Police complaint against Tripura YouTuber for casting Hindu girls for Eid video

The Tripura police said that they have not registered an FIR yet but the YouTuber told reporters that he has been asked by the cops to visit the police station

The Hindu Jagaran Manch (HJM), a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated organisation, has filed a complaint against a YouTuber of Tripura’s Gomati district accusing him of casting Hindu girls to dance with Muslim boys in a music video on Eid, police said. Meanwhile the 23-year-old YouTuber, Bapan Nandi, has alleged that he was assaulted by a panchayat upa-pradhan over the video.

The 23-year-old YouTuber has alleged that he was assaulted by a panchayat upa-pradhan over the Eid music video. (Video grab)

The HJM filed a complaint against 23-year-old Bapan Nandi at Radhakishorepur police station on Monday. Police said that they have not yet registered a first information report (FIR) based on the complaint. However, Nandi told reporters that he has been asked by the cops to visit the police station on Wednesday.

HJM Gomati district president, Goutam Das said, “They can shoot any video. But we found that the video had four Hindu girls with Muslim boys with improper dress (dancing to the tune of a Bengali music). I contacted upa-pradhan who got his contacts and asked him about the incident. He denied first but later admitted of shooting the video. The upa-pradhan slapped him and sent him away,” he said.

Nandi said he was an undergraduate student at a government college in the district but discontinued it owing to financial problems during the Covid-19 pandemic. He said that eight persons shot the video and posted it on the social media page of Siddique Hossain, an Agartala-based YouTuber on April 21 and he posted it the next day.

“A panchayat upa pradhan called me up that night and asked me to meet her at the police line. The place is 3-4km from my home and so I went there. As soon as I reached, the woman and a youth assaulted me. Though people were present there, none came to help me,” he said. A video of the assault on him went viral on social media.

He also said that he is getting threats on social media asking him why the Hindu girls were dressed up as Muslim women in the video.

“I am a Hindu and never tried to disrespect my religion. I am a professional YouTuber and content creator. How is it a crime to act?” said Nandi.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) condemned the incident and issued a press statement, saying that police should book the culprits who attacked Nandi.