On Saturday, February 12, TMC leader and former cricket Kirti Azad took to social media to spread fake news that BJP leaders are getting attacked in Uttar Pradesh on the second phase of polling in the state. BJP’s national executive committee member Dr Anirban Ganguly was quick to rebuke the son of former Bihar chief minister Bhagwat Jha Azad and former Congress leader for not being able to distinguish between the hinterlands of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
Kirti Azad, who was at one point even with the BJP, shared a snippet on Twitter with claims that shoes are being showered in the villages of Uttar Pradesh while TV channels are busy predicting the return of BJP in the state with 300 seats.
गांव गांव में जूतों की बौछार चल रही है
— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzaad) February 12, 2022
टीवी पर लेकिन 300 पार चल रही है
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/pvn4uVpMLJ
The video, shows security personnel escorting and ushering a man into a vehicle as a mob chases him and attacks him with sticks and shoes. Sharing the video, Kirti Azad mocked the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, insinuating that a BJP leader is being showered with shoes in a village in Uttar Pradesh when he went to campaign there while news channels are predicting the return of the party with a thumping majority in the state.
However, BJP leader Dr Anirban Ganguly pointed out Kirti Azad’s inability to distinguish between West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. “Hi Kirti, amusing to see that you,Bhagwat Jha Azad’s son,can’t distinguish between the hinterlands of #WestBengal & #UttarPradesh!This is clip of a jihadi attack engineered by TMC on me on Election Day, April 30 2021.Having become a FAMILY DOORMAT you have lost your rationality!” he tweeted.
Hi Kirti, amusing to see that you,Bhagwat Jha Azad’s son,can’t distinguish between the hinterlands of #WestBengal & #UttarPradesh!This is clip of a jihadi attack engineered by TMC on me on Election Day, April 30 2021.Having become a FAMILY DOORMAT you have lost your rationality! https://t.co/qfkH1XGlV4
— Dr. Anirban Ganguly (@anirbanganguly) February 12, 2022
He enlightened the TMC leader that the clip he shared claiming to be that of Uttar Pradesh was actually from West Bengal when TMC goons had heckled him in Illambazar, located in West Bengal’s Birbhum amid the voting exercise for the last phase of Bengal elections held on April 30, 2021. Ganguly had contested from the district’s Bolpur constituency during the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2021.
It should be noted that this particular clip, which Kirti Azad posted, claiming to be from Uttar Pradesh, was widely spread at that time too by numerous news networks. Sangbad Pratidin had shared the video on April 29, 2021, on its YouTube channel titled: “BJP candidate from Bolpur Anirban Ganguly’s convoy attacked at Ilambazar, Birbhum”.
Multiple media houses had also reported how Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers had attacked Ganguly’s car with bamboos and sticks, breaking the vehicle’s windshield, while it was passing through villages in Illambazar. Ganguly had escaped unhurt.
“The TMC has become desperate to cling on to power and that’s why it is orchestrating such attacks. People are being threatened not to venture out of their homes. I went there to ensure that they come and vote for whichever party they want. But the TMC is resorting to violence as the party is scared of losing the elections,” the BJP leader had said then.
Even though all of the details are public, one is left to wonder why the TMC leader made such a ridiculous claim just to embarrass himself.
Meanwhile, voting concluded for the first phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh on February 10, Thursday evening. A total of 2.27 crore voters of 58 assembly constituencies across 11 districts had exercised their franchise throughout the day. The remaining phases will be held on February 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
