A 20-second video of a woman donning a hijab speaking to a reporter is widely circulating on social media. Accompanying claims suggest that she accepted that women protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are taking bribes. The woman can be heard saying, “Women are told to come here for Rs 500 and mainly biryani. You tell me, what is Rs 500 these days? These women leave their home, child, husband and studies and come here. [ Translated from рдФрд░рддреЛрдВ рдХреЛ рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдкреЗ рдмреБрд▓рд╛рдпрд╛ рдЬрд╛ рд░рд╣рд╛ рд╣реИ, Rs 500 рджреЗ рдХрд░ рдХреЗ рдФрд░ рдЦрд╛рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдмрд┐рд░рдпрд╛рдиреА рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП, mainly рдмрд┐рд░рдпрд╛рдиреА рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдпреЗ рдФрд░рддреЛрдВ рдХреЛ Rs 500 рдореЗрдВ рдмреБрд▓рд╛рдпрд╛ рдЬрд╛ рд░рд╣рд╛ рд╣реИ рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдкреЗ рд░реЛрдХрдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдПред рдЕрдм рдЖрдк рдореБрдЭреЗ рдпреЗ рдмрд╛рдд рдмрддрд╛рдЗрдпреЗ рдХрд┐ Rs 500 рдореЗрдВ рдХреНрдпрд╛ рд╣реЛрддрд╛ рд╣реИ рдЖрдЬ рдХрд▓? рдФрд░рддреЗрдВ рдЕрдкрдирд╛ рдШрд░ рдЫреЛрдбрд╝ рдХрд░, рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рдмрдЪреНрдЪреЗ, рдЕрдкрдирд╛ husband, рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рдордореНрдорд╛-рдкрд╛рдкрд╛, рдЕрдкрдиреА рдкрдврд╝рд╛рдИ, рд╕рдм рдЫреЛрдбрд╝ рдХрд░ рд╡реЛ рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдЖрдПрдВрдЧреАред ]”

Twitter user @PrayagrajWale tweeted the viral video along with the following text in Hindi – “Folks from Congress, have some shame at least. How can a helpless woman run her home in Rs 500 and biryani? This is an exploitation of people. And top of this the Lucknow Police won’t allow a dancing car, how can this work? [Translated from рдХрд╛рдВрдЧреНрд░реЗрд╕ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЛрдВ рдХреБрдЫ рддреЛ рд╢рд░реНрдо рдХрд░реЛ,рдПрдХ рдЕрдмрд▓рд╛ рдЦрд╛рддреВрди 500тВ╣ рдФрд░ рдмрд┐рд░рдпрд╛рдиреА рдореЗрдВ рдХреИрд╕реЗ рдЕрдкрдирд╛ рдШрд░ рдЪрд▓рд╛рдПрдЧреА,рд▓реЛрдЧреЛрдВ рдХрд╛ рд╢реЛрд╖рдг рдХрд░ рд░рд╣реЗ рд╣реЛ ,рдКрдкрд░ рд╕реЗ рд▓рдЦрдирдК рдкреБрд▓рд┐рд╕ рд╡рд╣рд╛рдВ рдбрд╛рдВрд╕рд┐рдВрдЧ рдХрд╛рд░ рднреА рдЦрдбрд╝реА рдирд╣реА рд╣реЛрдиреЗ рджреЗ рд░рд╣реА , рдРрд╕реЗ рдХреИрд╕реЗ рдЪрд▓реЗрдЧрд╛]” This tweet has been retweeted over 1,400 times.

Several Facebook and Twitter users have posted the viral video with the same text.

EDITED CLIP

Alt News did a keyword search a video on YouTube and found the original video. It was uploaded by the channel Lucknow Live on January 23. Lucknow Live also uploaded this video with the title ‘рд╕реАрдо рд░рд┐рдЬрд╡реА рдкрд░ рднрдбрд╝рдХреА рдореБрд╕реНрд▓рд┐рдо рдорд╣рд┐рд▓рд╛ [Muslim women attacks Waseem Rizvi] on January 20 on their Facebook page.

In the video, the woman introduces herself as Sameera. The reporter from Lucknow Live asked her, “Yesterday Waseem Rizvi made horrible allegations on the women at the clock tower. What are your comments? [Translated from “рдХрд▓ рд╡рд╕реАрдо рд░рд┐рдЬрд╝рд╡реА рдЬреА рдиреЗ рдПрдХ рд╡реАрдбрд┐рдпреЛ рд░рд┐рд▓реАреЫ рдХрд░реА рд╣реИ, рдЬрд┐рд╕рдореЗрдВ рдЙрдиреНрд╣реЛрдВрдиреЗ рдШрдВрдЯрд╛ рдШрд░ рдХреА рдорд╣рд┐рд▓рд╛рдУрдВ рдкреЗ рдмрд╣реБрдд рд╣реА рд╕рдВрдЧреАрди рдЗрд▓реНрдЬрд╛рдо рд▓рдЧрд╛рдП рд╣реИрдВред рдЙрд╕рдХреЗ рдКрдкрд░ рдЖрдк рдХреНрдпрд╛ рдХрд╣рдирд╛ рдЪрд╛рд╣реЗрдВрдЧреЗ?]”

Syed Waseem Rizvi is the chairman of the Shia Central Board of Waqf in Uttar Pradesh. On January 18, he made controversial comments about women who were protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Clock Tower in Lucknow. He questioned the character of the protestors and alleged the women were gathering for money. He reiterated his comments during a January 23 Bharat Samachar broadcast as well. According to a report by ANI, a complaint has been filed against Rizvi for his remarks.

The viral video has been edited from the 15th second in the video. The viewers neither hear the reporter’s question about Rizvi nor Seemra’s opening statement – “He said the following things about the women…(рдЙрдиреНрд╣реЛрдВрдиреЗ рдорд╣рд┐рд▓рд╛рдУрдВ рдХреЛ рдпрд╣ рдмреЛрд▓рд╛ рдЧрдпрд╛ рд╣реИ рдХрд┐ … ]”

Alt News reached out to Rustam Khan who manages the Facebook page of Lucknow Live. He said, “This video was shot on January 19 at the Hussainabad Clock Tower. We uploaded it January 20. Since last few days, an edited version of our video has gone viral.”

On January 25, Lucknow Live alerted viewers about the misinformation posted, “Attention Viewers: On January 20 we uploaded a video with a title ‘Muslim women attacks Waseem Rizvi.’ An edited version of this video is viral on social media with false claims. [Translated from рджрд░реНрд╢рдХреЛрдВ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рд╕реВрдЪрдирд╛ : Jan реиреж рдХреЛ рд╣рдордиреЗ ‘рд╡рд╕реАрдо рд░рд┐рдЬрд╡реА рдкрд░ рднрдбрд╝рдХреА рдореБрд╕реНрд▓рд┐рдо рдорд╣рд┐рд▓рд╛’ рдХреЗ рдирд╛рдо рд╕реЗ рдПрдХ рд╡рд┐рдбреАрдУ рдбрд╛рд▓рд╛ рдерд╛ ред рд╕реЛрд╢рд▓ рдореАрдбрд┐рдпрд╛ рдкрд░ рдЗрд╕ рд╡рд┐рдбреАрдУ рдХреЛ рдПрдбрд┐рдЯ рдХрд░ рдЧрд╝рд▓рдд рдлрд╝реЗрдореА рдкреНрд░рдЪрд╛рд░ рдХрд░реА рдЬрд╝рд╛рд░рд╣реАред – Rustam Khan, Lucknow Live]”

In conclusion, the viral video has been edited in a way that the woman seems to suggest that anti-CAA protesters at Lucknow’s Clock Tower accepted bribes. However, she was referring to the statement made by Syed Waseem Rizvi, chairman of the Shia Central Board of Waqf.

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About the Author

ЁЯЩП Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023.