Fact Check: Old video of protest against Smriti Irani passed off as recent
A video of people carrying posters and black flags, and trying to stop the car of Smriti Irani is viral on social media.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 20 Oct 2021 5:45 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A video of people carrying posters and black flags, and trying to stop the car of Smriti Irani is viral on social media.
"Big protest against Smriti Irani in Varanasi, but none of the godi media channels showed it," reads the translation of the viral message.
Original claim:{वाराणसी में स्मृति ईरानी का भयंकर विरोध हुआ लेकिन गोदी मीडिया ने किसी भी चैनल पे नहीं दिखाया. ऐसी जानकारियों के लिए पेज LakshmiPratap Singh फॉलो कीजिये}
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Fact Check:
The claim is false.
NewsMeter ran a keyword search 'Protest during Smriti Irani's Varanasi visit' and came across many reports.
An ETV Telangana report uploaded on the channel's verified YouTube channel a year posted the same video. "Smriti Irani Faces Protests, Shown Black Flag in Varanasi," reads the thumbnail.
The Times of India also reported the incident on October 3, 2020. "Irani was in the city to address a farmers' meet at Shahanshahpur area. When she was coming out of the circuit house to address reporters in the commission office's auditorium scores of women activists of SP were blocked her way and started shouting slogans by showing bangles to her. They were protesting against the role of the district administration and police in the Hathras episode," the report said.
The team also found news reports from October 2020 which stated that the Union minister's car was stopped by UP Congress workers who were protesting over the Hathras gang rape case.
The protesters had raised anti-government slogans and demanded justice for the Hathras victim's family. Irani had visited Varanasi in October 2020 to hold a dialogue with farmers and agriculture scientists.
Read the report here.
Hence, the claim is false.
