Vandalized Statue of Mahatma Gandhi in West Bengal Falsely Linked to Bangladesh

A viral image showing a decapitated statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been circulating on social media with claims that it depicts recent vandalism in Bangladesh amid growing tensions between the two neighboring countries. Investigation reveals, however, that the incident occurred in India’s West Bengal state during local protests.

The misleading post, which has gained significant traction online, shows a Gandhi statue with its head removed and placed beside the bust. The caption accompanying the image on Facebook read: “Welcome to Bangladesh, Bapu. He went on a hunger strike to give them Rs 55 crore. He demanded absolute non-violence from Hindus and supported the rights of Muslims to defend their religion. He was the ‘Father of Appeasement’.”

The post continues with inflammatory language suggesting that Bangladeshis had beheaded the statue in disrespect to Gandhi’s legacy, even sarcastically praising them for keeping the severed head nearby rather than further desecrating it.

Fact-checking by India Today has conclusively determined that the incident took place in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal during protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, not in Bangladesh as claimed.

The investigation traced the image to its source – a video posted by DCB News on YouTube on January 16. The Bengali caption on the original video correctly stated: “Gandhi’s statue was broken in Bengal in the name of protest.”

Further corroboration came from ABP News, which published a report featuring the same vandalized statue photographed from a different angle. The report specifically identified the location as Chakulia in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district.

According to detailed coverage by The Telegraph, the vandalism occurred during a violent protest at the Block Development Officer’s office in the Goalpokhar-II block in Chakulia on January 15. Approximately 300 demonstrators stormed the government office after complaints about being summoned for a “second hearing” during the SIR process.

The protesters not only damaged Gandhi’s statue but also ransacked office rooms, set fire to official documents and furniture. Local authorities responded swiftly, with 21 individuals arrested in connection with the incident by January 16, according to regional news reports. Bengali news outlet KTV broadcast footage of the vandalized BDO office in their coverage.

Despite thorough research, no credible reports of recent vandalism targeting Mahatma Gandhi statues in Bangladesh could be found, conclusively debunking the viral claim.

The misattribution appears particularly problematic given the current diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh following the recent change in government in Dhaka. Such misinformation risks inflaming sentiments on both sides of the border at a time when bilateral relations are already strained.

The incident highlights the growing challenge of cross-border misinformation in South Asia, where political and religious tensions can be easily exploited through misleading content on social media platforms. False attribution of domestic incidents to neighboring countries can distort public perception and potentially harm diplomatic relations.

Digital literacy experts recommend that social media users verify information through multiple credible sources before sharing content, especially during periods of heightened regional tensions when misinformation tends to proliferate.