Army PRO denies viral claim of troops, artillery deployed in Delhi to quash farmers’ protest

As the farmers’ protest enters the 16th day, thousands of more protestors have camped at Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Chilla (Delhi-Noida) border points. On December 5, Republic TV reported that Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, were deployed at Delhi-Noida border. On December 10, Business Insider reported that Gurugram plans to increase security as farmers’ plan to block Delhi-Jaipur Expressway.

In the backdrop of this development, several short clips surfaced on social media where the man recording these videos suggests that the Indian army has been summoned in the capital to “address” the ongoing farmers’ protest.

Twitter user @deepakvasisth (archived link) shared a different video of a similar incident. This video was shot at night and the military trucks are on an express highway, as per the man recording video who said the clip has been shot at Delhi-Ghaziabad toll gate. In the video, military trucks can be seen clearly. It was also uploaded by Twitter user @inspiratnworld (archived link).

Abtu modi sarkar border se army delhi bola rahi hai
Kisan andolan ko mitane, https://t.co/RJPYTZheS1 pic.twitter.com/8a99ixRdH5

— inspiration world (@inspiratnworld) December 10, 2020

A second video of the same military vehicles was also circulated online. It was uploaded by a Facebook user on December 10. In this video, the man claims that the Modi government is scheming to crush the farmers’ protest using the Indian army. (archived link)

On November 30, the Twitter account of UK-based Gurudwara Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall posted a clip of multiple military trucks in traffic and wrote, “We’re receiving reports of the Indian army being deployed in Delhi against the peaceful farmers. We will not allow another massacre and genocide in Delhi. The world is watching.” This video was viewed about 12,000 times. (archived link)

We’re receiving reports of the Indian army being deployed in Delhi against the peaceful farmers. We will not allow another massacre and genocide in Delhi. The world is watching @TanDhesi @SCUKofficial @BBCNews @jazzyb @johnmcdonnellMP pic.twitter.com/3Jvy7wxHuK

— Sri Guru Singh Sabha (@sgsssouthall) November 30, 2020

Another video was posted by a Twitter user where a man alluded the same in Punjabi. (archived link)

Looking at the movement of the Army on the highway to Delhi our man has started shitting bricks….he thinks they’re going to take the Khalistani’s to task 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/6lBDSMtvUc

— Eagle Eye (@SortedEagle) December 7, 2020

Indian army PRO refutes the claim

Alt News spoke with Col Aman Anand, Indian Army PRO, who informed, “The vehicles seen in the video belong to the Indian army. However, the claim that those vehicles or weapon systems are going to be placed at ongoing farmers’ protest is false.”

Readers should note that there is no sign of military personnel in the videos. We can only see trucks, cargos and heavy artilleries in transit.

This claim was the earlier fact-checked Fact Crescendo. Both Nitin Wakankar, DG, Media & Communications in Ministry of Home Affairs and A. Bharat Bhushan Babu, spokesperson of Ministry of Defence refuted the social media claim.

There have been reports of Indian army deployed to control civilian protests in the past. However, visuals of the same would show soldiers on the ground, not heavy artiliery. The image below shows army personnel preparing for a flag march following protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill at Bokel, in Dibrugarh.

Thus, in the backdrop of increased security at various state borders due to ongoing farmers protest, several social media users shared videos of Indian army trucks and artilery with the misleading claim that the army has been deployed to control the protests.