Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim: Muslims have attacked the Hindu Kali temple in Bangladesh.
Fact: There is no communal angle and the video is not from Bangladesh but originates from Sultanpur village, East Burdwan, West Bengal.
Tension is on the rise in Bangladesh after the arrest of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Das, resulting in a wave of attacks on Hindu temples and places of worship. Following this, a video allegedly showing vandalism of a Kali idol has surfaced on social media, with many claiming it showed an attack on a hindu temple in Bangladesh by Muslims.
An X user wrote, “Yesterday in Bangladesh, Muslims attacked Kalibari i.e. Kali temple and destroyed the idols of Mother Kali and all the Hindu gods and goddesses. The Hindu devotees present inside the temple were beaten. More than 20 Hindu devotees are badly injured. But the whole world is silent on the massacre of Hindus in Bangladesh.”
Fact Check/ Verification
A reverse image search of the keyframe from the viral video revealed that a similar frame was featured in a news report published on October 21, 2024, on the Bengali news outlet Dainik Statesman. Per the report, the Kali Puja in Sultanpur, located in the Khandghosh block of East Burdwan, West Bengal has been taking place for 600 years. Every 12-years, the idol is immersed after it is dismantled. Traditionally, the villagers actively participate in the puja and handle the entire immersion process.
Further search revealed another video posted on a Facebook page named Sultanpur Kiranmoyi Pathagar which matched the image published in the media report. The post read, “12 years of tradition, Kalimata Niranjan. Let’s take a few moments to bid farewell to Maa Pratima. Location: Sultanpur, Khandghosh, East Burdwan.Organized by: Sultanpur Kiranmoyi Pathagar and the villagers of Sultanpur.”
We found that the temple wall shown in the viral video closely matched the photo published in the news report.
Newschecker then reached out to Kartic Dutta, one of the organisers of Sultanpur Kali Puja who informed us that, “This is our ritual. The Hindu people of our village have been following this ritual every 12 years. On the day of immersion (Bisarjan), the idol of the Maa Kali is dismantled and immersed this way by the devotees. They did the same this time. Our immersion video is currently being circulated on social media with a communal narrative, which is entirely false. We strongly condemn such actions.”
Conclusion
Thus it is clear that the video is not from Bangladesh but originates from Sultanpur village, East Burdwan, West Bengal.
Result: False
Sources
Report by Dainik Statesman, Dated October 21, 2024
Telephonic conversation with Kartic Dutta, Organiser, Sultanpur Kali Puja
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Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
