Some Twitter and Facebook users posted a video of a group of men being served liquor in public. In the opening few seconds of the video, a man wearing a turban is spotted. The video has been shared with the text, “Farmers protests. Free liquor distribution”.
Twitter user Renuka Jain tweeted this video. It gained over 7,000 views. Jain has posted misinformation on multiple occasions in the past.
Farmers protests.
Free liquor distribution pic.twitter.com/QXh9sQWATi
— #RenukaJain (@RenukaJain6) February 6, 2021
Similarly, Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association president Ashoke Pandit and BJP supporter Arun Pudur also posted the viral text that insinuated the video is from farmers’ protest.
Hindutva supporter Chaudhry Dheren, who has 10,000 followers on Facebook, posted the video and wrote, “This is the reason why the farmers left home and gathered at Sindhu-Shambhu border”. This video was shared close to 500 times.
Old video
Alt News found at least two posts that indicate the video dates back to at least April 2020. (1 and 2)
According to YouTube channel Radar Pk, the video shows alcohol distribution during the COVID-19 lockdown.
During COVID-19 lockdown alcohol stores were shut for 40 days. Last year The Times of India reported that distress calls by alcoholics and drug addicts on national helpline spiked by 200 percent.
The Outlook uploaded a video in April 2020 of a Hyderabad-based man distributing free alcohol during the lockdown.
Thus a video that could be traced back to at least April 2020 was shared with the false that it shows protestors of farm laws crowding around a car distributing free liquor.
