Members of Hindu nationalist outfits held a rally in Maharastra’s capital Mumbai on January 29, raising five key demands. Along with members of the BJP and the Shiv Sena’s Shinde faction, organizations like the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Bajrang Dal (VHP) also took part in it. Against this backdrop, a purported video of Muslims trying to disrupt the rally is being circulated on social media. Sharing the video, BJP worker Pandit Shrikant Upadhyay claimed that a group of Muslims tried to obstruct the rally of Hindu groups Maharashtra. He added that communal violence was avoided thanks to the swift action by the police. (Archived link) A user named Rampal Singh also promoted the clip with this claim. (Archived link) BJP worker Tarun Bhati also tweeted the video and accompanying claim. (Archived link) Several other users also amplified the video with the same claim.

Fact Check

While investigating the claim, Alt News found that the video in question was actually from Nellore, Andhra Pradesh and was shot in April 2022. In fact, Alt News had fact-checked the video last year when it was being circulated alongside false claims made by BJP leaders and media outlets of stone pelting and beer bottles being thrown from a mosque. The incident had happened on April 24, 2022.  Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad workers present at the Shobha Yatra along with an eyewitness inside the mosque explained that both Hindus and Muslims had raised slogans at one another. This was followed by a scuffle. However, no stones or beer bottles were thrown from the mosque. A Hanuman Shobha Yatra was passing in front of the Al Quddus Mosque in Nellore. In a video statement, the then SP of Nellore CH Vijaya Rao had explained, “At one point, they (the procession) crossed the mosque. The DJ sounds had been a little louder and the youth made some bike sounds… and chanting the slogan of Jai Shri Ram. At the same time, youths inside the mosque raised ‘Allahu Akbar’ and showed some signs. Except that there is no throwing of stones or no clashes or no throwing bottles has happened.” [vimeo 703295144 w=640 h=362] To sum it up, social media users falsely circulated footage of an April 2022 incident from Nellore, Andhra Pradesh linking it to the recent rally held by Hindu outfits in Maharashtra’s Mumbai. 
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Religion