Fact-check: Did Mumbai police pay respects to Hazrat Pir Mahim for the first time under Shiv Sena? - Alt News
Kinjal
15th January 2021 / 12:30 pm / Last updated: 15th May 2021
A video of a group of policemen saluting Hazrat Pir Makhdoom Ali Mahim is circulating on social media with the claim that these are Mumbai cops paying their respects to the Sufi saint for the first time because of the Shiv Sena. From the Facebook account of one Kajal Shingala, the video drew 11,000 views and over 1,200 likes.
मुंबई पोलीस द्वारा पहली बार पीर हजरत मकदूम शाह को सलामी
शिवसेना अब अपने अंतिम पड़ाव पर है…👇🏻
Posted by Kajal Shingala on Friday, 14 May 2021
It has also been shared on Twitter.
मुंबई पोलीस द्वारा पहली बार पीर हजरत मकदूम शाह को सलामी
शिवसेना अब अपने अंतिम पड़ाव पर है…👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/2heimCYHyx
— राजीव कुमार रंजन (@Rajiv1318) May 14, 2021
A Facebook page named Bakauli shared the video the same claim in January this year. (Archive link)
शिवसेना
मुंबई पोलीस द्वारा पहली बार पीर हजरत
मकदूम शाह को सलामी
शिवसेना अब अपने – अंतिम पड़ाव पे ..
Posted by बकलोली on Tuesday, January 12, 2021
‘हिंदू राष्ट्र’ (Hindu Rashtra), another Facebook page, also posted the clip and accompanying claim. (Archive link)
मुंबई पोलीस द्वारा पहली बार पीर हजरत
मकदूम शाह को सलामी
शिवसेना अब अपने अंतिम पड़ाव पे है..🤔🤔
Posted by हिंदू राष्ट्र on Tuesday, January 12, 2021
This video is being shared on Twitter and Facebook with similar assertions. RSS-affiliated Sunaina Hole shared the clip in a tweet, tagging both the Mumbai police and Uddhav Thackeray. It had received more than 20,000 views at the time of writing. (Archive link)
Leaving without comments..@MumbaiPolice under @OfficeofUT Govt 😅
Enjoy the video! pic.twitter.com/whVLtrLFcq
— Sunaina Holey (@SunainaHoley) January 8, 2021
Alt News performed a keyword search and found that the video is genuine. However, this is not the first time that the Mumbai police has paid respects to Hazrat Pir Mahim by offering a sacred sheet at the Mahim Dargah. For the past several years, Mumbai police has been offering sheets on the occasion of Urs (Makhdoom Shah Baba’s death anniversary). Another video of police personnel offering sheets at the Dargah was uploaded in December 2020 on YouTube.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7Z716VTP1A]
In fact, we found videos when the event was held in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2014 to 2019 thus the occasion was held during BJP’s rule as well.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT7-ieBn6lU]
On December 14, 2016, Mumbai police also tweeted a few photos of their cops offering a sheet at the Dargah, adding that it was an annual tradition.
We have the honour of offering d 1st ‘Chadar’at Mahim Makdhoom Shah annual Urs- A tradition bng followed since years pic.twitter.com/x2LFnTlOUq
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) December 14, 2016
ABP Majha reported on December 26, 2020, that for the first time in 120 years, there would be no Urs fair at the Mahim Dargah. The occasion would instead be celebrated with a simple ceremony. It also mentioned that the Mumbai police are the first to offer a shrine at the Dargah. The entire police force participates in this ritual. However, in 2020, only a few policemen carryed out this tradition due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Therefore, a video of the Mumbai police’s yearly tradition of offering a sacred sheet at the Mahim Dargah was given a false political spin on social media. The event wasn’t held for the ‘first time’ during Shiv Sena’s governance but has also been held during BJP’s rule.
Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization.
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