Old video from Andhra Pradesh shared as Muslims disrupting Hindu outfits’ rally in Mumbai

Members of Hindu nationalist outfits held a rally in Maharastra’s capital Mumbai on January 29, raising five key demands. Along with members of the BJP and the Shiv Sena’s Shinde faction, organizations like the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Bajrang Dal (VHP) also took part in it. Against this backdrop, a purported video of Muslims trying to disrupt the rally is being circulated on social media.

Sharing the video, BJP worker Pandit Shrikant Upadhyay claimed that a group of Muslims tried to obstruct the rally of Hindu groups Maharashtra. He added that communal violence was avoided thanks to the swift action by the police. (Archived link)

#महाराष्ट्र में शांतिदूत ( #जिहादी ) हिंदुत्व की रैली में विघन डालने का प्रयास करने की कोशिश की। प्रशासन की मुस्तैदी से हिन्दू मुस्लिम दंगा होने से बच गया।

लेकिन सेकुलरो को यह शांति दूत की दिखते रहेंगे#सनातन_राष्ट्रीय_धर्म#सनातन_धर्म_ही_सर्वश्रेष्ठ_हैhttps://t.co/34sfbVe80X pic.twitter.com/uQMLGKWABw

— Pt. Shrikant Upadhyay (@shrikantryvbjp) January 31, 2023

A user named Rampal Singh also promoted the clip with this claim. (Archived link)

#महाराष्ट्र में शांतिदूत ( #जिहादी ) हिंदुत्व की रैली में विघन डालने का प्रयास करने की कोशिश की। प्रशासन की मुस्तैदी से हिन्दू मुस्लिम दंगा होने से बच गया।

लेकिन सेकुलरो को यह शांति दूत की दिखते रहेंगे#सनातन_राष्ट्रीय_धर्म#सनातन_धर्म_ही_सर्वश्रेष्ठ_है pic.twitter.com/jGuikhHRnL

— RAMPAL SINGH (@RAMPALS48610642) January 31, 2023

BJP worker Tarun Bhati also tweeted the video and accompanying claim. (Archived link)

#महाराष्ट्र में शांतिदूत ( #जिहादी ) हिंदुत्व की रैली में विघ्न डालने का प्रयास करने की कोशिश की। प्रशासन की मुस्तैदी से हिन्दू मुस्लिम दंगा होने से बच गया।
लेकिन सेक्युलरों को यह शांति दूत ही दिखेंगे।@LSBjodhpur @KamalR_BJP#सनातन_राष्ट्रीय_धर्म#सनातन_धर्म_ही_सर्वश्रेष्ठ_है pic.twitter.com/smI2tBThSf

— 🇮🇳 Tarun Bhati 🕉️ (@TarunBhJodhpur) January 31, 2023

Several other users also amplified the video with the same claim.

Fact Check

While investigating the claim, Alt News found that the video in question was actually from Nellore, Andhra Pradesh and was shot in April 2022. In fact, Alt News had fact-checked the video last year when it was being circulated alongside false claims made by BJP leaders and media outlets of stone pelting and beer bottles being thrown from a mosque. The incident had happened on April 24, 2022.

Alarming Situation witnessed by Hindus yest’day in Nellore when stone pelting happened from Illegal mosque on ‘Hanuman Sobha Yatra’ also beer bottle was thrown on idol!
Shame !
Mr @ysjagan How long are you going to test the patience of Hindus?
AP need #buldozerjustice@HMOIndia pic.twitter.com/RbcsUPj1QB

— Sunil Deodhar (@Sunil_Deodhar) April 25, 2022

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad workers present at the Shobha Yatra along with an eyewitness inside the mosque explained that both Hindus and Muslims had raised slogans at one another. This was followed by a scuffle. However, no stones or beer bottles were thrown from the mosque.

A Hanuman Shobha Yatra was passing in front of the Al Quddus Mosque in Nellore. In a video statement, the then SP of Nellore CH Vijaya Rao had explained, “At one point, they (the procession) crossed the mosque. The DJ sounds had been a little louder and the youth made some bike sounds… and chanting the slogan of Jai Shri Ram. At the same time, youths inside the mosque raised ‘Allahu Akbar’ and showed some signs. Except that there is no throwing of stones or no clashes or no throwing bottles has happened.”

To sum it up, social media users falsely circulated footage of an April 2022 incident from Nellore, Andhra Pradesh linking it to the recent rally held by Hindu outfits in Maharashtra’s Mumbai.