When the quota reform movement began in Bangladesh under the banner of an anti-discrimination student movement, it initially received little attention from Indian media outlets. Even as the police of the recently ousted Sheikh Hasina government fired on protesters, only a handful of Indian media channels covered the events. However, leftist student organizations and solidarity posts on social media caught some attention.

It wasn’t until curfews and internet shutdowns were imposed across the country that Indian media began to respond more widely. The difference between the realities of India’s quota system and Bangladesh's made it difficult for some in India to fully grasp the situation. Most Indian media reports suggested that the protests would end following a court ruling on the quota reforms. Yet, after so many student deaths, the moral standing of the government weakened, and the movement soon shifted from quota reform to an anti-government resistance. Many Indian media outlets ignored this development.

However, on August 5, when Sheikh Hasina fled to India, Indian pro-government media became much more active. These outlets began portraying Sheikh Hasina as India’s only ally and a "protector of minorities," while depicting Khaleda Zia as a “pro-Pakistan, anti-Hindu” figure. Watching these channels, one might think nothing significant had occurred in Bangladesh before August 5. Suddenly, their narrative shifted to describe Hasina’s ousting as a "fundamentalist-Jamaat coup backed by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI." Despite this, some media outlets produced constructive reports on the protests, criticizing Hasina’s fascist regime.

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi further fueled this narrative by calling for an all-party meeting to investigate Pakistan’s possible involvement in Bangladesh’s events. His statement incited more sensationalism in the Indian media.

Following the government’s fall, law and order in Bangladesh collapsed. Some opportunists used this chaos to vandalize homes and businesses of minorities. Unfortunately, such incidents are not new in Bangladesh, where minorities often become targets post-elections. The current situation is especially volatile since it follows a popular uprising and the absence of police. Additionally, some members of the Awami League, regardless of their religious background, faced attacks. No form of retaliatory or communal violence is acceptable, but the same pro-government media that remained silent on the protests began focusing on these minority attacks, using provocative and inflammatory language. Recognizing the dangerous nature of the coverage, the Kolkata police issued a statement, saying, "The way some local TV channels are reporting on the current situation in Bangladesh is blatantly communal and violates India’s Press Council guidelines." They urged the public to verify news through third-party sources before accepting it.

The spread of misinformation wasn’t limited to mainstream media; fake news about attacks on minorities circulated widely on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter). One viral post claimed that protesters had burned down the house of cricketer Liton Das, though it was actually the home of former national team captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza that was targeted.

According to a BBC Bangla report, Bangladeshi fact-checkers discovered that much of the misinformation on social media regarding attacks on Hindus was spread by Indian accounts.

One particularly viral video falsely claimed that “Islamic mobs” had attacked a Hindu village, showing a Hindu man swimming across a pond to escape. Indian fact-checkers revealed that the individual was, in fact, Muslim. Another video was shared by an X account called "Daily Latest Updates," claiming that the Navagraha Temple in Chittagong was attacked. The hashtag #SaveBangladeshiHindus accompanied the post, and the video was even shared on Republic TV’s official YouTube channel. Dismiss Lab, an online verification platform, confirmed that there was no fire or arson at the Navagraha Temple.

Another claim circulating on Indian social media alleged that attacks had begun on Hindus in Bangladesh, with fires set to ISKCON and Kali temples and over 500 deaths. Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo reported that these posts used images from recent police and ruling party violence during the quota reform protests and from 2021.

One video showed people in slums in Delhi being beaten, with claims that they were Bangladeshis. Additionally, rumors spread that Hindu women in Bangladesh were being raped. However, no such incident had recently occurred in Bangladesh.

The spread of such baseless news by Indian media and on social media platforms is politically motivated. A significant reason behind this is that India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to portray Bangladesh's Hindus as being in extreme danger, furthering their narrative that they, as the "saviors" of Hindus worldwide, deserve to stay in power in Delhi.

When authoritarian rulers are ousted through revolutions and popular uprisings, they are typically not given state receptions in other countries. However, when Sheikh Hasina arrived at an Indian military base, she was greeted by India’s National Security Advisor. This stands in stark contrast to the treatment of former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who were both denied asylum by India. This highlights the Indian government’s clear sympathy towards Hasina, despite her having to flee Bangladesh due to a popular uprising. India has long supported Hasina’s regime, and now, through the dissemination of fake news, they are attempting to portray the uprising as a "fundamentalist coup," effectively continuing their support for Hasina.

India's internal politics also plays a role in this. All leftist organizations in West Bengal have shown support for the student movement in Bangladesh, with Mamata Banerjee expressing cautious sympathy. However, West Bengal’s BJP president stirred controversy by suggesting that India would need to accept 10 million refugees.

The way Bangladesh’s students and people successfully staged a revolution, toppling a powerful fascist regime, is an example for South Asia. The spirit of this movement could spread to India and across the region. As a result, some in India do not want their own students and farmers to become inspired by the uprising in Bangladesh.