After the January 26 clashes during farmer’s tractor rally, there has been an organised effort to build a false narrative about the events that transpired. Several Facebook and Twitter users have now claimed that Aaj Tak anchor Navjyot Randhawa was attacked by a Muslim man pretending to be a Sikh during the Republic Day protest. As per the claim, Aaj Tak suppressed this news because the accused was from the minority religion.

Twitter users @Im_Ricky_in and @SomaliBhattach5 posted this claim, garnering 200 retweets each.

The complete message in Hindi reads, “рдпреЗ рдирд╡рдЬреНрдпреЛрдд рд░рдВрдзрд╛рд╡рд╛ рд╣реИрдВ, рдЖрдЬрддрдХ рдЪреИрдирд▓ рдореЗрдВ рдПрдВрдХрд░ рд╣реИрдВред рдЖрдк рд╢рд╛рдпрдж рдЗрдиреНрд╣реЗрдВ рдкрд╣рдЪрд╛рдирддреЗ рднреА рд╣реЛрдВрдЧреЗред 26 рдЬрдирд╡рд░реА рдкрд░ рдХрд┐рд╕рд╛рдиреЛрдВ рдХреА рдЯреНрд░реИрдХреНрдЯрд░ рд░реИрд▓реА рдХреЛ рдХрд╡рд░ рдХрд░рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рд╕рд┐рдВрдШреБ рдмреЙрд░реНрдбрд░ рдЧрдИ рдереАрдВред рд╡рд╣рд╛рдБ рдкрд░ рдПрдХ рд╕рд┐рдЦ рдпреБрд╡рдХ рдЗрдирдХреЗ рдкреАрдЫреЗ рдкрдбрд╝ рдЧрдпрд╛ред рд╕рд┐рдВрдШреБ рдмреЙрд░реНрдбрд░ рд╕реЗ рд╡реЛ рд▓рд╛рд▓рдХрд╝рд┐рд▓реЗ рдЖ рдЧрдИрдВ рддреЛ рдкреАрдЫреЗ-рдкреАрдЫреЗ рд╡рд╣ рдпреБрд╡рдХ рднреА рд▓рд╛рд▓рдХрд╝рд┐рд▓реЗ рдЖ рдЧрдпрд╛ред рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдкрд░ рдЖрдХрд░ рдЙрд╕рдиреЗ рдЫреЗрдбрд╝рдЦрд╛рдиреА рд╢реБрд░реВ рдХрд░ рджреАред рдирд╡рдЬреНрдпреЛрдд рд░рдВрдзрд╛рд╡рд╛ рд╕рд┐рдЦ рд╣реИрдВред рдЙрдиреНрд╣реЛрдВрдиреЗ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рд╕рд╛рде рдЫреЗрдбрд╝рдЦрд╛рдиреА рдХреА рд╢рд┐рдХрд╛рдпрдд рд▓рд╛рд▓рдХрд╝рд┐рд▓реЗ рдкрд░ рдкреНрд░рджрд░реНрд╢рди рдореЗрдВ рд╢рд╛рдорд┐рд▓ рдХреБрдЫ рд╕рд┐рдЦ рдпреБрд╡рдХреЛрдВ рд╕реЗ рдХрд░ рджреАред рдЙрдиреНрд╣реЛрдВрдиреЗ рдЫреЗрдбрд╝рдЦрд╛рдиреА рдХрд░рдиреЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рдпреБрд╡рдХ рдХреЛ рдкрд╣рд▓реЗ рд╕рдордЭрд╛рдиреЗ рдХреА рдХреЛрд╢рд┐рд╢ рдХреА, рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рдмрд╛рдд рдмрдврд╝ рдЧрдИ рдФрд░ рдорд╛рд░рдкреАрдЯ рд╢реБрд░реВ рд╣реЛ рдЧрдИред рдЗрддрдиреЗ рдореЗрдВ рд╣реА рдЫреЗрдбрд╝рдЦрд╛рдиреА рдХрд░рдиреЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рдЗрддрдиреЗ рдореЗрдВ рд╣реА рдЫреЗрдбрд╝рдЦрд╛рдиреА рдХрд░рдиреЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рдХреА рдкрдЧрдбрд╝реА рдЦреБрд▓ рдЧрдИ рдФрд░ рдкрддрд╛ рдЪрд▓рд╛ рдХрд┐ рд╡рд╣ рд╕рд░рджрд╛рд░ рдирд╣реАрдВ рд╣реИред рдЬрдм рдкрдХрдбрд╝рдХрд░ рдкреВрдЫрддрд╛рдЫ рдХреА рддреЛ рдкрддрд╛ рдЪрд▓рд╛ рдХрд┐ рд╡реЛ рдХреЛрдИ рдЕрдмреНрджреБрд▓ рдорд┐рдпрд╛рдБ рдереЗ, рдЬреЛ рд╕рд░рджрд╛рд░ рдмрдирдХрд░ рдЕрдкрдиреА рдордЬрд╝рд╣рдмреА рдЦреЗрддреА рдХрд░рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдЪрдХреНрдХрд░ рдореЗрдВ рдереЗред рдЪреИрдирд▓ рдиреЗ рдЕрдкрдиреА рдПрдВрдХрд░ рдХреЗ рд╕рд╛рде рд╣реБрдИ рдЫреЗрдбрд╝рдЦрд╛рдиреА рдХреА рдЦрд╝рдмрд░ рджрдмрд╛ рджреА, рдХреНрдпреЛрдВрдХрд┐ рдЖрд░реЛрдкреА рдордЬрд╝рд╣рдм рд╡рд┐рд╢реЗрд╖ рд╕реЗ рдерд╛”.

Multiple Facebook users posted the claim with an image of the anchor including Facebook page ‘рд╕реНрд╡рдпрдВрд╕реЗрд╡рдХ‘ (Svayamsevak) that has over lakh followers. It was also shared by Facebook user Dilip Pandey. Both posts gained over 900 interactions each.

Fake story

The woman in the photograph is indeed Aaj Tak anchor Navjyot Randhawa. However, the story widespread in her name is false.

Alt News reached out to Randhawa who said, “The social media claim is baseless and false. Nothing mentioned in the viral text happened on January 26 with me.”

Thus a false story was cooked up that journalist Navjyot Randhawa was assaulted by a Muslim man during January 26 farmers’ rally. Recently, a copy-paste campaign was generated for discrediting the ongoing movement. An imposter account @NehakiNews tweeted a fake story where she identified as a journalist and claimed that she was attacked and harassed by protestors. This was copied and shared by multiple accounts as their own experience.

In the past, Alt News has debunked multiple instances of false claims suggesting that the Muslim community has infiltrated the farmers’ protest.

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About the Author

ЁЯЩП Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023.