On Tuesday (27th February), Bollywood producer Ektaa Kapoor, filmmakers, and the lead actor shared the teaser of their upcoming film titled, ‘The Sabarmati Report’, 22 years after the horrific Godhra massacre, on the same day. However, in her post on X, Ektaa Kapoor referred to the massacre of 59 innocent Hindus as a “train burning incident”.
Taking to X, she wrote, “Paying homage to the 59 innocent people who lost their lives in the Godhra train burning incident 22 years ago, today. Presenting ‘The Sabarmati Report’, in cinemas on 3rd May 2024.”
Paying homage to the 59 innocent people who lost their lives in the Godhra train burning incident 22 years ago, today.
— Ektaa R Kapoor (@EktaaRKapoor) February 27, 2024
Presenting ‘The Sabarmati Report’, in cinemas on 3rd May, 2024.#ShobhaKapoor @amul_mohan @anshulmohan @ranjanchandel @VikrantMassey #RaashiiKhanna… pic.twitter.com/Ap92vnoIza
Incidentally, the same caption has been shared by the film team drawing criticism for calling the incident ‘a burning incident’. Soon after she shared the post, it drew intense criticism as people slammed the Bollywood producer for watering down the horrific Godhra massacre in which 59 innocent Hindu devotees, including women and children, were burned to death in a cold-blooded massacre by Islamists.
Reacting to her post, an X handle asked, “WTF do you mean by ‘the train burning incident’? Oh you mean the train self-combusted? Say it like it is if you have the guts.”
WTF do you mean by “the train burning incident”? Oh you mean the train self combusted? Say it like it is if you have the guts.
— Atul Mathur (@polpho) February 27, 2024
Train burning incident? Id!ot it was a targeted attack on Hindus by p!ssfuls.
— NotYourNexus (@Adv_Ricky30) February 27, 2024
Journalist Nirwa Mehta wrote, “It was not ‘train burning incident’. It was set on fire by a rioting Muslim mob to specifically kill karsevaks returning from Ayodhya. Have that much honesty.”
It was not ‘train burning incident’. It was set on fire by a rioting Muslim mob to specifically kill karsevaks returning from Ayodhya. Have that much honesty. https://t.co/3vuyv7Ibyl
— Nirwa Mehta (@nirwamehta) February 27, 2024
Meanwhile, based on the reference “train burning incident”, many users also feared that the film could whitewash the dastardly act of the Islamist mob that set the train ablaze, killing 59 Hindus.
One X user wrote, “So your movie is coming out hope you portray the truth and nothing but the truth and not whitewash the Islamist mob that set the train on fire and locked the doors so no one would escape.”
So your movie is coming out hope you portray the truth and nothing but the truth and not whitewash the Islamist mob that set the train on fire and locked the doors so no one would escape
— Arunanay (@Arunay001) February 27, 2024
Meanwhile, in the teaser, Vikrant Messy is seen playing the role of a journalist named Shravan Kumar. In the opening sequence, Kumar is seen in a TV studio and breaking the news of the Godhra incident. However, as he starts reading from the teleprompter which describes the incident as an accident, Kumar stumbles before firmly stating that it was not an accident.
The film will be released on 3rd May this year and it will see Vikrant Massey and Rashi Khanna in the lead roles.
Godhra massacre
The dreadful incident took place on 27th February 2002, in which 59 innocent Hindu pilgrims were killed as the Islamic jihadis set on fire the S6 coach of the Sabarmati Express near the Godhra railway station in Gujarat. This incident is known as the Godhra carnage or massacre.
On that day, the Sabarmati Express was scheduled to reach Godhra station at about 3:30 am. On that day, the train was running four hours late. As such, it arrived at Godhra by 7:40 am. 8 minutes later, a mob of 2000 Islamists set 59 Hindus, including 25 women and 15 children, in the coach S6 of the train on fire in Godhra’s predominantly Muslim area – Signal Falia.
31 Islamists were found guilty of the Godhra massacre on February 22, 2011, by the trial court (with only 11 receiving the death penalty and 20 receiving life in prison), and all 31 convictions were affirmed by the Gujarat High Court in October 2017, resulting in everyone receiving a life sentence. Prior to that, based on the testimony of witnesses and survivors, it was established that it was not an accident rather the Islamists had set the train on fire. An elaborate campaign was carried on for years by Leftists and Islamist apologists to shift the blame from the Muslim mob and whitewash, even sometimes justify the cold-blooded massacre.
