Fact Check: Video shows Karimnagar YSRCP leaders fighting, not Congress leaders
A video reportedly showing Congress leaders fighting and hitting each other with slippers after hoisting the national flag is being shared on social media. It is being claimed that the video is from the Congress party office in "Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh".
By Tejal Sinha Published on 29 Aug 2021 8:04 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A video reportedly showing Congress leaders fighting and hitting each other with slippers after hoisting the national flag is being shared on social media. It is being claimed that the video is from the Congress party office in "Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh".
(Click here to Archive)
Click here for a similar claim.
Fact Check
The claim is false.
NewsMeter noticed that the viral post said the incident took place in Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh. However, Karimnagar is a city in the state of Telangana.
We then performed a reverse image search which led us to a similar video that was uploaded by a YouTube channel called Mango News on 16 August 2014. According to the description of the video, "YSR Congress Party leaders' differences came out in the open in Karimnagar when a female leader thrashed a district chief on Independence Day during the flag hoisting ceremony."
We found a report on NDTV.com from 15 August 2014 titled "In Fight After Flag Hoisting, Politicians Use Slippers and Slaps".
According to the report, "Two leaders of Jagan Reddy's YSR Congress were caught in an ugly brawl after a ceremony to hoist the Independence Day flag at the party office in Telangana's Karimnagar district. In footage on local TV channels, a leader of the party's women's group, Susheela, was seen thrashing the district chief Bhaskar Reddy with slippers."
We also found another report by Deccan Chronicle published on 16 August 2014 titled "Woman YSR Congress leader beats up district chief".
The report said Ganta Susheela accused Bhaskar Reddy of being autocratic and selling the party's tickets to candidates in the recent general elections.
"He has been organizing many programs of the party as if it were his personal functions. He is not communicating with any of the members. He is ruining the party in the district," she was quoted as saying. She also alleged that Mr. Reddy was misbehaving with women workers of the party and using filthy language while talking to them.
It is evident that the claim made through the viral post is false. The 2014 video is from the YSRCP office in Karimnagar, Telangana, and not the Congress party office at Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh.
