and the general slowdown of the economy.  

The talk about India going to be five trillion economy, third largest economy in the world and second largest economy in Asia that once bloated the countrymen ego went down the drain. It’s being said that it will take long time get back to the peak from where our economy has fallen.

The second spectacle fanged was unabated and aggressive Hindu nationalism. This hyper nationalism was taking fascist shape. The lock down in Kashmir, killing of the Muslims, detention camps, were all part of the order of the day, as we saw secular fabric being tore apart in the country. 

The right wing extremism oozed out with the ruling government having renegade to its international commitments. As its rogue character went on open display the global community ignored its anti-democratic characteristics for the sake of billions dollars market that India has to offer them.

All these things were happening in perfect cacophony very smoothly and delinquently, till corona virus stepped in and put spokes to the order of the day. Everyone was left petrified, fearful and helpless by these deadly microscopic particles. It draws a red line that divides the order of the day from then to now.

In the current situation there is a wave of anxiety that prevails all over; death continues to stalk us and those divisive forces that were going gung-ho are calling for truce. Everywhere humanity first is the clarion call.

Those who built a political constituency in the name of religious nationalism and has come to power through stoking hate and were in their lynching mission now are fear their life as death in on prowl taking the form of a virus .

The JSR folks who came out in large number beating the tin and clapping to make synchronized sound made a fool of them as locking indoors and social distancing could alone save them from death.   

So what lies ahead in the future is we cannot mimic the past. It looks impossible to imagine a return to the old ways even after the 21 days lock down period is over. Some say that it will take six to nine months for normalcy to return. If we judge the past with the current situation it can be said: ‘we won’t go back to normal, because normal was the problem’.

In the global perspective the lock down gives a vivid account of the past and the present. Venice's canals have become crystal clear, Italy coasts have Dolphin's coming nearer. Japan now has Deer roaming free in the streets and same is the case with monkeys in Thailand. China has record breaking pollution cuts.

The earth has already begun showing signs of amazing things that are happening from the absence of human pollution. If the entire human population realizes this as an opportunity to restart society on a greener more environment conscious manner a better future is ensured. All these we are seeing in the span of a couple of days.  

When we get past these virus threats, can we rebuild our society one more time in an egalitarian way, can we banish the politics of hate, can we become more environmental conscious, can we banish pollution and give our lungs fresh air. There are endless possibilities that post Corona future offer us to change ourselves. 

Corona has taught us the lesson is we are human first. It also has taught the lesson that we can’t go back to normal, because normal was the problem. So it is time to break from past and build new India.

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com 

Corona Virus message to the Sin, Sinners and the Sinned

Corona Virus message to the Sin, Sinners and the Sinned

Syed Ali Mujtaba

At a time when the Corona monster is at our door steps and we are lock down in confinement of our homes, there is a realization that human race can only survive in close cooperation and not in confrontation.

The global mechanization of power politics like power blocks, economic blocks and other such arrangements cannot save the mankind and in this hour of trial tribulation only human being can each other to save the humanity.

In the Indian belief system when the sin grows too much on earth then the supernatural force makes an intervention and cleans our planet from the sin, sinner and the sinned.  This global threat from the Corona virus is perhaps a result of such super natural intervention.  

Undoubtedly, the evil has now caught up the world with the scruff telling them that nations and rulers who think they alone can punish some helpless people because they control of state power must now realize how weak they are as bend on their knees begging for life.

Those nations and dictators thinking to be the lord and masters of the universe and capable to deliver infinite justice are now made to realize that there are some more powerful force mightier than thou who can show them their right place.  

In other words the message from the Corona virus is that the nations and dictators that think they are mighty and invincible must realize that there are stronger powerful forces than thou. 

It said that Corona Virus is the curse on the world from those subjugated people facing untold miseries from the nation states and its rulers. It is curse of the people who are living in the global trouble spots like Kashmir, Palestine, Syria, Ugur and others, where human sufferings are uncountable. It’s their curse and sufferings that have made the world realize the true meaning of human sufferings.

Corona virus is making the world realize the curse and suffering of the subjugated people it can be fixed only when the wrong doings and evil designs are truly addressed. 

As Corona virus comes face to face with the evil doers of the world and people are quarantined homes it is time for self-introspection and try making a balance sheet for evil doings and noble deeds. This applies to individuals and nations, communities and groups, regions and religion and so on and so forth.  

This self-introspection should be based on the Indian belief system of Atma, Karma and Dharma. Atma is listening to one’s eternal voice and take action based on it. This voice of the Atma, determines one’s deeds or Karma. The actions based on Atma and karma is the dharma or the moral force that holds human being together. 

The symbiotic relationship of Atma, Karma and Dharma steers the world in the path of peace and harmony. Perhaps Corona virus is here to make us realize the value of respecting human beings and eschew the path of conflict and disharmony.  

In this hour of trial and tabulation as an Indian it is not the time count the injustices that individuals and nation has done for political and religious gains but once we make an introspection of the actions done in recent past then we realize the how unjust these actions happen to be in the paradigm of Atma, Karma and Dharma.

Here are just a few cases that tell a real story of one’s Karma and Dharma. Was the action of the abrogation of Article 370 based on the voice of the Atma. Can the voice of the Atma put a very large number of people into agony misery and trouble?

Lynching human for the sake of animal, is it the call of Atma and such Karma fulfills one’s Dharma. Introspection on this is needed when we are fighting the evil of Corona virus.     

Demolition of the place of someone’s worship by claiming as its own is it the call of Atma and does such Karma fulfills one’s Dharma.

The judicial verdict on the disputed site against the aggrieved and making justice a mockery that rests on whim’s and fancies, is it the call of Atma and does such Karma fulfills one’s Dharma.

The Citizenship issue that involves thousands of human being discriminated and sent to detention camps, is it the call of Atma and does such Karma fulfills one’s Dharma.

  

One can go on giving the examples unjust decisions that do not comply with Atma and karma and no way satisfy the moral force or dharma that binds human kind together.

Perhaps Corona virus has come to the world to make the statement that sin, sinners and sinned must realizes the value of listening to the eternal voice of Atma, Karma and Dharma. As it alone determines one’s fate and their ill thought actions may bring peril to the mankind. 

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com

Government not Tablighi Markaz to blame for Pandemics Deaths

Government not Tablighi Markaz to blame for Pandemics Deaths

Syed Ali Mujtaba

The Markaz or Global Centre of the Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin West in New Delhi has emerged as the hotspot for Coronavirus spread. The reason is this religious center had organized a three-day meet from 13-15 March. In this over 2,000 people took part a few included from Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan.

Even after the end of the event some 1,400 people continued to stay at the "Markaz" making it a ticking time bomb of COIV -19 positive cases. It was detected that some 1033 people were showing symptoms of COVID-19 and have been evacuated from the center and 334 of them have been sent to hospital and 700 sent to quarantine center.

The Police cordoned off the entire neighborhood of Nizamuddin West and virtually sealed it following fears that some people at the ‘Markaz’ may have contracted COVID-19.

The people who attended the congregation at the Markaz and have returned to their native places were showing symptoms of Corona virus attack on them. As many as six persons who returned to Telangana from Delhi have died due to the fatal virus attack. There were COIVD- 19 positive cases emerging from at least five regions of India including J&K, Tamil Nadu, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

The officials said the congregation violated the lockdown conditions and several COVID-19 positive cases have been found among those who attended the gathering. An FIR against the Markaz head has been filed. The government has appealed to all those who had attended the congregation prayers in Delhi must inform the authorities.

Responding to this, the Jamat Markaz in Nizamuddin in a press release has said that the Markaz is the international headquarters of Tabilghi Jamaat for close to 100 years. Visitors/guests/devotees/worshipers from across the globe throng the place for pre-scheduled programs lasting for no more than 3-5 days. All the programs are decided a year in advance in order to facilitate visitors from far-off places to plan their participation.

On 22nd March 2020 during the “Janta Curfew” the ongoing program in Markaz was discontinued but due to sudden cancelation of rail services across the country, a large group of visitors who had to depart by rail got stuck in the Markaz premises.

However, before the “Janta Curfew” could be lifted at 9 PM on March 22, Delhi CM announced lockdown of Delhi beginning at 6 AM on March 23, till March 31^st. The press release further said that this actually diminished any chances of these stranded visitors to avail road transport for their journey back home. However, in spite the challenging situation Markaz was able to send about fifteen hundred visitors back.

On March 24, 2029, a nationwide lock down was announced by the Prime Minister with clear message for people to stay-put wherever they are. Markaz under such circumstances had no other option than to accommodate the stranded visitors in its premises.

Markaz press release further says that on March 24, a notice was served seeking closure of the premises and on the same day it responded to the directions given by informing that there are still around 1000 visitors in the Markaz. A request was made by the Markaz to issue vehicle passes so that the remaining people could be sent back to their native places.  However, the requisite permission was not given, the press release said.

On 25th March 2020, a Tehsildaar along with medical team visited the Markaz and many visitors were examined. Further, on March 26, the Markaz further apprised the authorities about the stranded visitors and sought permission for the vehicles it had arranged to take the visitors to their destinations. However, no permission was given again. On March 27, six persons were taken for medical check-up and on March 28, a WHO team visited the Markaz and 33 persons were taken for medical checkup. 

The press release said that the Markaz is willing to offer the entire premises as a quarantine facility and help the authorities tide-over the challenge of current pandemic.

No if we analyze the media attribution to the Tablighi Markaz at Delhi to be the carrier of corona virus then it clearly emerges as a case of false or one sided reporting.

No report says that the religious congregation was held from March 13 to 15 and not during the period of lock down. The function was held with due permission of the government and the government did not ban the function even though the specter of Corona virus loomed large.  

No media is questioning why the government issued visas to the foreigners to attend the function. Why the officials did not subjected to the foreigners to any medical checkup and quarantines them at the airport.  It is certain that if the foreign invitees to the congregation were screened and tested at the airport, then the Corona virus could have been detected and all the deaths that have followed could have been avoided. Is not this a criminal negligence on the part of government and does not government responsible for such negligence.

And now when the COVID -19 has erupted in a big way then the propaganda against the Markaz has started. And this is because no one can question the government and the people in power as they are infallible and above the law. 

The blame on the organization such as Markaz is the set theme of Islamophobia and in this both traditional and social media are a party. Both kinds of media are indulging in blame game to cover the short comings of the government and to change focus of attention from the human tragedy that spilled following the 21 day lock down of the country. 

If the media is hand in gloves then the people of this country should demand answers from the Union government as to why it has put such a large number of people at risk when it alone was in know of things. Why the government did not  alerted the Markaz about the precautions of Corona and why in first place it did not canceled any such gatherings when the Corona threat was at doorsteps.

As the government is responsible for the mass murder during the recent Delhi riot, it is equally responsible for the Corona death at the Tablighi Jammat Markaz in Delhi.   

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com

Southeast Asia Cast its Corona Imprints on India

Southeast Asia Cast its Corona Imprints on India

Syed Ali Mujtaba

Chennai/ Tamil Nadu/India:  A 49-year-old man from Thailand who had traveled to India on a religious tour died at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital in Tamil Nadu on March 17, 2020. He tested negative for COVID-19 and his cause of death was renal failure and septicemia.

However inquiries about him revealed he had traveled from Thailand in a group of seven people and when two days later others were identified to be part of his group, two among them tested positive for Covid-19.

This chance encounter with the Thailand national at the Coimbatore airport in Tamil Nadu has now triggered a nationwide search for the Southeast Asian nationals who had come to India to attend Islamic religious congregation held at in New Delhi from March 13-15.

After the event  many attendee went back to their native places, some traveled inside India for religious preaching and still many stayed back in the dormitory of the building after March 15, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a three-week nationwide lock down, on March 24.  

Among the 3000 people who attended the Delhi congregation at least 10 attendees who had tested positive have died due to the Covid -19 infections.

Indian Home Ministry in a press release said, ‘as many as 2100 foreigners visited India for Tablighi activities since January 1, 2020.  While as on March21, approximately 824 of them were dispersed in different parts of the country, 216 of them were staying in the building in New Delhi.

The foreign nationals mostly belonged from several Southeast Asian countries particularly; Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar besides other countries and had come to India for Tabligh activities.

Among the foreign nationals there were 50 cases that were tested COVID-19 positive, 16 cases among them belonged to nationals from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Tablighi Jamaat is an Islamic evangelical organization that has presence in several parts of India and countries in South Asia and South-East Asia.

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu an official said there were a total 167 foreign nationals who came to state for this purpose from New Delhi, at a press briefing in Chennai.   

“Seventy-eight of the 167 foreign nationals has gone back to their respective countries. Eighty-nine are still in Tamil Nadu and have been quarantined,” the official added.

Among them 14 Indonesia Islamic preachers were found to be tested positive in in Salem district as on 25 March, the official said. 

In related development in the nearby Telengana state, seven Indonesians were tested positive for Coiv- 19 in Kurnool district as on March16. 

In Jharkhand, the eastern state of India a young Malaysian woman tested positive on March 30. The Malaysian woman was among the 24 persons, 18 foreign nationals and six Indian citizens, found staying in a mosque in the state capital Ranchi.

 According to news reports appearing from Southeast Asian countries authorities in Indonesia and Malaysia are investigating to determine how many of their citizens may have been infected as part of a new of COVID-19 cluster emerging from the Muslim congregation event held in New Delhi.

Indonesians and Malaysians reportedly were among the majority of the foreign nationals those attending the event held in the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz at Nizamudin in New Delhi. 

It is reported that Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, at a press conference in Jakarta had said, “There were 731 Tablighi members from Indonesia who had gone to India but I am unaware of their status who had attended the New Delhi event. “

Similar report from Malaysia says its Health Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah had said that he was investigating about his countrymen who had attended the gathering in India. "We are trying to get more information from our counterpart in India,” he told reporters in Putrajaya.

In India there is a big debate going on with the blame game going on in a circle between government and the organizers. Both are accusing each other for negligence and irresponsible behavior towards this human catastrophe.

The organizers say that it was the responsibility of the government to screen the foreign national at the airport before sending them to the conference. Secondly, even after their repeated information, the government had not heeded to their predicaments.

The government on the other hand blames the organizers for negligent and irresponsible behavior in not stopping their activities when the Covid -19 monster loomed large and risking a large number people towards fatalities.

  

It appears both the government and the organizers have valid points to score some brownie points, the fact remains that it is because of the foreign nationals’ presence and a huge gathering being assembled that a cluster Covid-19 positive cases has emerged from one place.

In sum there are two basic lesson learnt from this controversy. One, at the outset the foreigner’s participants could have been screened for health reasons before being allowed to participate in the conference. Second, seeing the gravity of the situation the organizers should have cancelled the conference and may have refrained from such event that put such a larger of people to fatal health risks.

Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com 

Covid 19 Blues – Fighting Fake News

Covid Blues 19 – Fighting Fake News

Syed Ali Mujtaba

Chennai: News appeared in social media that hospital in charge in Ghaziabad hospital has complained to the police authorities of unruly and disgraceful behavior on the part of some Tableeghi jamat members from the Markaz admitted for diagnosis.

The news explained the disgraceful behavior as it said that the Tableeghi members indulged in undressing and moving about naked and taunting the hospital staff and even spitting at them.

Now this news has gone viral and the entire Muslim community has been vilified because of this news. I got this news from a very senior journalist whom I knew personally and wondered why he forwarded this to me. I was shocked and my reaction was; You Too Brutus!   

Since, I know Tableeghi's from childhood I can pledge my life that they are incapable of such indecent behavior. They are too conservative and cannot commit any obscenity or vulgarity. So i am convinced about them they cannot indulge in any indecent behavior.

Their outlook and philosophy of life is too puritan in nature. They do not talk about worldly matters and consider world as ‘Maya.’ They do not have any political agenda and their mission is to make Muslims a better human beings. They are really pure by heart and bode no ill against anyone in this world.

As afterthought my second reaction was this could be an overreaction by the Tableeghi members as they may have been treated with criminal intent those conducting corona tests on them.

Their misbehavior maybe part of such overreaction and perhaps if there was any proper counseling, they may not have reacted as it was told in the news that they have done. 

Later on, the news of spiting turned out to be fake news as those in the picture was unrelated to the Tableeghi jamat members.

 When this news came to my notice my quick reaction was that this was planted news. As a journalist I could make out that the vital keys of the news was missing as it was unsubstantiated and was fake news.

When I went to the news item once again, I could clearly make out the motivation and communal intent attached to the news.   The news says the hospital authorities had complained to the police against the Tableeghi's indecent behavior.

Now, if the complaint was made  then the police should have taken action and booked the culprits on charges of obstructing of duties, jeopardizing public health, obscenities, disorder and promoting communal hatred etc. However, nothing of any such sort ever happened in the aftermath of the alleged complaint.

What actually happened was queer news was peddled in the media and media lapped this fake news without verifying its accuracy. One needs not to be a journalist to discern that it was fabricated, motivated and malicious news. The interest of the peddlers of the news was to polarize the society on communal lines.

 This shameful allegation against some members of the Tableeghi Jamat was done by some vested interests. Those peddling the news are suspects for creating hatred and enmity among the religious communities.

Now when the country is put under disaster management act, the original peddlers of the news item have to be verified. The media outlets that circulated the fake news should attract penal notice.  In fact the perpetrators of this news item should be brought to justice and the guilty must be charged with sedition.

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com