The Samajwadi Party is adding fuel to the fire of unrest and chaos caused by the violent protests over the Agnipath scheme. On Thursday (June 16) night, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Rachna Singh passed off victims of a factory blast as aspirants committing suicide over the newly launched government initiative.
In a tweet, she wrote, “I am requesting those students, aspiring and preparing to join the army, to not commit suicide. The (Modi) government will have to take back its decision and it will be a victory for the youth. Don’t lose hope.”
She had posted images of young men, covered in blood and bruises, and suggested that they caused self-harm after being disappointed with the army’s recruitment drive. The contentious tweet was shared 249 times and liked by 787 users after which, it was deleted by the SP leader.
What is the Truth?
On close investigation, Opindia found that the time stamp on the second image read ‘2022/6/4 14: 44’ i.e. the picture was captured on June 4 this year at 2:44 pm.
Given that the Agnipath Scheme for recruitment in the Indian Armed forces was launched only on June 14, 2022, it became clear that the images could not have been the result of ongoing protests.
According to a popular Twitter user (@Befitting Facts), the victims did not sustain injuries while committing suicide but during an explosion at a chemical factory in the Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh.
“A video has surfaced in the aftermath of a blast in a chemical factory in Hapur… Watch the disturbing images from the incident,” read a Twitter post from @TheUpNews On June 7.
In the video, the same young men were spotted who were earlier shown with bruises and burns. As such, the claim made by the Samajwadi Party leader Rachna Singh turned out to be false.
At a time, when students have taken to violence and vandalism in the garb of protests, the Samajwadi party is not leaving any stone unturned to milk the opportunity for political gains.