Fact Check: Stone pelting on Maha Kumbh train; viral claim of communal attack is false
A video is going viral on social media with claims that Muslims pelted stones on a train to Maha Kumbh.
By K Sherly Sharon Published on 3 Feb 2025 1:35 PM IST
Claim: Muslims pelted stones on a special Mahakumbh train traveling from Jhansi to Prayagraj.
Fact: The passengers who had been waiting for a long time at Harpalpur railway station threw stones at the train after finding its doors locked. There is no communal angle to this incident.
Hyderabad: Social media users are sharing a video with claims that Muslims pelted stones on a special train to Maha Kumbh. The video shows some people throwing stones at a train that is stationed on a platform.
The images from this video were shared on Facebook with the caption, "Islamic Jihadi pigs pelted stones on a train going to Kumbh Mela. Train windows were brokenā¦ #Rail #UttarPradesh #MahakumbhMela2025" (Translated from Kannada) (Archive)
Similar claims can be found here and here.
Fact Check:
Newsmeter has found that these claims are false. We found that there is no communal angle to the incident.
Using a keyword search, we found a report published by NDTV on January 28, 2025. The report has shared the viral video, with the headline, `Passengers Throw Stones At Maha Kumbh Special Train On Finding Doors Lockedā.
The report stated, āAccording to reports, many people were waiting at Harpalpur -- about two hours journey from Jhansi -- to board the train. But they found the doors locked when they tried to get on the train. The agitated passengers turned violent and started throwing stones at the compartments.ā
The Times of India also used the same viral video and published a report on January 28, 2025, titled 'Overcrowded train to Maha Kumbh vandalized in Madhya Pradeshā.
The TOI report stated: "There were 7,000-8,000 people on the platform. The train that arrived was already crowded. Some passengers started throwing stones. We rushed to the spot and controlled the situation. The mob was dispersed. It took around an hour to manage the situation, after which the train safely departed, Harpalpur police station in-charge Pushpak Sharma told TĪĪ.ā
Several news media outlets have published stories that passengers pelted stones as the doors of the Maha Kumbh Special train did not open at Harpalpur railway station.
You can read these stories here, here, and here.
Hence it is clear that the viral video does not show a communal attack on a train bound for the Maha Kumbh. The people seen throwing stones were frustrated passengers who had been waiting for the train and reacted angrily when its doors remained locked. There is no communal angle to this incident.
