Outdated Video of Police Assaulting a Man in India Shared as Recent
The Claim
The video shows radical Hindu police assaulting an elderly Muslim man.
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Emerging story
Social media users are circulating a video of police officers in India brutally attacking an elderly man. Users claimed that the police were radicalized Hindus while the elderly man was Muslim.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s team investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The video dates back to 2020 and occurred during India’s COVID-19 lockdown.
Video of Police Brutality During India’s COVID-19 Lockdown
By researching the claim, it was revealed that the video dates back to early April 2020, during India’s COVID-19 lockdown, which was announced in March of the same year, affecting India’s population of 1.3 billion. The video was found on YouTube as well as Twitter as can be seen below, with the dates underlined.
Photo Description: Screenshots of the video shared in April 2020.
The video was taken in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, after citizens allegedly attacked police and attempted to burn a police station in protest over lockdown regulations. This led to police assaulting citizens, who were later criticized for using excessive force and using violent means to enforce lockdown rules.
Protests in India Following Derogatory Remarks about Prophet Muhammad
The claim comes following increasing tensions between Hindus and Muslims in India. The latest of which saw clashes between people from the two religions after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokespeople made derogatory comments about Prophet Muhammad. Police opened fire to disperse the crowds. Two teenagers were killed in the clashes. However, it is still unclear if they were killed by police or rioters. According to police, at least 14 police officials were also injured. Since then, internet services were suspended, and a curfew imposed to deescalate the unrest. Protests also occurred in other parts of the country including New Delhi and Srinagar.
Photo Description: Article reporting on the death of two people as Muslims and Hindus clash.
Based on these findings, Misbar confirms the claim is misleading despite the escalating religious tensions in the country, the video is outdated and unrelated to the recent events.
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