Fact Check: Video of people demanding for stricter police action falsely shared as stir against farmers’ protest 2024

The Delhi Police ramped up security measures, imposing restrictions on gatherings and fortifying borders in anticipation of farmers marching to Delhi. Apart from their main demand for a legal guarantee of MSP, the farmers have also asked for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations and farm debt waiver.

Amid this, a video is doing the rounds on social media with the claim that youths in Haryana are asking for action against the protesting farmers. In the video, men are heard chanting slogans urging law enforcement to use force.

An X user shared the video with the caption, “...Play with long sticks, We are with you. Youth of Haryana troubled by Khalistani movements. #FarmerProtest2024 #farmerprotests2024.”

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the video has been on the Internet since at least 2019 and was taken out in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act

Upon a reverse image search of the video’s keyframe, we found it posted by Jawahar Yadav, the Chief Spokesperson of BJP Haryana, on X in 2019. He mentioned in the caption that the video is from Haryana. However, another user replying to the post said that the video is from Delhi.

Additionally, we found an extended version of the video on Facebook, where the men are heard chanting slogans in support of the CAA. Reports suggest that Lakshmi Nagar in East Delhi became a focal point for numerous protests, both in favour and against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens, during late 2019 and early 2020.

In the Facebook video, the name board of a shop, "BANSALS BOUTIQUE," is visible. A cross-reference with Just Dial indicated that the shop is situated in the main market of Lakshmi Nagar in New Delhi. Further verification on Google Maps confirmed that the depicted visuals in the video are indeed from Lakshmi Nagar.

It is hence clear that the video in question is old and not related to the farmers’ protest.