Convoy controversy: Rajasthan MLA’s cavalcade video falsely linked to BJP, PM Modi

by Oishani Bhattacharya

A 21-second viral clip showing a long convoy of cars moving along a road is being widely shared on social media with the claim that it shows a political convoy in Rajasthan, where the BJP is in power. The video has gone viral in the backdrop of PM Narendra Modi’s May 10 appeal urging citizens to use petrol, diesel and cooking gas with “great restraint” amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.

In his address, Modi also suggested measures such as using public transport, carpooling and reviving the work-from-home culture to reduce fuel consumption. He further advised people to postpone foreign travel and gold purchases for at least a year.

Several social media users and critics of the BJP shared the viral clip to accuse the Prime Minister of hypocrisy, alleging that he appealed for fuel conservation while travelling the very next day with a massive convoy of vehicles.

Among those amplifying the claim was Dhruv Rathee, who posted a video on X on May 12 criticising PM Modi for allegedly not practising what he preached. At the 36-second mark of the video, Rathee plays the viral clip and remarks that the Prime Minister’s convoy did not include any electric vehicles (EVs), which, according to him, would have reduced energy consumption. The post has garnered over 511,500 views and more than 10,000 reposts. (Archive)

Congress media coordinator from Assam, Harmeet Kaur K, also shared the viral clip in response to another post and claimed that the video showed PM Narendra Modi’s convoy in Rajasthan. (Archive)

Some other social media users shared the same video and claimed that it showed a convoy of Madhya Pradesh BJP leader Saubhagya Singh Thakur travelling from Ujjain to Bhopal. Some asserted that the convoy included 700-800 vehicles.

X page named BIG TV Breaking News (@bigtvtelugu) posted the viral clip on May 13, claiming that the video shows BJP leader Saubhagya Singh’s convoy. (Archive)

Several other users shared the above-mentioned clip while targeting BJP, including Congress national spokesperson Dr. Shama Mohamed. Below are a few instances.

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Fact Check

Upon closely examining the viral clip, we noticed that a person travelling in one of the vehicles in the convoy was holding a green-coloured flag. Although the footage is blurry, a white circular emblem with a logo could be seen at the centre of the flag. This suggested that the convoy was unlikely to be associated with any BJP leader.

To further verify the claim, we extracted several keyframes from the viral clip and performed a reverse image search on them. This led us to an X post by user Lala (@FabulasGuy), who had shared a screenshot of the original Instagram post from which the now-viral video appears to have originated.

Following this lead, we located the Instagram page @rocky_sou_jat, where the original video had been posted on May 10 with the caption: “Beniwal’s convoy en route to Shri Dadupalka Bhairana Dham.” The post contained the same clip that is now viral.

The caption makes it clear that the convoy belonged to Hanuman Beniwal, founder of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) and MP from Nagaur, Rajasthan. It is worth noting that RLP split from NDA in December 2020 over farm laws.

Armed with these clues, when we compared the flag seen in the viral video with the RLP flag, we noticed similarities.

Next, we found that the same Instagram user had shared another video in which Beniwal could be seen inside his car.

Looking at the background of the above video, we could deduce that the viral clip and the aforementioned video are from the same place. Below, we have marked the similarities.

A similar video of a long convoy of vehicles was also shared on Hanuman Beniwal’s official Instagram page. The caption said, “On Sunday, I participated in the movement being carried out by saints and great personalities at Shri Dadupalka Bhairana Dham in Bhairana, located in Maujmadabad tehsil of Jaipur district”.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hanuman Beniwal (@hanumanbeniwal77)

As per reports, saints and local residents of Bhairana Dham, a prominent religious site in Rajasthan’s Behror region, have been protesting against a proposed project by the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Ltd., the Rajasthan government’s industrial development agency. Protesters allege that the project would result in the felling of around 40,000 trees.

Amid the ongoing protests, the RLP leader travelled to Bhairana Dham along with several supporters and devotees to express solidarity with the saints and residents opposing the project.

Therefore, it is clear that the viral video does not show PM Modi or any BJP leader’s convoy; it depicts RLP leader Hanuman Beniwal’s convoy, and the video is from Rajasthan.

At the same time, it is true that BJP leader Saubhagya Singh has been show-caused by the MP government for using a 50-car convoy while travelling from Ujjain to Bhopal.

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