“Please look into this matter. Shame politics by T.M.C in W.B what is the meaning of “JASHN-E-AZADI” & also date mentioned 14th Aug. Are they Pakistanis. Need to step regarding this matter.”
Mahesh Vikram Hegde is fanning the right-wing outrage industry once again. This time, he is offended by the Indian Independence Day celebrations in Titagarh, West Bengal.
Hegde seems unaware that Mushairas and Kavi Sammelans are routinely organised on 14 August which is the eve of Independence Day. Here is an image of a Kavi Sammelan on 14 August 2017.
“Are they Pakistanis” asks Hegde who is unable to recognize the colors of the Indian flag. He is also unaware that Jashn-e-Azadi means celebration of independence.
In his haste to implicate Mamata Banerjee led TMC and the minority community, Hegde has also forgotten that the President of India addresses the nation on 14 August every year. Only the absolutely ignorant or those with a sinister agenda will conclude that an event on the eve of Independence Day means a celebration of Pakistan’s Independence Day.
Several like-minded right-wing handles have tweeted the image from West Bengal and raised similar questions. They are either ignorant of the celebration of Indian Independence Day or are deliberately fanning a divisive agenda.
The Jashn-e-Azadi All India Mushaira in Titagarh that Hegde and others are trying to malign features poet Imran Pratapgarhi and was organised in 2017 as well. Other than poetry recitation, it also features the hoisting of the Indian flag. A tweet from the poet elaborates on the program planned for this year.
It is unfortunate that while Indians are gearing up to celebrate the Independence Day with pride, there are those who are spreading misinformation and peddling a divisive agenda. Hegde, who is also the founder of the fake news website Postcard News, is a repeat offender and has been caught in controversies several times in the past. Social media users users must verify before trusting information originating from such handles.
(This article was first published on AltNews and has been republished with permission.)
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