Intelligence agencies have uncovered a global conspiracy to instigate riots in different parts of the country, especially Uttar Pradesh, which is currently roiling with the Hathras incident, and discredit PM Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The agencies found out that under the pretext of carrying out protest against the Hathras incident, a website–”Justice for Hathras” was created overnight, with the sole aim of throwing Uttar Pradesh into chaos by inciting ethnic riots.
‘Justice for Hathras’ website springs up overnight
A day after the Hathras victim breathed her last, a website called ‘Justice for Hathras’ was created and thousands of people were linked to the website through fake IDs. According to the probe, the website had received funding from Amnesty International, Fundamentalist organisations based out of Islamic Countries. The objective of the website was to create a wedge between the majority community in the country and undermine the Yogi and Modi government in Uttar Pradesh and India respectively. Objectionable content pertaining to inciting riots and safeguarding oneself during the riots was found on the website.
The website came under the government scanner for its misleading, inflammatory and objectionable content. The website was subsequently pulled down after the raids conducted on Sunday night. The investigation agencies also discovered that PFI and SDPI had assisted in preparing the website. Incriminating content such as fake videos, photoshopped images, doctored visuals was uploaded on the website to provoke riots and unrest in the country.
Objectionable content on the website aimed at dividing the majority community
The content uploaded on the website included a detailed manual of the do’s and don’ts that the protesters should abide by during the riots. It also includes details of how to instigate riots and escape accountability. The manual touched upon several aspects, instructing rioters about the safety during a protest, what they should wear, what to bring with them to the protests, how to evade teargas and identification from the police and measures to be taken if they get arrested or detained by the law enforcement officials.
The website instructed the protesters the ways to create chaos and enlisted strategies to target the police and administrative officials under the pretext of carrying out protests. Use of mask was suggested, not out of respect for the coronavirus guidelines but to avoid identification and detection. Tricks such as dividing the majority and sowing the seeds of distrust and discord were suggested on the website. The website also hosted the script of inflammatory speech that could be used to stoke passion among the protesters during the riots.
Rioters were advised to carry N-95 or other thick face masks to reduce the impact of teargas used by the police to disperse the crowd. They were also recommended treatments to mitigate the effects of teargas.
Rioters were specifically asked to not put vaseline, mineral oil or any oil-based sunscreen that could trap the chemicals on their screen. They were also asked not to wear branded clothes that could aid police in identifying them. Black, loose clothes were recommended that would make it difficult for the police to recognise them.
An attempt to incite social upheaval on the lines of the riots in America
The intelligence report said that the anti-CAA rioters created the “Justice for Hathras” website to incite a social upheaval in Uttar Pradesh on the lines of the flurry of violent protests that took place in the United States in the wake of the death of George Floyd. As per intelligence inputs, the miscreants involved in anti-CAA violent protests had created this website to avenge the stern action initiated by the Yogi Adityanath government during the protests over the Citizenship Bill.
The rioting lobby had eventually planned to scale the riots to the different parts of the country and thereby discredit the Modi government. In order to spread hatred, the masterminds of the riots used important accounts on social media, to spread their inflammatory, fake and motivated agenda on the platforms and garner support from people.
UP Police files an FIR for conspiring to instigate riots in the state
After it came to light that a global conspiracy is being hatched to incite riots in Uttar Pradesh under the pretext of carrying out protests over Hathras incident, the UP Police has registered a case of conspiracy to stoke riots in Hathras.
The case has been registered at the Hathras Police station under various sections that include conspiring for riots to create ethnic and communal riots in the state, spreading chaos, defaming the Yogi government on the pretext of rioting, spreading rumours, provoking the victim’s family against the government, spreading hatred through fake photos, fake information, photoshopped photographs.
Sections invoked by the police are: 109, 120(B), 124-A, 153-A, 153-A(1), 153-A(1)(a), 153-A(1)(b), 153-A(1)(c), 153-B, 195, 195-A, 465, 468, 469, 501, 505(1), 505(1)(b), 505(1)(c), 505(2), and Section 67 of the Indian Penal Code.
Justice for Hathras victim Carrd website
Hours after the probe was initiated, the website was shut down suddenly. The Carrd website was created as a free one-page landing website on the host, carrd.co. The website became popular in America during the Black Lives Matter protests earlier this year. Since the website did not have any registered domain, it is little difficult to track it down.