Barwe, the founder of the Samarth Bharat Pariwar YouTube-based news channel, was brutally beaten July 4 while reporting on claims of  illegal construction activity on disputed land in the Manchar region of Maharashtra’s Pune district, according to several news reports. A widely circulated video of the attack, reviewed by CPJ, shows a man striking Barwe with a wooden rod before the journalist  loses consciousness. She was hospitalized for three days with serious head and spinal injuries, and is currently recovering at home.

Police arrested five men over two days in connection with the attack who were granted bail and released,  Indian Express reported. The suspect wielding the stick has yet to be taken into custody.

“It is unacceptable that journalist Sneha Barwe’s attackers still walk free two weeks after her violent assault. This sends a troubling message that attacking the press will be met with impunity,” said Kunāl Majumder, CPJ’s India representative. “Maharashtra authorities must act decisively to ensure accountability and send a clear signal that violence against journalists will not be tolerated.”

The arrested suspects were accused of violating six sections of the Indian Penal Code, including provisions related to voluntarily causing hurt and causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons, according to Indian media watchdog Free Speech Collective. Three other people were also hurt in the attack with Barwe, who had been targeted on at least two previous occasions in connection with her reporting on local governance issues.

Srikant Kankal, the police officer supervising Barwe’s case, did not respond to CPJ’s texted request for an update on finding the journalist’s main attacker.

In February 2023, journalist Sashikant Warishe was murdered for reporting on a land dispute in Maharashtra.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

A video compilation is going viral on social media. The clip begins with what appears to be CCTV footage showing a group of girls in uniform walking down a street. As they pass by, a man on a bike drives past and inappropriately touches one of the girls. Later, the video shows a man being beaten up and paraded by the police on the road. The viral claim along with the video(s) is that the perpetrator, a Muslim, was duly punished by Uttar Pradesh police in public. Most of the social media posts carry an implicit tone of endorsement of how UP police treated the accused.  

X user Baba Banaras (@RealBababanaras), tweeted the video compilation on December 20, 2024, with a caption, “Abdul was molesting school girls every day. His activity captured in CCTV camera. Rest job done by UP police. Do you support this action of police ?”

Abdul was molesting school girls every day. His activity captured in CCTV camera. Rest job done by UP police.

Do you support this action of police ? pic.twitter.com/Viuo3QiPWb

— Baba Banaras (@RealBababanaras) December 20, 2024

The tweet has garnered over 1 Million views and has been retweeted around 7,000 times. Readers should note that this user shares communal propaganda and disinformation on social media on a regular basis. 

Another X account, Frontal Force (@FrontalForce), tweeted the same video compilation with the same caption, “Abdul was molesting school girls every day. His activity captured in CCTV camera. Rest job done by UP police.”

Abdul was molesting school girls every day. His activity captured in CCTV camera. Rest job done by UP police.

Do you support this action of police ? pic.twitter.com/Xfj8GWiBXC

— Frontalforce (@FrontalForce) December 20, 2024

Similarly, several social media accounts have amplified the claim.

Fact Check

After breaking the video into several key frames, we ran a reverse search image on a few of them from the first half of the video which shows the bike-borne man harassing the girl. This led us to an article by News75.com with the headline, “Bike rider’s brutality: molested a school girl, hit her breast”. According to the article, the incident occurred on December 6, 2024, in Prabhani, Maharashtra. 

Taking cues from this we performed a keyword search that led us to a news report by a local media outlet Deshonnati. According to the report, on December 6, 2024, a group of college girls were on their way to the district general hospital via the back road of Mahatma Phule College in Parbhani, Maharashtra. During this time a young man on a bike harassed one of the girls. A case of molestation was registered against the accused at Nanalpet police station. The entire incident was recorded on CCTV, which allowed the police to track down the accused. On December 8, 2024, a persona named Md. Aslam was detained from Dharampuri in Parli taluka and brought to Nanalpet police station for further action.  

Second Part of the Viral Video

We performed a reverse image search on a few key frames from the second half of the video compilation. This led us to a news bulletin by News21 on YouTube from December 8, 2024, with the title “Gadarwara: Madhur Chawrasia was murdered over a transaction worth Rs 40,000| MP News | News Update | MP Police”

The bulletin comprises the same video as the one which has gone viral, where police are seen beating up a man while parading him on the street.

According to the report, police arrested Vikas Kuchbandia on charges of killing Madhur Chaurasia for not returning Rs 40,000 that he had borrowed, in Gadwara, Madhya Pradesh. 

Taking a cue from this, we performed a keyword search on YouTube that led us to another news bulletin by Bharat Samvad Tv. The video featured footage similar to the viral video.

According to this report, a young man, Madhur Chaurasia was murdered in Gadarwara town in Narsinghpur district of Madhya Pradesh on December 5, 2024. The incident took place in front of Nalanda School. The prime suspect in the murder, Vikas Kuchbandiya, was arrested following an investigation. The murder was allegedly committed as Madhur did not return Rs 40,000 he owed Vikas.

In our investigation, we found several news reports that corroborated the incident. NavBharat, for example, reported that Krishna Sahu, a resident of Shivalaya Chowk Gadarwara, had filed a report that Vikas Kuchbandiya had killed Madhur Chaurasia by slitting his throat and bashing his head with a stone in Chowpatty Gadarwara. Dainik Bhaskar and Aditi News, too, reported on the same incident.

To sum up, firstly, the two videos compiled together are not related to each other. Secondly, the two incidents are from two different states, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, respectively. The video compilation is falsely shared as an incident from Uttar Pradesh. 

In the first incident, the accused was identified as Md Aslam. In the second incident, the person arrested for alleged murder is Vikas Kuchbandiya. The two incidents are completely unrelated and neither of them is from Uttar Pradesh. However, the two videos were shared together to create the narrative that this was how UP police treated a Muslim accused (by publicly flogging and parading him). This is misleading. And this is not the first time the Right Wing has tried to ‘credit’ UP police, and by extension, Yogi Adityanath’s government, of meting out a right ‘treatment’ to a Muslim accused in a crime by sharing unrelated videos or false and misleading information. The subtext behind such claims is that police forces from other states should learn from UP police how to treat an accused if he is Muslim by faith. 

The post Unrelated videos from Maharashtra, MP combined to create false narrative of ‘UP police treating Muslim accused’ appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

In the last week of August, two horrific hate crimes against Muslims — the lynching of 25-year-old Sabir Malik in Haryana and the brutal assault on 72-year-old Haji Ashraf in a train in Maharashtra — sent shock waves across the country. However, many of the mainstream TV news channels, which air fiery debates on communal issues on a regular basis, either chose to ignore them completely in their prime-time segments or barely mentioned them.

While Republic TV chose not to report any of the hate crimes, let alone host prime-time debates on them, channels like NDTV, Aaj Tak and Times Now barely mentioned the incidents, but did not consider them important enough to be discussed on prime-time shows hosted by ‘star’ anchors. India Today and Zee News, in sharp contrast, hosted prime-time debates and reported on the hate crimes in depth.

Sabir Malik Lynched in Haryana on the Suspicion of Cooking and Consuming Beef

On August 27, 25-year-old Sabir Malik, a Muslim migrant worker from West Bengal, was allegedly beaten to death in Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri district by members of a self-proclaimed ‘cow-vigilante’ group on the suspicion of cooking and consuming beef. Eight people, including two minors, were arrested for the assault. The incident gained widespread attention after a horrifying video of the lynching went viral on social media.

स्थान: #Haryana

BIG BREAKING: बेहद ही खतरनाक और विचलित करने वाला हादसा

मानवीयता किस कदर दम तोड़ चुकी है

हरियाणा चरखी दादरी मे गोमांस पकाने के शक में साविर मालिक की पीट-पीटकर हत्या कर दी गई

हत्या करने वाले अभिषेक, मोहित, रविंदर, कमलजीत और साहिल नामी गौरक्षा दल के ठेकेदार… pic.twitter.com/SnA9g8rwSx

— Today Maharashtra (@todaymaharasht) August 31, 2024

In the video, some men are seen beating Sabir with thick wooden sticks, while others attempt to intervene. According to reports, the attackers subsequently took Malik to another location and continued to beat him up, ultimately leading to his death. Malik, who lived in a shanty near Bandhra village, earned a living by collecting waste and empty bottles. He and his friend Asserudin were lured to a shop near the bus stand by a group of young men under the pretence of selling scrap materials. When they arrived, they were ambushed with sticks. Asserudin managed to escape, but Malik was abducted by the vigilantes, taken away on a motorbike, and beaten to death. His lifeless body was later found near his shanty.

News reports quoted Charkhi Dadri DSP Bharat Bhushan saying: “All eight accused, including two juveniles, are associated with Gau Raksha Dal. They had informed the police about their suspicions, and we were investigating when the killing took place”. This suggests that despite police involvement in the matter, the eight individuals of a self-proclaimed ‘gau raksha’ group acted on their suspicions, which led to Sabir’s death. Commenting on the said incident, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said: “Mob lynching is not a right thing. But there is great respect for cows and at times, people of the village react when such an input comes. But I stress that such incidents of lynching are unfortunate and should not happen.”

Haji Ashraf Assaulted in Maharashtra Train on the Suspicion of Carrying Beef

A day after Sabir’s alleged murder, on August 28, 72-year-old Ashraf Ali Syed Hussain, who had boarded the Dhule-CSMT Express and was on his way to visit his daughter in Kalyan, Maharashtra was heckled and assaulted by a group of men, on the suspicion of carrying beef (cow meat). The assailants were reportedly on their way to a police recruitment exam. Ashraf claimed he was carrying buffalo meat which was not illegal in Maharashtra. A few days later, videos of the attack went viral on social media, showing the men slapping and kicking the elderly man while hurling abuses at him. The assault left Ashraf with a bloodshot eye and bruises.

Haji Ashraf Munyar from a village in Jalgaon District travelling in a train to Kalyan to meet his daughter was abused and badly beaten up by goons in a train near Igatpuri alleging him of carrying beef. pic.twitter.com/uOr3vlqBqB

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) August 30, 2024

Haji Ashraf’s son Ashpak told The Hindu, “They punched him repeatedly in the face, chest, stomach, and private parts, and made threats to kill him, and rape the women in his family.” He also alleged that the group even attempted to throw his father off the moving train. Ashpak learned about the assault through a friend who sent him the video on WhatsApp, as Haji Ashraf did not mention the incident when he arrived at his daughter’s home. Ashpak added that his father had been unable to sleep, humiliated and deeply shaken by the incident.

On August 31, after the video gained attention, Maharashtra police tracked Ashraf and convinced him to file an FIR. That same day, three suspects — Akash Ahwad, Nilesh Ahire, and Jayesh Mohite — were arrested and charged under the following bailable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS):189(2) (unlawful assembly), 191(2) (rioting), 190 (unlawful assembly in prosecution of common object), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 115(2) (causing hurt), 324(4)(5) (mischief causing loss or damage), 351(2)(3)(criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace). It is important to note that the initial FIR did not include hate crime charges. The next day, the trio was produced at a Kalyan court and were granted bail.

The same day, Nationalist Congress Party leader and MLA Jitendra Awhad stepped in and questioned why hate crime and robbery charges had not been included in the FIR. On September 2, senior police inspector Archana Dusane of GRP filed an appeal to amend the FIR with Sections 302 (intentionally uttering words to deliberately wound the religious sentiments of another person) and 311(Robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt). The court granted the appeal, leading to the cancellation of the suspects’ bail. However, the three men went into hiding and are currently absconding.

On September 3, the Thane GRP arrested a fourth suspect, 19-year-old Suresh Jadhav, a Navi Mumbai resident and hotel cashier, for his alleged role in the assault. 

How the Mainstream TV Media Reported It

Both the incidents involving Sabir Malik and Haji Ashraf gained significant traction on social media, leading to widespread coverage on digital and print media, as well as some YouTube news channels. The Times of India, for example, front-paged both the reports on its September 1 Delhi edition:

However, when we went through the bulletins by major television news channels from August 27 onward, we found that both the stories were notably absent from the prime-time shows on Republic World, Republic Bharat, NDTV, Times Now, Times Now Navbharat, Aaj Tak and ABP News. A few of them remained completely silent on both the hate crimes. 

Republic TV

Sabir Malik Lynching: Zero Shows, Haji Ashraf Assault: Zero Shows

Republic World’s digital outlet published a report on August 31 on the assault on Haji Ashraf, and on September 1, the outlet published a report on Sabir Malik’s death. We reviewed both the English (Republic World) and Hindi (Republic Bharat) channels of Arnab Goswami’s Republic Media but found no coverage on either of the two channels of either incident from August 27 (the date of Sabir Malik’s death) up until the time of writing of this report. Goswami, we found, was busy ‘destroying secular hypocrites’.  

On August 31, as the video of the assault on Haji Ashraf spread across social media and was picked up by various media outlets, Arnab Goswami hosted his prime-time show, ‘The Debate with Arnab’. The nearly 30-minute episode was titled: “1984 Sikh Riots: Arnab Destroys Secularism Hypocrites | Rahul and Kejriwal in Radio Silence.” In the days that followed, Republic World’s prime-time segments continued to focus primarily on the R G Kar rape-murder in Kolkata and other issues in states governed by parties from the INDIA alliance and comments made by Opposition leaders.

Below are a few screenshots that show what the prime-time at Republic World aired between August 30 and September 4.

Likewise, there wasn’t a single video on Republic Bharat’s YouTube channel covering the assaults on Haji Ashraf or Sabir Malik. The Hindi channel focused mostly on the R G Kar rape-murder in Kolkata and ‘bulldozer action’ in Uttar Pradesh, a wolf attack in Bahraich, and astrology videos.

NDTV

Sabir Malik Lynching: Zero shows; Haji Ashraf Assault: Only Posted the Viral Video

The reports of Sabir Malik’s lynching and Haji Ashraf’s assault did not make it to NDTV’s prime-time slots. Although NDTV did share the viral video showing the assault on 72-year-old Haji Ashraf, the channel did not hold any discussion or debate on the matter. Sabir Malik’s death, on the other hand, received no coverage on the channel at all.

Below are a few screenshots that show what NDTV’s reportage looked like in the week after Sabir Malik and Haji Ashraf’s cases went viral.

Aaj Tak

Sabir Malik and Haji Ashraf: Reported, Nothing on Prime Time

In the case of Aaj Tak, both incidents (1, 2) were reported by the channel. On the other hand, the channel’s prime-time shows, two of which are hosted by ‘star’ anchors Sudhir Chaudhary and Anjana Om Kashyap, had no mention of either of the two incidents. In the weeks following the incidents, prime-time shows focussed mostly on the Uttar Pradesh elections, Bulldozer ‘justice’ and the Kolkata rape-murder case.

On September 7, an exclusive interview of Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini by Anjana Om Kashyap was posted on Aaj Tak’s YouTube channel. In the 49-minute long interview, not once was the Haryana CM asked about the lynching incident of Sabir Malik. The focus of the interview remained on the upcoming assembly elections.

Times Now

Sabir Malik: 5 Videos; Haji Ashraf: Zero Shows

Times Now extensively covered the lynching of Sabir Malik and reports on the incident featured on its prime-time show The NewsHour hosted by Priya Bahal on September 1. However, the channel remained silent on the Haji Ashraf case. Meanwhile, its Hindi counterpart, Times Now Navbharat, reported the Sabir Malik lynching, although the story didn’t make it into prime-time discussions. The Haji Ashraf case went entirely unreported. The only video report on Haji Ashraf’s case that we could find on a channel affiliated with Times Now was on Times Now Marathi.

On September 1, the same day Times Now Navbharat reported on Sabir Malik’s death, the channel’s ‘star’ anchor, Sushant Sinha, in his show ‘News ki Pathshala’ heavily praised communal statements made by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Madhya Pradesh’s Mohan Yadav. Sushant asked, “Can a ‘vote bank’ government take such decisive actions? It’s inevitable that those engaging in ‘vote bank’ politics — the so-called secular bloc — will now be agitated”. As the show began, a graphic appeared labelling the three BJP leaders as ‘Warriors of Hindutva’.

Below are a few screenshots from Times Now Navbharat’s YouTube page which show what stories made it to the channel’s prime-time shows.

ABP News

Sabir Malik Lynching: Reported; Haji Ashraf Assault: Reported 

ABP News reported on the death of Malik and the incident was also discussed on one of the channel’s prime-time shows called ‘Seedha Sawaal’ hosted by Sandeep Chaudhary on August 31. Haji Ashraf’s story was also reported by the channel in a video called: “Top News: Watch all the major headlines in a quick format | Gujarat Flood | Weather | Haryana Mob Lynching”. However, the assault on Ashraf did not make it to prime-time discussions.

India Today, Zee News Stood Out in Sharp Contrast

Unlike its Hindi counterpart Aaj Tak, India Today covered the incidents involving Sabir Malik and Haji Ashraf, including an in-depth prime-time discussion on their show ‘News Today with Rajdeep Sardesai’ on September 2.

The India Today discussion focused on the proliferation of hate that was responsible for such crimes. “What will it take to stop the hate? the hate speeches, the mob lynchings. Is law not enough to curb.. attacks on minorities?…” Sardesai asked even as visuals from the attacks on Sabir Malik and Haji Ashraf played on the screen.

Hindi news channel Zee News also covered both cases of Sabir Malik and Haji Ashraf in detail and also held debates (1, 2, 3).

The lynching incident of Sabir Malik was discussed in one of the prime-time shows of the channel called ‘Taal Thok Ke’. The anchor of the bulletin, Anant Tyagi, highlighted the fact that a life had been lost but the chief minister of Haryana was tacitly backing the cow vigilantes behind the alleged crime by saying, “It is connected to matters of faith… such things happen in villages… It (the lynching) should not have happened, but who could stop them?”

The description of the bulletin uploaded on Zee News’s YouTube channel says, “जब हरियाणा के मुख्यमंत्री नायब सैनी से इस बारे में सवाल पूछा गया तो उन्होंने हमलावरों का बचाव करते हुए कहा कि गोमांस लोगों की भावनाओं से जुड़ी हैं और ऐसे में भीड़ को कौन रोक सकता है।” [When Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini was asked a question about this, he defended the attackers and said that beef is related to people’s sentiments and in such a situation who can stop the mob.]

However, Haji Ashraf’s case did not make it to the prime-time slots.

The post Hate crimes in Haryana, Maharashtra a no-show on Republic; how did the other mainstream news channels fare? appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Claim I: Congress Leaders Dictating Terms to Karnataka Police

A video is being shared on social media where a group of men claimed to be Congress members can be seen. Among them, the one posing as the leader is apparently arguing with the Karnataka police. The claims suggest that the leader has invited the police to their home to say that things will be done as he says.

Twitter user विधी दीक्षित52 also shared the video in question on May 16 with a caption in Hindi that says, “Karnataka: Congress MLA “Zafar Hussain Meraj” Jachatiyal (Nampally MLA) called a police officer to his home and explained in a ‘peaceful’ manner that things will be done the way he says”. The tweet has received over 70,000 views and has been retweeted over 2,000 times. (Archive)

कर्नाटक:<कांग्रेसी MLA”जफर हुसैन मेराज”
(नामपल्ली विधायक) जाचटियाल ने एक पुलिस
अधिकारी (एसबी) को घर बुलाकर….

शांति प्रिय’ ढंग से समझाते हुए।कहां जैसा हम कहेंगे वैसा ही करना होगा”

“Zafar Hussain Merajsh (MLA,
Nampally) in Jagtial” pic.twitter.com/FrusN4YQaX

— विधी दीक्षित52 (@vdsarma52) May 15, 2023

Twitter Blue user ‘ProfKapilKumar,Determined Nationalist’ who has more than 20,000 followers on the platform, also shared the above video on May 17 with a caption in Hindi that said, “You have to act as we tell you. In Karnataka, a Congress MLA called a police officer to his home and explains to him in a peaceful way. ”. (Archive)

*जैसा हम कहेंगे वैसा करना पड़ेगा।कर्नाटक में कांग्रेसी विधायक एक पुलिस अधिकारी को अपने घर बुलाकर शांति प्रिय ढंग से समझाते हुए।*
pic.twitter.com/BxcIHyFXRz

— ProfKapilKumar,Determined Nationalist (@ProfKapilKumar) May 17, 2023

G V Nair, who is also a Twitter Blue user, posted the video with the above caption. (Archive)

*जैसा हम कहेंगे वैसा करना पड़ेगा।कर्नाटक में कांग्रेसी विधायक एक पुलिस अधिकारी को अपने घर बुलाकर शांति प्रिय ढंग से समझाते हुए।*

सरकार बसल्यावर काय करतील@INCKarnataka @BJP4Karnataka @hd_kumaraswamy pic.twitter.com/qXP8Ho67T1

— G V NairNaMo (@gvnair91) May 17, 2023

Multiple other users, including @angryladki, @Sarvesh38453373, @SKishor_ and @SinghOfMaha, shared the video on various social media platforms. Some of them can be seen below:

Fact Check

On running a reverse image search, we came across a news report by Deccan Chronicle from May 11 that carried a screenshot of the viral video. The report headline says: “Jagtial rural SI who attacked woman & her mother suspended”. The caption of the image carried in the article said, “MIM leaders meet Police Superintendent A Bhaskar in his office regarding the attack on a student and her mother in an RTC bus.”

According to the DC report, on May 11, A Anil, a sub-inspector of police at Jagtial (a city in Telangana), was suspended on the charge of attacking two women passengers — mother and daughter — in an RTC bus. The report also mentioned that earlier on the same day of the SI’s suspension, Nampally MLA and AIMIM leader Jaffar Hussain Meraj and the district unit president Younus Nadeem visited the house of the woman involved in the row, who is also a postgraduate student.

The MLA also tweeted the above on May 11. (Archive)

On the guidance of #AIMIM President @asadowaisi & Floor Leader @imAkbarOwaisi.

After the Bus Incident of Jagtial Sub-Inspector, I reached Jagtial and met with the victims family and assured them that we’ll demand immediate Suspension and strict action against the Sub-Inspector. pic.twitter.com/kXqrU7EiuW

— Jaffar Hussain Meraj (@Jaffarhusainmla) May 11, 2023

We also noticed a few things in the viral video —

1. The AIMIM symbol on the top right corner of the video

2. Mention of the MLA’s name and the place

The text in the video clearly states, “Jafar Hussain Meraj Sb (MLA, Nampally) in Jagtial” indicating that the incident is from Telangana.

Therefore, it is clear that the video is not from Karnataka, but from Telangana and it features AIMIM leader Jaffar Hussain Meraj with other party members talking to the Telangana police about SI Anil’s suspension.

Claim II: Congress Supporters Threaten Karnataka Police

A 15-second long video of a man in a skullcap threatening a policeman is being shared on social media with a caption in Hindi that says, “Congress’ win: The chief minister hasn’t even taken oath yet and this is the situation in Karnataka”.

Twitter Blue user Vini shared the said video on May 15 with the above caption in Hindi. (Archive)

*कांग्रेस की जीत : अभी तो मुख्य मंत्री ने शपथ भी नही ली और ये हाल है कर्नाटक में pic.twitter.com/5QA05a7YJk

— VINI (@Vini__007) May 15, 2023

Another Twitter user called Naren Mukherjee also shared the above video with a similar claim. (Archive)

कांग्रेस की जीत : अभी तो मुख्य मंत्री ने शपथ भी नही ली और ये हाल है कर्नाटक में। pic.twitter.com/epzphCS6Es

— Naren Mukherjee (@NMukherjee6) May 16, 2023

Many other users also shared the video in question with similar claims on social media.

Fact Check

First, we noticed that under Naren Mukherjee’s tweet, a few users had commented that the video is old and some even mentioned that it is from Maharashtra.

To check this, we broke down the video into multiple key-frames and ran a reverse image search on a few of them. This led us to a longer version of the viral video on a Facebook post made on September 20, 2018. We noticed that at the 0:20 mark of the video, one person speaks to the policeman in Marathi.

Under the video, we also came across a comment made on March 9, 2021, that says in Marathi, “This video is from Chopda bus stand. It is from 3 years back. Everything happened because the fruit seller was hit by the police”.

With all the above information we ran a relevant keyword search on Facebook and came across videos posted in September 2018 about the incident.

We also contacted Chopda police station to confirm the fact and police personnel from the control room said that the incident was indeed from 2018 and it occurred at Chopda bus stand.

“Police constable Shrikhant Gangurde was posted on duty there and he asked the fruit sellers to move away from where they had set their stores within the bus stand since that area was reserved for the physically challenged people and that’s when the two got into a scuffle”: Chopda police station.

The control room also said that they had charged those those who caused trouble while Gangurde was on duty under IPC section 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), and the matter is still pending in court.

Therefore, the viral video of a skull-capped man threatening a policeman is not from Karnataka. It is a 2018 incident from Maharashtra.

The post Telangana, Maharashtra videos shared out of context with false claims about Cong high-handedness in Karnataka appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Claim I: Congress Leaders Dictating Terms to Karnataka Police

A video is being shared on social media where a group of men claimed to be Congress members can be seen. Among them, the one posing as the leader is apparently arguing with the Karnataka police. The claims suggest that the leader has invited the police to their home to say that things will be done as he says.

Twitter user विधी दीक्षित52 also shared the video in question on May 16 with a caption in Hindi that says, “Karnataka: Congress MLA “Zafar Hussain Meraj” Jachatiyal (Nampally MLA) called a police officer to his home and explained in a ‘peaceful’ manner that things will be done the way he says”. The tweet has received over 70,000 views and has been retweeted over 2,000 times. (Archive)

कर्नाटक:<कांग्रेसी MLA”जफर हुसैन मेराज”
(नामपल्ली विधायक) जाचटियाल ने एक पुलिस
अधिकारी (एसबी) को घर बुलाकर….

शांति प्रिय’ ढंग से समझाते हुए।कहां जैसा हम कहेंगे वैसा ही करना होगा”

“Zafar Hussain Merajsh (MLA,
Nampally) in Jagtial” pic.twitter.com/FrusN4YQaX

— विधी दीक्षित52 (@vdsarma52) May 15, 2023

Twitter Blue user ‘ProfKapilKumar,Determined Nationalist’ who has more than 20,000 followers on the platform, also shared the above video on May 17 with a caption in Hindi that said, “You have to act as we tell you. In Karnataka, a Congress MLA called a police officer to his home and explains to him in a peaceful way. ”. (Archive)

*जैसा हम कहेंगे वैसा करना पड़ेगा।कर्नाटक में कांग्रेसी विधायक एक पुलिस अधिकारी को अपने घर बुलाकर शांति प्रिय ढंग से समझाते हुए।*
pic.twitter.com/BxcIHyFXRz

— ProfKapilKumar,Determined Nationalist (@ProfKapilKumar) May 17, 2023

G V Nair, who is also a Twitter Blue user, posted the video with the above caption. (Archive)

*जैसा हम कहेंगे वैसा करना पड़ेगा।कर्नाटक में कांग्रेसी विधायक एक पुलिस अधिकारी को अपने घर बुलाकर शांति प्रिय ढंग से समझाते हुए।*

सरकार बसल्यावर काय करतील@INCKarnataka @BJP4Karnataka @hd_kumaraswamy pic.twitter.com/qXP8Ho67T1

— G V NairNaMo (@gvnair91) May 17, 2023

Multiple other users, including @angryladki, @Sarvesh38453373, @SKishor_ and @SinghOfMaha, shared the video on various social media platforms. Some of them can be seen below:

Fact Check

On running a reverse image search, we came across a news report by Deccan Chronicle from May 11 that carried a screenshot of the viral video. The report headline says: “Jagtial rural SI who attacked woman & her mother suspended”. The caption of the image carried in the article said, “MIM leaders meet Police Superintendent A Bhaskar in his office regarding the attack on a student and her mother in an RTC bus.”

According to the DC report, on May 11, A Anil, a sub-inspector of police at Jagtial (a city in Telangana), was suspended on the charge of attacking two women passengers — mother and daughter — in an RTC bus. The report also mentioned that earlier on the same day of the SI’s suspension, Nampally MLA and AIMIM leader Jaffar Hussain Meraj and the district unit president Younus Nadeem visited the house of the woman involved in the row, who is also a postgraduate student.

The MLA also tweeted the above on May 11. (Archive)

On the guidance of #AIMIM President @asadowaisi & Floor Leader @imAkbarOwaisi.

After the Bus Incident of Jagtial Sub-Inspector, I reached Jagtial and met with the victims family and assured them that we’ll demand immediate Suspension and strict action against the Sub-Inspector. pic.twitter.com/kXqrU7EiuW

— Jaffar Hussain Meraj (@Jaffarhusainmla) May 11, 2023

We also noticed a few things in the viral video —

1. The AIMIM symbol on the top right corner of the video

2. Mention of the MLA’s name and the place

The text in the video clearly states, “Jafar Hussain Meraj Sb (MLA, Nampally) in Jagtial” indicating that the incident is from Telangana.

Therefore, it is clear that the video is not from Karnataka, but from Telangana and it features AIMIM leader Jaffar Hussain Meraj with other party members talking to the Telangana police about SI Anil’s suspension.

Claim II: Congress Supporters Threaten Karnataka Police

A 15-second long video of a man in a skullcap threatening a policeman is being shared on social media with a caption in Hindi that says, “Congress’ win: The chief minister hasn’t even taken oath yet and this is the situation in Karnataka”.

Twitter Blue user Vini shared the said video on May 15 with the above caption in Hindi. (Archive)

*कांग्रेस की जीत : अभी तो मुख्य मंत्री ने शपथ भी नही ली और ये हाल है कर्नाटक में pic.twitter.com/5QA05a7YJk

— VINI (@Vini__007) May 15, 2023

Another Twitter user called Naren Mukherjee also shared the above video with a similar claim. (Archive)

कांग्रेस की जीत : अभी तो मुख्य मंत्री ने शपथ भी नही ली और ये हाल है कर्नाटक में। pic.twitter.com/epzphCS6Es

— Naren Mukherjee (@NMukherjee6) May 16, 2023

Many other users also shared the video in question with similar claims on social media.

Fact Check

First, we noticed that under Naren Mukherjee’s tweet, a few users had commented that the video is old and some even mentioned that it is from Maharashtra.

To check this, we broke down the video into multiple key-frames and ran a reverse image search on a few of them. This led us to a longer version of the viral video on a Facebook post made on September 20, 2018. We noticed that at the 0:20 mark of the video, one person speaks to the policeman in Marathi.

Under the video, we also came across a comment made on March 9, 2021, that says in Marathi, “This video is from Chopda bus stand. It is from 3 years back. Everything happened because the fruit seller was hit by the police”.

With all the above information we ran a relevant keyword search on Facebook and came across videos posted in September 2018 about the incident.

We also contacted Chopda police station to confirm the fact and police personnel from the control room said that the incident was indeed from 2018 and it occurred at Chopda bus stand.

“Police constable Shrikhant Gangurde was posted on duty there and he asked the fruit sellers to move away from where they had set their stores within the bus stand since that area was reserved for the physically challenged people and that’s when the two got into a scuffle”: Chopda police station.

The control room also said that they had charged those those who caused trouble while Gangurde was on duty under IPC section 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), and the matter is still pending in court.

Therefore, the viral video of a skull-capped man threatening a policeman is not from Karnataka. It is a 2018 incident from Maharashtra.

The post Telangana, Maharashtra videos shared out of context with false claims about Cong high-handedness in Karnataka appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Claim I: Congress Leaders Dictating Terms to Karnataka Police

A video is being shared on social media where a group of men claimed to be Congress members can be seen. Among them, the one posing as the leader is apparently arguing with the Karnataka police. The claims suggest that the leader has invited the police to their home to say that things will be done as he says.

Twitter user विधी दीक्षित52 also shared the video in question on May 16 with a caption in Hindi that says, “Karnataka: Congress MLA “Zafar Hussain Meraj” Jachatiyal (Nampally MLA) called a police officer to his home and explained in a ‘peaceful’ manner that things will be done the way he says”. The tweet has received over 70,000 views and has been retweeted over 2,000 times. (Archive)

कर्नाटक:<कांग्रेसी MLA”जफर हुसैन मेराज”
(नामपल्ली विधायक) जाचटियाल ने एक पुलिस
अधिकारी (एसबी) को घर बुलाकर….

शांति प्रिय’ ढंग से समझाते हुए।कहां जैसा हम कहेंगे वैसा ही करना होगा”

“Zafar Hussain Merajsh (MLA,
Nampally) in Jagtial” pic.twitter.com/FrusN4YQaX

— विधी दीक्षित52 (@vdsarma52) May 15, 2023

Twitter Blue user ‘ProfKapilKumar,Determined Nationalist’ who has more than 20,000 followers on the platform, also shared the above video on May 17 with a caption in Hindi that said, “You have to act as we tell you. In Karnataka, a Congress MLA called a police officer to his home and explains to him in a peaceful way. ”. (Archive)

*जैसा हम कहेंगे वैसा करना पड़ेगा।कर्नाटक में कांग्रेसी विधायक एक पुलिस अधिकारी को अपने घर बुलाकर शांति प्रिय ढंग से समझाते हुए।*
pic.twitter.com/BxcIHyFXRz

— ProfKapilKumar,Determined Nationalist (@ProfKapilKumar) May 17, 2023

G V Nair, who is also a Twitter Blue user, posted the video with the above caption. (Archive)

*जैसा हम कहेंगे वैसा करना पड़ेगा।कर्नाटक में कांग्रेसी विधायक एक पुलिस अधिकारी को अपने घर बुलाकर शांति प्रिय ढंग से समझाते हुए।*

सरकार बसल्यावर काय करतील@INCKarnataka @BJP4Karnataka @hd_kumaraswamy pic.twitter.com/qXP8Ho67T1

— G V NairNaMo (@gvnair91) May 17, 2023

Multiple other users, including @angryladki, @Sarvesh38453373, @SKishor_ and @SinghOfMaha, shared the video on various social media platforms. Some of them can be seen below:

Fact Check

On running a reverse image search, we came across a news report by Deccan Chronicle from May 11 that carried a screenshot of the viral video. The report headline says: “Jagtial rural SI who attacked woman & her mother suspended”. The caption of the image carried in the article said, “MIM leaders meet Police Superintendent A Bhaskar in his office regarding the attack on a student and her mother in an RTC bus.”

According to the DC report, on May 11, A Anil, a sub-inspector of police at Jagtial (a city in Telangana), was suspended on the charge of attacking two women passengers — mother and daughter — in an RTC bus. The report also mentioned that earlier on the same day of the SI’s suspension, Nampally MLA and AIMIM leader Jaffar Hussain Meraj and the district unit president Younus Nadeem visited the house of the woman involved in the row, who is also a postgraduate student.

The MLA also tweeted the above on May 11. (Archive)

On the guidance of #AIMIM President @asadowaisi & Floor Leader @imAkbarOwaisi.

After the Bus Incident of Jagtial Sub-Inspector, I reached Jagtial and met with the victims family and assured them that we’ll demand immediate Suspension and strict action against the Sub-Inspector. pic.twitter.com/kXqrU7EiuW

— Jaffar Hussain Meraj (@Jaffarhusainmla) May 11, 2023

We also noticed a few things in the viral video —

1. The AIMIM symbol on the top right corner of the video

2. Mention of the MLA’s name and the place

The text in the video clearly states, “Jafar Hussain Meraj Sb (MLA, Nampally) in Jagtial” indicating that the incident is from Telangana.

Therefore, it is clear that the video is not from Karnataka, but from Telangana and it features AIMIM leader Jaffar Hussain Meraj with other party members talking to the Telangana police about SI Anil’s suspension.

Claim II: Congress Supporters Threaten Karnataka Police

A 15-second long video of a man in a skullcap threatening a policeman is being shared on social media with a caption in Hindi that says, “Congress’ win: The chief minister hasn’t even taken oath yet and this is the situation in Karnataka”.

Twitter Blue user Vini shared the said video on May 15 with the above caption in Hindi. (Archive)

*कांग्रेस की जीत : अभी तो मुख्य मंत्री ने शपथ भी नही ली और ये हाल है कर्नाटक में pic.twitter.com/5QA05a7YJk

— VINI (@Vini__007) May 15, 2023

Another Twitter user called Naren Mukherjee also shared the above video with a similar claim. (Archive)

कांग्रेस की जीत : अभी तो मुख्य मंत्री ने शपथ भी नही ली और ये हाल है कर्नाटक में। pic.twitter.com/epzphCS6Es

— Naren Mukherjee (@NMukherjee6) May 16, 2023

Many other users also shared the video in question with similar claims on social media.

Fact Check

First, we noticed that under Naren Mukherjee’s tweet, a few users had commented that the video is old and some even mentioned that it is from Maharashtra.

To check this, we broke down the video into multiple key-frames and ran a reverse image search on a few of them. This led us to a longer version of the viral video on a Facebook post made on September 20, 2018. We noticed that at the 0:20 mark of the video, one person speaks to the policeman in Marathi.

Under the video, we also came across a comment made on March 9, 2021, that says in Marathi, “This video is from Chopda bus stand. It is from 3 years back. Everything happened because the fruit seller was hit by the police”.

With all the above information we ran a relevant keyword search on Facebook and came across videos posted in September 2018 about the incident.

We also contacted Chopda police station to confirm the fact and police personnel from the control room said that the incident was indeed from 2018 and it occurred at Chopda bus stand.

“Police constable Shrikhant Gangurde was posted on duty there and he asked the fruit sellers to move away from where they had set their stores within the bus stand since that area was reserved for the physically challenged people and that’s when the two got into a scuffle”: Chopda police station.

The control room also said that they had charged those those who caused trouble while Gangurde was on duty under IPC section 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), and the matter is still pending in court.

Therefore, the viral video of a skull-capped man threatening a policeman is not from Karnataka. It is a 2018 incident from Maharashtra.

The post Telangana, Maharashtra videos shared out of context with false claims about Cong high-handedness in Karnataka appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Oishani Bhattacharya.

Several FIRs have been lodged against him for his incendiary speeches in Maharashtra. The latest was on March 19 when he and Sudarshan News editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke were booked for delivering communally charged speeches at a Hindu Jangarjna Rally organized by ‘Sakal Hindu Ekatrikaran Samiti’. They were booked under IPC sections 153 for wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot, 153 (A) for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place etc and under Section 505 for making statements amounting to public mischief. Some of the attendees broke a large illuminating board reading ‘I Love Aurangabad’ and also posted photos and videos on social media. Some of them allegedly pelted stones at Nirala Bazar- bank and broke its glasses, tore down banners and flexes, etc.

An FIR against suspended BJP MLA from Telangana T Raja Singh was registered by the Shrirampur City police in Ahmednagar on the basis of a complaint by a resident, accusing the leader of delivering a vitriolic speech on March 10 when an organization invited him to deliver a speech on Chhatrapati Shivaji Jayanti.

Earlier, T Raja had been issued a notice for an old remark on January 19 under the CrPC Section 41 A (3) and (4). He was again served a notice on January 30 after his speech at the ‘Hindu Jan Akhrosh Morcha’. On February 2, a lawyer requested an urgent hearing in the Supreme Court against the Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha programme slated for February 5 in Mumbai. He argued that in a similar event held in the city on January 29, there were calls for violence and boycott against Muslims. The court, however, passed an order permitting the ‘Hindu Jan Akhrosh Rally’ to be held on February 5.

Below, Alt News has attempted to analyze and document the speeches by T Raja Singh in various parts of Maharashtra over the past one month. All of the speeches are available on his YouTube channel.

March 10 Speech in Shrirampur

Twitter account Hindutva Watch tweeted a clip from the speech in Shrirampur on March 10. T Raja can be heard addressing Muslims as ‘Landya’, an anti-Muslim slur. “Jo bhi landya Love Jihad karega, arey beta tum aadhe kate ho, pure kaat denge“, Singh is heard telling the sizeable crowd as he is met with a huge rounds of applause from the audience and organizers. He then says that Muslims won’t even get loudspeakers to pray 5 times a day in a Hindu Rashtra.

Singh also lauds Balasaheb Thackeray, who he claims, openly threatened to ‘clean out’ the landya by shooting them. He goes on to claim that Thackeray spoke of ‘eliminating’ insects and cockroaches (Muslims) with a spray. He also claims that Thackeray described the ideal Hindu youth to be the ones who can kill anyone who opposes the Hindutva faith or the country, or anyone who commits Land Jihad or Love Jihad. He then urges his audience to listen to Thackeray’s speech and ‘implement’ it.

We have accessed more footage of T Raja Singh’s hate speech in Shrirampur, Maharashtra, and found disturbing dehumanizing references, calling Muslims as “cockroaches”.

Raja Singh also called for large-scale violence and an economic boycott of Muslims.@DGPMaharashtra must act!… https://t.co/XLzTAC6HJ6 pic.twitter.com/uYzyJz2Vsa

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) March 12, 2023

In another clip of the speech uploaded by HindutvaWatch, Singh can be seen calling for a large-scale economic boycott of Muslims by urging them to refrain from buying products with Halal certification. He stated that sellers of halal-certified products fund terror organizations and instructs his audience to buy only from ’tilaakdhaaris’, not buy even 1 rupee worth of products from Muslims. He also encourages the demolishing of kabrs or tombs as it will ‘strengthen the Hindutva faith’.

2/2 pic.twitter.com/ses0WC90th

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) March 12, 2023

The full speech has been uploaded to T Raja Singh’s YouTube channel. Below is a summary.

On March 10, Singh started his speech by saying that the country does not need ‘na-mard’ youth who identify as secular citizens and don’t raise their voices to support Hindutva. He expressed the need for men who reinforce the traditions and values preached by Chhatrapati Shivaji. He went on to deny claims that Chhatrapati Shivaji’s army included several Muslim persons, whom he refers to as ‘harami landya’. “All of the wars that Chhatrapati Shivaji fought were against these harami landya“. His words were met with a huge round of applause from the audience. Between the 7:00 and 8:00 minute mark, Singh used the word ‘landya’ four times. Singh then went on to speak about constructing a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at the intersection in Shrirampur. He encouraged his followers to destroy any politician who opposes the construction. 

Singh touched upon the topic of ‘Love Jihad’ next. Using the example of Shraddha Walkar’s murder, he can be heard saying, “Shraddha was taken to Delhi where she was cut into 35 pieces by these haraamis“. He says that it is imperative for Hindus to read the histories of Jijabai, Rani of Jhansi and Ahillyabai to realize who to befriend and who to stay away from. He also stresses the need to educate Hindu daughters about the dangers of love jihad and the supposed targeted killing of Hindus in several areas of the country. He also talks about a supposed unit, set up for the purpose of ‘Love Jihad’. Apparently, rates have also been set for girls belonging to different communities, for instance, Brahmin girls for Rs 5 lacs, Rajput girls for Rs 4 Lac, etc. Singh asks, “Who is giving these landya money? How are they getting money for conversions, Love Jihad? These haramis are financially supported by units, all across the country, to trap our daughters and sisters“.

The reader must note that the Love Jihad rate card reference that Singh used in his speech has been debunked several times in the past. This is not the only time he has used this piece of misinformation in his speech. He was heard referring to the rate card during his speech at the ‘Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha’ in Mumbai on January 29.

Singh spoke about how ‘Love Jihadis’ become especially active during the Navratri season. He claimed that they put on tilak and enter the Garba events to trap Hindu women. Apparently, 4000-5000 cases of love jihad are found to happen at Garba events every year. He then made an open threat of violence by asking the police to either stop the ‘love jihadis’ from entering Garba events or letting them take matters into their own hands. “In the future, if the law and order are disturbed, then don’t blame us“, says Singh.

Singh also lauded Eknath Shinde for demolishing “unauthorized structures” around Afzal Khan’s tomb. He then urged him to demolish other Muslim structures- “The more you break these (structures) down, the Hindutva faith will be further strengthened”. He also urged the Maharashtra chief minister should follow the pattern set by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Singh also said the encroachments from the forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should be removed just like the tomb of Afzal Khan at the Pratapgad fort in Satara district of Maharashtra. “Shinde should also be known as bulldozer Eknath Shinde”.

T Raja furthered the narrative of divisive politics by using the rhetoric that Hindus and Muslims are incapable of co-existing peacefully. “Shivaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb can never be brothers. Veer Maharana Pratap and Akbar can never be brothers. People who say Vande Mataram and people who oppose Vande Mataram, can they ever be brothers?… The day you start worshipping Gaumata, the day you utter Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai, the day you give up committing crimes of love jihad, we will decide if can call you landya brothers”.

“Some people are opposed to changing Aurangabad’s name. Some people are opposed to changing Usmanabad’s name. I want to tell those landyas that this is just the beginning. Ahmednagar’s name will also change. Ahillyabai Nagar will be implemented and we will fully erase Ahmednagar. Hyderabad will also be changed to Bhagyanagar. Some say that they were born in Aurangabad and they will die in Aurangabad too. To those haramis I want to say: You were born in Aurangabad but you will die in Sambhajinagar, you will die in a Hindurashtra,” roared Singh as he was met with collective cheer from the audience.

March 19 Speech in Aurangabad

T Raja and Sudarshan News’ editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke delivered communally charged speeches during the Hindu Jangarjna Rally on March 19, while sharing the dais with religious leaders and two state cabinet minsters, Sandipan Bhumare and Atul Save. Shiv Sena MLA Pradeep Jaiswal and BJP MLA Shivendra Raje Bhosale were also present. The rally led to the damaging of public property and the pelting of stones by some of the attendees. Seven FIRs were filed, including for rioting and the damage to public property act. In the seventh FIR, Raja and Chavhanke have also booked under sections They were booked under IPC sections 153 for wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot, 153 (A) for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place etc and under Section 505 for making statements amounting to public mischief.

BJP MLA Shivendrasinghraje Bhonsle also posted images of himself from the event on Instagram.

Twitter account HindutvaWatch tweeted several clips from the speech. In the first one, T Raja can be heard asking his audience whether they want to shoot ‘Love Jihadis’ to which they reply in an affirmative cheer. “Take your teams to wherever there is a case of Love Jihad. Are you scared? In the future, whenever you’re scared, remember Shambhaji Maharaj. If the authorities don’t comply, they’re are already half circumcised, cut them entirely“, says Singh in an open call for violence. This particular line had been used by Singh in his Shrirampur speech as well.

Location: Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Far-right leader and Telangana legislator T Raja Singh continues delivering hate speech targeting Muslims. He demonized Muslims and gave calls for mass violence.

He spoke at an event organized by Sakal Hindu Samaj, a far-right coalition of… https://t.co/Mxs5C7gFYD pic.twitter.com/hmXfxR8tiH

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) March 19, 2023

He was also heard passing remarks against AIMIM leader Asaddudin Owaisi. According to him, Owaisi wasn’t successful in serving Muslims and thus would be incapable of serving Hindus. Muslims under him are unhappy, and he is here to fool the people. He is the older bulldog and his brother is the younger bulldog. “Yeh napunsak hai saale landya. Aur yeh napunsakon ko kaise sabak seekhana hai, mai aap sabko yehi kehna chaunga jis prakar se Chhaatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ne Afzal Khan ko sabak sikhaya, aaj inn gaddaron ko usi prakar se sabak seekhana hai“, thundered Singh while addressing the Owaisis.

Raja Singh also used derogatory remarks against @asadowaisi and threatened violence. pic.twitter.com/K87DTqYiTb

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) March 19, 2023

One can find the entire speech at Aurangabad on his official YouTube channel.

As in the Shrirampur speech, T Raja addressed those who oppose Aurangabad’s name change and said, “To those haramis I want to say: You were born in Aurangabad but you will die in Sambhajinagar, you will die in a Sambhaji Nagar, in a Hindurashtra. Whoever comes up to claim Aurnagabd’s name, you will be destroyed”.  He then called for an economic boycott of Muslims. Raja claimed that Balasaheb Thackeray had imagined the ideal Hindu to be the ones who shoot Muslims (whom he refers to as ‘landyas’) and not ones to ring bells at Mandirs.

Here he calls for violence against those who are resisting the name change of Aurangabad pic.twitter.com/izBetLFuni

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) March 19, 2023

March 5 Speech in Malang Gad

On March 5, T Raja Singh had given a similar speech at an event organized by the Sakal Hindu Samaj, attended by thousands of people. He made several open calls for violence against Muslims whom he referred to as ‘landya’ and ‘haraami’. He even made threats to unfurl the saffron flag atop Haji Abdul Dargah and remove any of its traces.

Below, we have summarized the entire speech, which is available on his YouTube channel titled “जो हिन्दू हित की बात करेगा वही देश पे राज करेगा” (Translation:)

In his speech, Singh reiterated how Hindus are victims of ‘Love Jihad’, ‘Land Jihad’ and the disrespect of religious beliefs in their own land. “…Gaaye har Hindu ki mata hai, lekin yeh landya humare gaumata ko kaattey hai“. He urged all the Hindus of Malangad to stand united and stop the ‘illegal construction’ of Islamic structures like Dargahs and mosques. Speaking about authoritative action against these constructions, Singh can be heard saying, “Mujhe toh lagta hai, ke kuch department ke log in landon ke talve chaat rahe hai” (Translation: I feel that some department people are bootlickers of these landya). This sentence was met with a loud cheer and the sound of conches.

Speaking about Love Jihad, he urged all the women in his audience to be like Jijamata, apparently implying that they should bring up children who would fight against Muslims. He also spoke about a supposed gang actively committing crimes of ‘Love Jihad’, similar to his speech in Shrirampur. “It is your dream to raise two children — One a doctor and one an engineer — and build your dream house with the money that they earn. But remember that these people (Muslims) will take over the houses that you build with your hard-earned money. What happened in Kashmir will happen at every corner of the country…” says Singh. He urged people to stop believing in secularism since India would turn into a Hindu Rashtra in the near future. He further instructed his followers in Malangad to refrain from donating even 1 rupee to ‘green topiwallas’. Singh also reiterated that Hindus and Muslims can never ‘be brothers’.

T Raja called for a large-scale economic boycott of Muslims during his speech in Malang Gad as well. “Jaha se aap kalesh aur pichkari khareedon, yeh dekhlo ki waha par koi Abdul toh nahi naitha hai?…Agar colour khareedna ho toh kisi tilakdhari se khareedo“.  T Raja Singh ended his speech by demanding the changing of names of cities to Hindu names.

Feb 26 Speech in Solapur

While addressing a sizeable crowd at the Hindu Garjana Morcha in Solapur, Maharashtra on February 26, T Raja Singh called for laws against land jihad and love jihad. He had, once again, called on Hindus to pick up arms against Muslims and pitched for an economic boycott against the community. “Agar Love Jihad aur Gau hatya par kanoon nahi banega toh aane wale samay mein, jo Love Jihad karega, jo dharmantar karega, jo meri Gaumata ko kaatega — jis prakar se Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ne 12 saal ki umar mein kasai ka haat kaat kar Gaumata ki raksha kiyi thi — uss prakar se Bharat ka Hindu talvaar uthakar un kutto ko jawaab dega“.

He can be heard saying that, to prevent ‘landyas’ from trapping Hindu daughters and sisters, Hindus need to spread awareness against ‘Love Jihad’ and religious conversion by regularly speaking to the younger generation about it. He claimed that 35,000 girls had been victims of Love Jihad in Kerala. The reader must note that Alt News had debunked this blatant misinformation that was popularized through the trailer of the movie, The Kerala Story. He further claimed that Muslims (whom he refers to as ‘landyas‘) trap Hindu women and assault them if they don’t want to turn into ‘child-bearing machines’. He can also be heard referring to the oft-repeated theory of fictional rate cards.

Here too, he called for an economic boycott of the Muslim producers. “Dargah mein mannat maangne waalo, tumhare ghar mein Chhatrapati Shivaji hoga ya Afzal Khan paida hoga?…… Jo bhi Hindu Hindi baat karega wohi desh mein raaj karega, woh hi Maharashtra mein raaj karega”. He was also heard implying Hindus and Muslims could nnot exist together unless they stop committing crimes of trapping Hindu women, killing gaumata (used the term haramipana) and other rhetoric. Here too, he demanded a change of names of cities like Usmanabad and Ahmednagar.

The Solapur rally was also addressed by Dhananjay Desai, the president of Hindu Rashtra Sena.

To sum up, undaunted by FIRs, T Raja Singh has continued to use slurs and abuses against Muslims in his speeches. He has also harped on the conspiracy theories like ‘Love Jihad’ and ‘Land Jihad’, and some oft-repeated false claims which are regular features of the Right Wing rhetoric. Call for violence against Muslims and economic blockade apart, he has upped the ante on his demands for Hindu Rashtra in his latest speeches in Maharashtra.

The post Unaffected by FIRs, T Raja Singh continues calling for killing of Muslims in rally after rally in Maharashtra appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

The impact of these rumours was felt largely in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, where people began attacking any unknown individual or group of people deemed suspicious. The victims included mentally challenged persons and ordinary people. For example, a mentally ill woman was beaten up in Sitapur, UP. Mentally challenged boys were being beaten up on charges of child theft in Bhadohi in UP.

A similar pattern had also been observed in 2019, when people were beaten up in several parts of India over rumours of child theft. Alt News had debunked these rumours back then, and continues to keep an eye on the situation. Taking cognizance of these cases, police have, in many isntances, dismissed the rumours. Sitapur Police, Moradabad Police, Bareilly Police and Hardoi Police have issued statements.

On September 13, news broke of four sadhus being beaten up in Maharashtra’s Sangli district over child theft rumours. The police arrested six people while investigating this case. Reporting on the incident, ABP News aired a video in which a mob is seen beating up sadhus with sticks in front of a shop. ABP News ran the footage as sadhus being thrashed in Maharashtra by locals who mistook them for child kidnappers in Sangli district of Maharashtra. (Archived link)

BREAKING | महाराष्ट्र के सांगली मे साधुओं की पिटाई, स्थानीय लोगों ने बेरहमी से पीटाhttps://t.co/p8nVQWYM7F@surajojhaa | @AnchorSonal95 #Breaking #Maharashtra #Sangli #MaharashtraNews pic.twitter.com/ybjrQd5nN1

— ABP News (@ABPNews) September 13, 2022

News18 India also played several videos claiming this, in which the first is of the mob thrashing sadhus in front of the shop. (Archived link)

महाराष्ट्र के सांगली में बच्चा चोर होने के शक में 4 साधुओं की बेरहमी से पिटाई, मथुरा के रहने वाले हैं साधु, विडियो वायरल #ChildTheft #ChildLifter #BachchaChor #Maharashtra #Sangli #Sadhu pic.twitter.com/BE73hJlIl5

— News18 India (@News18India) September 14, 2022

Times Now Navbharat also amplified this video with the same claim. (Archived link)

#BreakingNow: महाराष्ट्र के सांगली में साधुओं से मारपीट, बच्चा चोरी की अफवाह में साधुओं को पीटा @iamdeepikayadav #Sangli #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/VWqrnwbQXH

— Times Now Navbharat (@TNNavbharat) September 14, 2022

Several news outlets followed suit, including Aaj Tak, Republic Live, News18 Lokmat, RSS mouthpiece Organiser Weekly, Zee Salaam, Maharashtra Times, India TV Hindi, Bharat 24, Amar Ujala, right-wing portal OpIndia, and The Lallantop. Navbharat Times journalists ‘Bhadohi Wala’ and Alok Kumar along with India TV Hindi journalist Vikash Tiwary and ISKCON vice-president and spokesperson Radharaman Das also shared the video claiming the incident was from Sangli.

Fact-check

Alt News had already investigated the video in question a few days ago. However, other media organisations remained oblivious to this and amplified the video without prior verification.

Actually, this video is not from the incident in Sangli district of Maharashtra, nor were the sadhus seen in it beaten up due to the allegation of child theft. The real incident took place in Maharashtra’s Raisen district. IBC24 reported on the incident on August 8, 2022. According to the caption, it took place in Raisen where a group of men had come to commit theft disguised as sadhus. They were later attacked by villagers.

Navbharat Times also reported about this incident on August 7. According to the article, some sadhus had robbed a woman after knocking her unconscious in Paloha, located in the Mandideep police station area of ​​Raisen district. The perpetrators, who were dressed as sadhus, stole jewellery and cash from the woman’s house. The villagers tried to find them and discovered they were staying in Pipaliya Gajju village, adjacent to Paloha. After thrashing the sadhus, the locals handed them over to the police. Mandideep Police registered a case against six people in this case and started an investigation. The article quoted police as saying that the accused were residents of Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh.

In its coverage of the incident, One India shared a few screengrabs from the video. Police have identified the accused as Bacchu Joshi, Lovelesh Goswami, Mithilesh Goswami, MLA Goswami, Gulab Joshi and Ramswaroop Goswami.

Alt News also reached out to the Mandideep Police Station for more information. SHO Manoj Singh told us that the accused were there to are known to commit some petty theft, disguising as sadhus. The villagers caught and beat them up. They were later taken into custody. 

Alt News also spoke to Raisen SP Vikas Kumar Sehwal. The police officer told us that the incident was not one of sadhus trying to kidnap children. He said that the sadhus had come to the village to perform a pooja. They asked a woman for gold and silver jewellery for the ceremony. They stole those ornaments and fled. Police registered a case and sent the accused to jail.

In other words, this incident is actually from the Paloha village located in Maharashtra’s Raisen district in which locals nabbed a group of thieves who were dressed as sadhus. A video of this was falsely promoted by media organisations as sadhus being beaten up in Maharashtra’s Sangli district over suspicions of child theft. 

At the same time, such incidents are nothing new. Media outlets have often aired visuals accompanied by misleading claims without verifying them first. Alt News has debunked such fake news circulated by other outlets several times in the past. 

The post Media houses shared unrelated video from MP as sadhus beaten up for child theft in Maharashtra appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Kinjal.

Facebook pages Hindutva and Namo Dobara, Facebook group We Support Amit Shah, Twitter user The Sanatan Uday and Tulsi Ahuja and several others amplified the claim.

This is not the first time this image was circulated with such a claim. In fact, it was shared on social media with the same claim in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Fact-check

We performed a reverse image search and located the image on stock photo website Shutterstock. It says that the image shows the courtyard of Kashi Vishweshwar temple located in the Wai district of Maharashtra.

Based on this information, we performed some keyword searches on YouTube and found a video of the Kashi Vishweshwar Temple in Maharashtra. In this video, the Nandi idol seen in the viral graphic appears at the 0:52 mark.

Thus, the Nandi idol seen in the viral picture is actually from the courtyard of the Kashi Vishweshwar temple located in Maharashtra’s Wai district. The image was falsely circulated on social media in connection with the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Gyanvapi Mosque located in Varanasi.

The post Nandi idol in Maharashtra temple falsely viral as idol facing Gyanvapi mosque appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.