Ground report: How a bogus communal angle was added to the Odisha train tragedy

The Odisha train accident involving three trains has claimed approximately 275 lives and left 1,000 injured. But that hasn’t stopped unscrupulous elements from attempting to add a communal angle to the tragedy that took place on June 2.

On social media, posts alleged a white structure near the tracks was a “mosque”, implying that members of the Muslim community were purportedly involved in the accident. These posts went viral, forcing the Odisha police to issue a clarification about handles “mischievously giving communal colour to the tragic train accident”.

The building isn’t a mosque at all – it’s an Iskcon temple. The temple head, Chaitanya Chandra Das, told Newslaundry it was built nearly 20 years ago and has no connection whatsoever to the Muslim community.

Watch.