Old Video From Anti-CAA Protest Falsely Passed As Police Thrashing People Involved In Recent Kanpur Violence

A viral video is being shared by users on social media claiming that it is from the police action on the people involved in the recent communal violence in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The video shows the policemen hitting people with canes or 'lathis', in a place that looks like a market area.

The communal clashes in Kanpur started in the Beckanganj region on June 3, after a bandh was called by a local group against the derogatory remarks made by the now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammad. It led to a mob forcing shopkeepers to shut down their shops, and violent clashes between the two religious groups. The arrest tally stands at around 50, as reported by Times Now.

The post is being shared with a sarcastic caption, "#योगी_जी के जन्मदिन के अवसर पर. यह विशाल भंडारा कानपुर में चल रहा है जिन्हें भी विशाल भंडारे में प्रसाद लेना चाहते हैं वह लाइन से क्रमबद्ध होकर अवश्य पधारें उन्हें प्रसाद संपूर्ण रूप से दिया जाएगा ताकि दोबारा आपको प्रसाद लेने की आवश्यकता ना पड़े आइए और प्रसाद ग्रहण कीजिए विशाल भंडारे में आप ही का प्रसाद है और आप ही को दिया जा रहा है जैसा आप ने बनाया है वैसा ही आप को परोसा जा रहा है"

[English Translation: On #Yogi ji's birthday, this huge bhandara is going on in Kanpur. Whoever wants to take prasad from the huge bhandara, must stand in line, so that complete prasad can be given and you don't have to stand in line again. It's your prasad, and it's being given to you. It's being served to you just like how you've made it.]

A Facebook user wrote, "#योगी_जी के जन्मदिन के अवसर पर यह विशाल भंडारा कानपुर में चल रहा है जिन्हें भी विशाल भंडारे में प्रसाद लेना चाहते हैं वह लाइन से क्रमबद्ध होकर अवश्य पधारें उन्हें प्रसाद संपूर्ण रूप से दिया जाएगा ताकि दोबारा आपको प्रसाद लेने की आवश्यकता ना पड़े आइए और प्रसाद ग्रहण कीजिए विशाल भंडारे में आप ही का प्रसाद है और आप ही को दिया जा रहा है जैसा आप ने बनाया है वैसा ही आप को परोसा जा रहा है."

[English Translation: On #Yogi ji's birthday, this huge bhandara is going on in Kanpur. Whoever wants to take prasad from the huge bhandara, must stand in line, so that complete prasad can be given and you don't have to stand in line again. It's your prasad, and it's being given to you. It's being served to you just like how you've made it.]

It is being widely shared on Facebook and Twitter with a similar claim.

Claim:

Viral video shows UP Police thrashing people involved in the recent communal violence in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Fact Check:

The Logical Indian fact check team verified the viral claim and found it to be false. The viral video is from Anti-CAA protest in 2019.

During the initial investigation, we used InVid's Keyframe Analysis tool to isolate the keyframes of the viral video. We then conducted a reverse image search on one of the keyframes which led us to video report of Hindustan dated 20 December 2019. According to the report, the viral video is from Nakhas Chowk in Gorakhpur where people protested against CAA and pelted stones after which the police lathi-charged and fired tear gas shells to control the situation. At 1:23 second of timestamp, one can see similar footage as seen in the viral video.

The discription of the video report reads in English, "After the incident of stone pelting at Nakhas Chowk during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the police used tear gas to control the protesters. The police also resorted to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control and disperse the furious mob. After the Friday prayers, the people who came out of the Jama Masjid located at Ghantaghar demonstrated with black bands in their hands. The protesters had reached near Nakhas Chowk when someone threw stones there. After that the atmosphere deteriorated. Stones were pelted from both sides on Nakhas Khoonipur Road and Nakhas Reti Road by the mob. The stone pelting went on for about 15 minutes. During this, the police fired two tear gas shells. A police personnel and another administrative staff are reported to have been injured in stone pelting. The situation is said to be under control at present."

On searching more, we found the same video shared on Facebook in December 2019. Facebook page named UPtv Samachar shared this video.

It is evident from our investigation that the viral video is available on the internet since December 2019. According to media reports, the viral video is of Anti-CAA protest which took place in Nakhas Chowk in Gorakhpur. It has nothing to do with the recent Kanpur violence. Hence, the viral claim is false.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

Also Read: Claim By JP Nadda That India's Per Capita Income Has Doubled Is Misleading