The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal on Wednesday tweeted saying a BJP leader from the state's Asansol district was arrested for allegedly "spreading fake news and creating communal disharmony."

The IT Cell of the CID arrested BJP leader Tarun Sengupta for allegedly posting fake pictures and videos on social media to instigate communal trouble in the state.

On social media, Sengupta has described himself as the BJP's IT in-charge in the Asansol district. His arrest is the latest since communal riots broke out over a Facebook post insulting Prophet Mohammed in Basirhat and Baduria in the state's North 24 Parganas.

The Kolkata police had earlier arrested a person for falsifying a picture from a Bhojpuri film to stoke violence in North 24 Parganas. The image was culled from a 2014 Bhojpuri film called 'Aurat Khilona Nahi'.

Basirhat
Police use a water cannon to disperse the supporters of India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a protest against what they call a breakdown of law and order in the state of West Bengal, in Kolkata, India May 25, 2017.Reuters

The police had also filed non-bailable cases against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for sharing a picture taken during the Gujarat riots in 2002 and passing it off as one taken during the communal violence in Basirhat in West Bengal. Last week, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said "action will be taken for spreading fake pictures and videos. The law will take its own course." The 17-year-old boy, who allegedly insulted Prophet Mohammed in a Facebook post, was sent to jail. However, the post angered Muslims in the area leading to communal riots.

Basirhat
Supporters of India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) try to break a police barricade during a protest against what they call a breakdown of law and order in the state of West Bengal, in Kolkata, India May 25, 2017.Reuters

Following the violence, the Kolkata Police posted a series of tweets asking people to not believe or get influenced by the false messages.

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