HfHR Statement on Poll Violence in West Bengal

We condemn the violence that has occurred in West Bengal (WB)  in the aftermath of the recent state elections. Bengal voters of all denominations came together to vote, by strong margins, in favour of the Trinamool Congress’s message of inclusivity and record of social welfare. Unfortunately, WB has long experienced political violence and this cycle appears to be no different. We call upon Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take swift and decisive action to stop the violence. 

At the same time,  HfHR has found no verifiable reports of attacks targeting Hindus or members of any specific community. On the contrary, AltNews, a noteworthy fact-checking resource, has uncovered several instances where the reports of such violence are false, including doctored videos and photos. While we support calls to end the violence, we ask for an immediate stop to the spread of false and inflammatory claims being posted on social media. The election results in West Bengal were a clear rejection of the BJP’s divisive, sectarian messages. As well-wishers of the people of Bengal- and the people of India – we ask that incidents of violence not be given a false, communal hue. Spreading such falsehoods will only embolden the divisive forces we are trying to defeat.