Old video falsely shared as alcohol distribution during farmers’ protest

A video of a group of men being served liquor in plastic glasses by someone sitting in a car is doing the rounds on social media. In the opening few seconds of the video, a man wearing a turban is spotted. The video has been shared mocking the ongoing farmers’ protest in and around Delhi.

कैमरे पर
ब्लैकमेल करेंगे कि हम गरीब किसान, "अन्नदाता" हैं

कैमरे के पीछे की हकीकत-
"शराब दारू लंगर का आनंद🍻🍺 #FarmerProtest2024 #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/pUzZN45y5q

— Deepak Sharma (@SonOfBharat7) February 16, 2024

सिंघु बॉर्डर पर बैठे भूख और प्यास से व्याकुल क्रांतिकारी किसानों का एक झुंड़। 😜🍾🥃🍖🍢 यही है आंदोलन pic.twitter.com/NlG9jAVRHx

— VISHNU MISHRA (@VISHNUK35030487) February 15, 2024

Several users shared the video with similar claims or jibes at the protesting farmers. (Link I, Link II)

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Same Video was Viral in 2021

Twitter user Renuka Jain tweeted this video in February 2021. 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.

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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.

Fact Check

Alt News found at least two posts that indicated the video dated 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 went viral in 2021 with the false claim that it showed farm laws protesters crowding around a car distributing free liquor. The video has gone viral again in February 2024 when the farmers have resumed their stir.