A 40-second clip is viral on social media with the claim that the video features Congress supporters shouting the slogan ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ after Congress politician Syed Naseer Hussain won the Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka. Several BJP politicians and Right-Wing handles have shared the clip claiming so.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared the above-mentioned clip on February 27 with the following caption: “Pakistan Zindabad slogans raised after Congress’s Naseer Hussein, political secretary of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, won Rajya Sabha election from Karnataka.
Congress’s obsession with Pakistan is dangerous. It is taking India towards balkanization. We can’t afford it.” (Archive)
Pakistan Zindabad slogans raised after Congress’s Naseer Hussein, political secretary of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, won Rajya Sabha election from Karnataka.
Congress’s obsession with Pakistan is dangerous. It is taking India towards balkanisation. We can’t afford it. pic.twitter.com/uh49RignSf
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 27, 2024
Other BJP leaders such as @Rajeev_GoI, @PCMohanMP, @Tejasvi_Surya, @ShobhaBJP, @RAshokaBJP also shared the viral clip claiming the same.
Several other users such as @TheSquind, @raviagrawal3, @MajorPoonia also amplified the same claim and the clip.
Some media outlets also made the same claim. These include Public TV, Asianet Suvarna News, TV9 Kannada, Republic Kannada among others.
On February 29, a Congress supporter was detained by police in the case. According to reports, his voice sample was taken to analyse the voice in the alleged pro-Pakistan slogan video.
Karnataka | “A trader and supporter of Syed Naseer Hussain, Mohmad Shafi Nashipudi, detained by Byadagi town. Police collected his voice sample and took him to analyse the voice in the alleged pro-Pakistan slogan video. He was present in Vidhana Soudha with Syed Nasser Hussain in…
— ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024
Fact Check
We noticed that the viral clip that has been shared by BJP leaders is from NewsFirst Kannada. We found the 46-second clip on the news outlet’s YouTube channel which was published on February 27 with the following title: “Congress ಸಂಭ್ರಮಾಚರಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ Pakistan Zindabad ಘೋಷಣೆ ! | Syed Naseer Hussain | Vidhana Soudha”.
The clip begins with someone chanting “Zindabad” twice and at the 0.02 mark a person can be heard saying “Naseer Hussain Zindabad”. Further, the video highlights one man who had apparently chanted “Pakistan Zindabad”. But, if one listens closely it is clear that the man is saying “Naseer Saab Zindabad”.
This is even more evident when the audio of the clip is slowed down. In the clip below, we have slowed down the audio of the original clip and at the 14-second mark the man who has been circled can be clearly heard saying “Naseer Saab Zindabad”.
We procured another clip capturing the same moment, where it is amply clear again that the slogan raised was “Naseer Saab Zindabad.”
We also came across a tweet by journalist Madhu M (@MadhunaikBunty) who was reporting on the ground. He shared clips from the ground and clarified that the Congress MP’s supporters were chanting “Nasir saab zindabad, Nasir saab Zindabad, Syed saab Zindabad” and not “Pakistan Zindabad”.
This was @INCIndia @NasirHussainINC MP. His supporters were raising “Nasir saab zindabad, Nasir Saab Zindabad, syed Saab zindabad” after #RajyasabhaElection win. And “some” kannada channels misinterpreted it as “Pakistan zindabad.
Such a intentional pathetic blunder. pic.twitter.com/Asd7GEeYAc
— Madhu M (@MadhunaikBunty) February 27, 2024
We reached out to four reporters separately, all of whom were on the ground, and they confirmed to us that the crowd was chanting “Naseer Hussain Zindabad” and “Naseer Saab Zindabad”, not “Pakistan Zindabad”.
Hence, it is clear that the claim by the BJP politicians that Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain’s supporters chanted “Pakistan Zindabad” after the Congress leader’s win in the Rajya Sabha elections is misleading.
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