Fact Check: Owaisi condemns Udaipur Files filmmakers over ‘propaganda’? No, it’s an old video

Hyderabad: Udaipur Files, a Hindi film which was set to release on July 11, is facing controversy on religious grounds. The film is allegedly based on the 2022 beheading of a tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, in Udaipur, allegedly over a social media post supporting Nupur Sharma.

In this context, a video showing a Member of Parliament from Hyderabad and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, making strong comments on filmmakers is going viral on social media. The video is being shared with the claim that it shows Owaisi addressing the makers of Udaipur Files.

At the beginning of the video, we can hear a man say, “Friends, what a befitting reply Owaisi sahab has given to the makers of the Udaipur Files picture, what a wonderful reply he has given, please watch this video till the end…” (Translated from Hindi)

In the video clip, MP Asaduddin Owaisi can be heard saying, “Oh, you filmmakers, tell me, why don’t you make films about unemployment in the country? To defame India’s 17 crore proud Muslims, false films are made in the name of Love Jihad. Sometimes this kind of film is made, sometimes a Kashmir Files is made. You won’t be able to do anything. The religion that is true is the truth, and it will remain the truth, Insha Allah Ta’ala.” (Translated from Hindi)

The viral video seems to contain four clips of Owaisi talking. It was shared on Facebook with the caption, “Udaipur files & owaisi (sic)”. (Archive)

In another Facebook post, making similar claims, Owaisi can be heard saying, “Tell me, how much unemployment is there in India? Go on, make a film about that! You won’t do it, because if you do, your master Modi will get angry.”

The caption of the Facebook post reads, “new video new update topic video Asad Owaisi speech film Udalpur Files” (Archive)

Posts making similar claims can be seen here and here. (Archive 1 and Archive 2)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the viral claim is false. The video does not show Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi making remarks against the makers of the Udaipur Files movie. This video clip is from a Bihar election rally on May 26, 2024.

Using keyword searches, we did not find any news reports or credible social media posts showing MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s comments on the film, Udaipur Files.

A reverse image search of the viral video’s keyframes led us to a video uploaded by the official Facebook page of the Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. The video was live-streamed on May 26, 2024.

The caption stated, “AIMIM President Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi addressing a public meeting in support of AIMIM candidate Farooq Raza at Vishwanath High School Ground Chandos-Paliganj Patna, Bihar.”

The viral clips can be found starting at the 33:38-minute mark in the Facebook video.

In this video, from 33:34 to 33:57 minutes, Asaduddin Owaisi said, “You can see that ever since the BJP came to power, false films have been made in the name of ‘Love Jihad’ to defame India’s 17 crore proud Muslims. Sometimes one such film is made, sometimes a ‘Kashmir Files’ is made, and at other times, a story is created about Love Jihad in Kerala.”

From 34:01 to 34:11 minutes, he said, “Oh, you filmmakers, how long will you keep licking the spit of Muslims? Tell me, why don’t you make films about unemployment in the country?

From 34:12 to 34:23 minutes, he said, “Oh, you who lick the feet of Muslims, tell me—how much unemployment is there in India? Go on, make a film about that! You won’t do it, because if you do, your master Modi will get angry.”

From 34:25 to 34:39 minutes, he said, “But you won’t achieve anything by making such films. You’re trying to defame us, but you won’t succeed. The religion that is true, is truth, and that truth shall remain—Insha Allah Ta'ala.”

Jansatta has also shared Asaduddin Owaisi’s speech on YouTube. The video was live-streamed on YouTube on May 26, 2024, with the title, ‘Asaduddin Owaisi Rally: Owaisi roared in Chandos-Paliganj Patna, attacked PM Modi!’

According to the description of the video, it is clear that Owaisi made these remarks during his speech at the Lok Sabha 2024 election rally in Patna of Bihar. The viral remarks can be heard at the 30:13-minute mark in this YouTube video.

Clarion India published a report on Owaisi’s remarks with the title, “‘Playbook of Hitler’: Owaisi Slams Filmmakers For Producing Anti-Muslim Movies.” The report was published on May 27, 2024. (Archive)

During his speech, the AIMIM chief can be heard criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Referring to the Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story movies, he said that these movies are made to portray Muslims in a bad light.

However, we did not find any references to Udaipur Files in the transcripts of Owaisi’s speech from the Facebook and YouTube videos. The Clarion India report also does not mention any references to the movie.

Udaipur Files was set to release on July 11. Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind approached the Court seeking reconsideration of the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) approval of the film, after which the Delhi High Court stayed the film's release on July 10. The petitioner argued that the content of the film could disturb communal harmony.

Owaisi’s speech was made on May 26, 2024, during the Bihar Lok Sabha election rally. The trailer of the movie was released on June 24 this year, while the movie was set to release on July 11. It is clear that Owaisi’s remarks predate the movie release by a year.

ABP Live published a report titled, ‘Asaduddin Owaisi’s party welcomed the ban on ‘Udaipur Files’, made this appeal to Muslims’ on July 11.

Talking about AIMIM’s stance on the movie, the report stated, “Rajasthan state president Jameel Ahmed Khan has issued a statement saying that his party welcomes this decision of the court. The party hopes that the court will definitely do justice in this case.”

However, at the time of writing this report, we did not find any recorded evidence of Asaduddin Owaisi’s reaction to the Udaipur Files movie. The viral video does not show Asaduddin Owaisi addressing the makers of the Udaipur Files movie.

Therefore, NewsMeter concludes that the viral claim is false.