Fact Check: Video of Bangladesh clashes falsely shared as that from Kolkata
Social media users are sharing a two-minute clip reportedly of a group of people protesting against the Kali puja celebrations in Kolkata.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 25 Oct 2021 3:30 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Social media users are sharing a two-minute clip reportedly of a group of people protesting against the Kali puja celebrations in Kolkata.
According to a Twitter user who shared the video, the protesters were Muslims demanding a stop on poojas at Kali Matha Mandir in Kolkata.
Click here to view the post.
Fact Check:
The claim is false.
NewsMeter performed a keyword search and found a longer and clearer version of the video. It was uploaded by a Bangladeshi YouTube channel JazaKallah Media on 16 October 2021. It said that there was a clash between two groups in Feni.
A report by newsbangla24.com said at least 29 people, including an assistant superintendent of police and an officer-in-charge of the police station, were injured in the clash which erupted shortly after a rally, organized by the Hindus to protest communal violence, started.
Next, the team found a clearer version of the video and noticed a donation box with the text "Boro Masjid" written in Bengali. We also noticed a building that looked like a mosque. The screenshots can be seen below.
We then searched for a mosque in Feni on Google Maps and found the same structure. We also noticed a donation box and the building adjacent to it.
Several media outlets had reported the clash. According to a report by Prothom Alo from 17 October 2021, the district puja celebration council had started a human chain in front of a Kali temple on Trunk road. "Some people who had come out from Boro Masjid (Feni Central Jame Mosque) after the prayers had a clash with the human chain members," it read.
The police resorted to lathicharge to control the situation. A police officer was also injured in the clash. The Daily Star article said more than 15 people were injured. The clashes began after a protest march was disrupted by some youngsters in the area. Read more here.
Hence, the claim is false. The viral video is from Bangladesh and not Kolkata.
