Launching a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party over 'rumoured attacks' on migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha on Sunday said that this was done through a manufactured agenda and that this fake news factory should be shut.
RJD leader's remarks while he was responding to the filing of cases against BJP leader and journalists on the charges of spreading "false" news regarding 'attacks' on Bihar-based migrant workers in the southern state.
"This was done under a manufactured agenda. Labourers of Bihar work everywhere and they contribute to the building of the nation. We have never heard of any such incident before in Tamil Nadu. Should people not close their factories of fake news? Yesterday CJI said that fake news is killing the truth in the country," Manoj Jha said, adding that we are watching the truth getting killed.
Earlier on Sunday Tamil Nadu Police registered a case against four persons including a BJP spokesperson Prashant Umrao and two journalists on the charges of spreading false news over alleged attacks on migrant workers in the state.
Prashant Umrao, an Editor with Dainik Bhaskar, a Patna-based journalist, owner of 'Tanvir Post' Twitter handle Mohammad Tanvir, and Shubam Shukla were booked at different police stations on the charges of spreading "false" news regarding attacks on migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu.
A statewide panic was created among migrant workers, working in Tamil Nadu, after several purported videos, showing attacks on migrant workers, circulated on social media.
The panic was triggered after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on March 2, raised concerns and took note of the purported videos of "attacks".
The panic affected the industries in Tamil Nadu, which rely on migrant workers, badly as many workers stayed off work.
Taking cognizance of the panic, Tamil Nadu's Director General of Police Sylendra Babu released a statement, saying that the video doing rounds of social media was "false" and "mischievous".
"Somebody in Bihar posted false and mischievous videos saying that migrant workers were attacked in Tamil Nadu. Two videos were posted. Both are false as these incidents happened at an earlier date in Tiruppur and Coimbatore. One was a clash between two groups of migrant workers from Bihar while another was from a clash between two local residents in Coimbatore," the top cop said.
The DGP also said that the persons behind this rumour-driven panic will not be spared.
( With inputs from ANI )
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