Fact Check: Old video of Gopal Kanda shared as recent outrage against farmers
Users are claiming that in this video Gopal Kanda, president of 'Haryana Lokhit Party' is abusing farmers.
By Tejal Sinha Published on 18 Oct 2021 5:45 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A video is widely being shared on social media in which a man can be seen abusing others. Sharing the video, social media users are claiming that in this video Gopal Kanda, president of 'Haryana Lokhit Party' is abusing farmers.
"Video of Gopal Kanda abusing farmers publicly goes viral," reads the caption of one such viral post.
Fact Check
The claim made through the viral post is false.
NewsMeter performed a keyword search which led us to a report published by News 18, that gives a detailed explanation of an argument between Gopal Kanda, the then home minister of Haryana, and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) workers published on April 5, 2010, which is similar to the argument seen in the viral video.
According to the report, Kanda was accused of making his personal security officers fire in a crowded marketplace where the shopkeepers were observing a bandh call given by INLD.
"Kanda reportedly flew into a rage on seeing that the market was observing a total shutdown on Saturday. He first got into a heated argument with the INLD workers. When, despite his repeated instructions, the INLD workers refused to let shops reopen, Kanda hurled abuses at them. The minister also reportedly urged his bodyguards to shoot at the INLD workers. In his defense, Kanda said he ordered the firing only after the mob attacked his car," read the report further.
The report had published a screenshot from the video.
Meanwhile, a report by Dainik Bhaskar in 2012 titled, 'Video: Gopal Kanda publicly abusing' states, "The troubles of Gopal Kanda, trapped in the Air Hostess Geetika Sharma suicide case, are increasing. The people who became the victims of Gopal Kanda's repression in Haryana are now coming out in the open. The Supreme Court has also given notice to Gopal Kanda in connection with an incident of violence in May 2010. During the tenure of the Indian National Lok Dal, Gopal Kanda had publicly thrashed a person and then lodged an FIR against him in the police station. Now taking cognizance of this matter, the Supreme Court has issued notice to Gopal Kanda."
"In fresh trouble for former Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda, facing probe in the suicide case of an ex-air hostess, the Supreme Court on Thursday sought his reply to a plea for his prosecution for allegedly beating some Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) workers in 2010. A bench of justices P Sathasivam and Ranjan Gogoi issued notice to Gopal Kanda and his brother Govind Kanda on an INLD activist's plea for his prosecution. Petitioner Pradeep Kumar alleged that he along with his colleagues were attacked and beaten by the two brothers when they were holding a protest against the state government for erratic power and water supply on April 3, 2010, in Sirsa in Haryana," read another report published by News18 and The Indian Express on August 9, 2012.
The report by News 18 had also used a screengrab similar to that of the viral video.
The fact check team also found a screengrab from the viral video published by several mainstream media including India TV for the reports related to Gopal Kanda.
The team finally searched for reports that reported on any such incident. However, we did not find any report that stated that Gopal Kanda had abused the farmers.
It is therefore evident that the claim made through the viral video is false as a video of the then home minister of Haryana, Gopam Kanda's heated argument with INLD workers in 2010 is being shared as him abusing the farmers.
