Hindutva accounts spread false Bangladesh link to Delhi student protest
Forged document circulated by Hindutva social media accounts sought to portray anti-government student demonstration as backed by Bangladeshi Islamic party, which rejected claim as fabricated
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Hindutva social media accounts and supporters of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have circulated a forged document falsely claiming that Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami supports the ongoing student-led protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, in an apparent attempt to portray the movement as backed by a foreign Islamic political party.
The misinformation campaign comes as thousands of students continue demonstrating in the Indian capital under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
CJP is a youth-led movement that began over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET medical entrance test, and has since expanded into a broader campaign.
The movement demands accountability in India’s education system and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Among those sharing the fabricated letter was BJP supporter and political commentator Ankit Dubey, who used it to suggest that Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami had publicly endorsed the protest.
The document, titled “To the Brave Students Leading the Ongoing Movement in India,” was widely circulated across social media platforms.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, however, dismissed the letter as a forgery and denied issuing any statement in support of the protests. In a statement, the party said the document was fabricated and formed part of a deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at damaging its reputation and creating confusion.
The party said the purported letter contained several obvious inconsistencies, including the misspelling of its official name, the absence of its registered office address and reference number, and the use of a letterhead that did not match its official stationery.
Reaffirming its longstanding position, Jamaat-e-Islami said it does not interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries and stressed that the contents of the forged document were entirely inconsistent with its policies and public positions.
It urged social media users to stop sharing the fabricated letter and called on news organizations to verify any statement attributed to the party through its official channels before publication.
The false claims surfaced amid heightened political tensions surrounding the student movement, which has grown into one of the largest youth-led protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government since it took office in 2014.
The demonstrations have spread beyond New Delhi, drawing support from students, parents and civil society groups demanding reforms to India’s examination and recruitment systems.
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