Delhi cop kicking Muslim worshippers: Right Wing users falsely claim man was wearing burqa

A video viral on social media showing a Delhi Police sub-inspector (SI) kicking and assaulting people offering Namaz on the road in the city’s Inderlok area has caused widespread outrage and condemnation. The SI, Manoj Kumar Tomar, was suspended and an inquiry was initiated into the incident even as local residents blocked roads in protest and paramilitary personnel deployed in the area.

Locals used their phones to shoot the policeman kicking and shoving people who had gathered on the road around 2 pm near the Inderlok metro station to offer namaz. In the videos, the cop can be seen stepping on the prayer mat used by the devotees and shouting at them to leave the area.

After the video had gone viral, several Right Wing accounts started claiming that one of the men praying in the area was wearing a burqa with the suggestion that he might have had some sinister motive.

X (Twitter) user Abhijit Majumder, whose bio describes him as a journalist, tweeted a 34-second clip and asked if a man clad in black clothing at the 0:16 second mark was wearing a burqa. (Archive)

Is that a MAN IN A BURQA at 00:16?

What was he doing there on the road?#DelhiPolice #Namaz pic.twitter.com/GAWjWC0Qz1

— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) March 8, 2024

Alt News has debunked communal disinformation shared by Abhijit Majumder several times in the past. The readers can find the stories here.

Right Wing influencer @MrSinha_ also amplified the claim that a man was seen wearing a burqa. (Archive)

This is serious & makes this incident even more suspicious. What was a man doing in Burqa at that place???

A deep investigation is needed.. @HMOIndia @DelhiPolice, pic.twitter.com/DR4hnxd3I1

— Mr Sinha (Modi’s family) (@MrSinha_) March 8, 2024

Another prominent Right Wing influencer, @MeghUpdates, tweeted the same claim. (Archive)

Viral video of man spotted in Hijab ! at Inderlok as policemen were clearing road for traffic.
Even the other guy looked surprised… pic.twitter.com/l7VS4XLl7p

— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) March 8, 2024

Both @MrSinha_ and @MughUpdates have been found sharing communal disinformation multiple times. Related Alt News reports can be found here and here.

Several others tweeted the same claim. (Archives- 1, 2, 3, 4)

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Fact Check

Alt News accessed a longer version of the video being circulated.

In this video, approximately at the 0:11 minute mark, a man can be seen dressed in black, possibly a black hoodie, dark-coloured pants and a black skullcap. He can also be seen holding a large, dark-coloured piece of cloth as he looks at his phone.

At the 0:30 minute mark, the man can be seen with his back to the camera speaking to another man. The hood and the skullcap are clearly visible at this point.

Now if one carefully looks at the relevant frames from the viral video, one can notice that the hood is visible here as well. Additionally, the piece of cloth that he was carrying on his arm is now placed over his head. He has a phone in one hand and with the other hand, he is holding the cloth.

Many worshippers can be seen carrying their prayers mats after they were made to disperse. The man in the video may be doing the same. Furthermore, he is clearly seen holding the piece of cloth in his hand before covering his head with it. It is common knowledge that this is not the typical way a burqa is worn.

Hence, it is clear that the man being falsely targeted in the viral video wasn’t wearing a burqa. He is clearly seen wearing a black hoodie, a black skullcap and holding had a dark piece of cloth in his hand in a longer video of the incident. When he approached the policeman with the rest of the crowd, he had simply placed the piece of cloth on his head.