Video of saffron flags raised atop UP mosque falsely linked to Karauli communal violence

by Archit

On April 2, CrPC Section 144 was imposed in Rajasthan’s Karauli district after stones were pelted during a ‘Shobha Yatra’ procession that day. The Quint reported that the police have arrested 46 people and detained seven others after communal clashes led to arson — shops and vehicles were set ablaze — and injured over two dozen people.

Two days later, a 12-second clip was widely shared on social media. The video shows men waving saffron flags and dancing in front of a mosque. One among the crowd can be seen raising a saffron flag atop the mosque. The video has been linked to the communal violence in Karauli. A viral claim, while celebrating the incident, suggested that “Meenas and Gujjars raised Bajrang Dal’s flag at the mosque where stones were pelted in Karauli”.

BJP leader Sujit Kumar made the same claim on Facebook without posting the video.

Several Facebook users also made the same claim on various pro-BJP groups such as —We support Arnab goswami sir, mahakaleshwar Temple Ujjain, � MISSION हिंदूराष्ट्र में अपने 100 मित्रों को जोड़ें �, 🚩 सनातनी योद्धा🚩நித்திய போர்வீரன்🚩शाश्वत योद्धा🚩, Kangna ranaut, and Modi Yogi.

Journalist Rana Ayyub posted the video on Instagram as an incident from Karauli. Her video gained over 3.5 lakh views.

Incident from UP

District Collector and Magistrate of Karauli Rajendra Singh said that the video viral on social media is not from Karauli. A tweet was posted from the Twitter handle of the DM, stating that “strict action” will be taken against those spreading rumours.

Activist Sayyad Uzma Parveen tweeted that the video is from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur. She later posted images of the mosque and wrote that it is located in Gahmar.

A comparison of the mosque seen in the viral video with the pictures of the mosque shared by Uzma establishes that they are the same.

 

In one of the images on Uzma’s post, we can spot Urdu text inscribed on a wall of the masjid. The first line says “Maqtab-e-Islamiya”, the second line says “school” and the first word of the third sentence says “Gahmar”.

Alt News spoke with the Ghazipur Superintendent of Police Ram Badan Singh. He told us, “This incident is from Gahmar. The matter was addressed last week itself. We will not be disclosing further details on the issue due to the provocative nature of the incident.”

In a subsequent conversation with Singh’s PRO we were informed, “On April 2, a procession of 200-300 people was passing by the mosque. Some anti-social elements indulged in provocative behaviour. The police took cognizance of the matter after the video went viral on social media. Prior to this, the masjid committee had not registered any complaint. The committee thought that the incident wasn’t worth reporting, so to speak. Nonetheless, the police have taken cognizance and an investigation is underway.”

It is noteworthy that Ghazipur police had replied to several people who shared the video that no complaint was filed in the matter.

Singh’s PRO also said that the police have identified the person who can be spotted on top of the mosque waving a saffron flag. “He has been arrested,” the PRO informed and also said that the mosque is located in a residential area.

Alt News also spoke with SHO Gahmar. “The investigation is pending. Since the footage isn’t clear we haven’t been able to identify many people. The one who has been arrested is a minor,” he said.

The video has, therefore, been falsely linked to the recent communal violence in Karauli, Rajasthan. But the incident took place in UP.

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About the Author

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