HomeNationBandra station chaos: Marathi channel’s fake news creates panic among migrant workers

Bandra station chaos: Marathi channel’s fake news creates panic among migrant workers

People gathered allegedly after news that railway will resume operations. A facebook user too, claimed to have made arrangements to go home and appealed migrant workers to gather at Bandra Terminus.

Mumbai: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced extension of lockdown till May 3, Mumbai faced a critical law and order situation as thousands of people gathered at Bandra station apparently spooked by a rabble rouser and misleading news report on the electronic media. Police had to use mild force to disperse the mob which soon went unruly, even after police officials had appealed them to go back to their homes.

The reason behind the panic appears to be a misleading news report aired by leading Marathi news channel ABP Majha and a video message by a Facebook user appealing the migrant labourers to reach Bandra Terminus to go home.

The leading Marathi news channel ABP Majha, quoting ‘sources’ in railways, aired a story claiming that the railway administration has decided to start trains to ferry migrant labourers from Mumbai to their respective home towns. The news was projected as the biggest news of the moment. The channel claimed to have got the information from reliable sources. The news soon went viral and reached millions of migrant workers who yearned to go home.

Also Read: Watch video: Thousands of migrant workers gather at Bandra station to leave Mumbai, cops lathicharge

As if this was not enough, a video uploaded by one Vinay Dubey on Facebook appealed all the migrant workers living in Mumbai, to gather at Bandra Terminus as he had made arrangements for them to travel back home. Vinay Dubey, who is known BJP hater, has posted several videos on his timeline criticizing and abusing BJP and its leaders. After the situation deteriorated almost beyond control, Dubey deactivated his Facebook profile.

Interestingly, the letter allegedly issued by the railway authorities, ABP Majha relied on, turned out to be fake. The Chief PRO, Central Railway Sunil Udasi told The News 21 that the letter in question was fake. Editor, ABP Majha Rajeev Khandekar could not be reached for his version despite repeated calls while the text messages sent to him went unanswered.

The incident soon took political turn and the leaders from ruling and opposition started trading allegations. In a series of tweets, environment minister and Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray blamed the central government for the panic. “The current situation at Bandra station, now dispersed or even the rioting at Surat is a result of the union government not being able to take a call on arranging a way back home for migrant labour. They don’t want food or shelter, they want to go back home,” Thackeray said in a tweet.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said, “It is unfortunate and shameful for the state government that so many people gathered in such a manner. It is the responsibility of state to provide food to all the migrant labourers, irrespective of the type of ration card they hold. But state Govt ignored it.”  

DCP Pranay Ashok, PRO, Mumbai Police said, “People desperate to go home, had gathered near Bandra station in the evening. Local police officers tried to convince and send them back home. But when the mob didn’t budge, we had to use mild power to disperse the mob.”

Meanwhile, Minister for Home Anil Deshmukh has ordered an inquiry into the mob incident at Bandra.

The entire episode has raised several questions. How did the people reach Bandra (Suburban Local) station, instead of the main line LTT, if they had to go to their native places? If they wanted to go home, why no one was carrying baggage? Who is Vinay Dubey? His face book and twitter profile is clear enough to tell that he is staunch anti BJP. It is now pertinent that the government investigates into the matter and comes out clean on the entire episode. The culprits who tried to disturb harmony in the state need to be exposed and brought to justice.

Ashwin Aghor
Ashwin Aghor
Editor (Politics and Investigation) - A senior journalist who has 20 years of experience in journalism. He writes on politics, infrastructure and environment. He had worked with English daily DNA and BBC.

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