Hindutva accounts spread false Bangladesh Jamaat letter to discredit India’s student movement
Party rejects forged document, calls it disinformation campaign
New Delhi: Hindutva social media accounts and supporters of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have circulated a forged document falsely claiming that Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami supports the ongoing student-led protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, in an apparent attempt to portray the movement as being backed by a foreign Islamic political party.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the disinformation campaign comes as thousands of students continue protesting in New Delhi under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that began over irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET medical entrance test, and has since evolved into a broader campaign demanding reforms in India’s education system and the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Among those circulating the fabricated document was BJP supporter and political commentator Ankit Dubey, who shared the forged letter on social media, claiming it reflected Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami’s support for the protests.
The forged document, titled “To the Brave Students Leading the Ongoing Movement in India,” was widely shared across social media platforms in an apparent attempt to discredit the student movement by portraying it as being influenced by external political forces.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, however, categorically rejected the document as fake and denied issuing any statement in support of the protests. In an official statement, the party said the letter was fabricated and part of a deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing its image and misleading the public.
The party pointed to several inconsistencies in the forged document, including the misspelling of its official name, the absence of its registered office address and reference number, and the use of an unofficial letterhead. It said the contents of the fabricated letter were entirely inconsistent with the party’s policies and public positions.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami urged social media users not to circulate the forged document and advised media organizations to verify any statement attributed to the party through its official channels before publication.
The misinformation surfaced amid heightened political tensions surrounding the student movement, which has emerged as one of the largest youth-led protests against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in recent years, drawing support from students, parents and civil society groups demanding accountability and reforms in India’s examination and recruitment systems.
