Fact Check: Video of Chehlum procession shared with communal spin, falsely linked to G20 summit
NewsMeter found that the video shows the Chehlum procession of the Shia Muslim community, which was taken out in Delhi on 6 September with the proper permission from the authorities.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 8 Sep 2023 2:10 PM GMT
Screengrabs of the X post.
A group of burqa-clad women in a viral video on social media can be seen marching on the streets with users sharing the video with the communal angel.
Those sharing the video claim that despite section 144 in place in Delhi ahead of the G20 summit, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people in an area, the Muslims in Delhi took out a procession and engaged in communal sloganeering.
"The Hindu’s Shobha Yatra for Janmashtami was cancelled, but the Muslim procession was allowed," the users claimed.
Several X premium users, such as Sagar Kumar, working with the right-wing media organisation Sudarshan TV, Subham Hindu and Ritu Rathaur, have shared the video with the same claim.
Facebook users have also shared the video claiming the same. (Click here and here to see the posts.)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the video shows the Chehlum procession of the Shia Muslim community, which was taken out in Delhi on 6 September with the proper permission from the authorities.
We ran a keyword search and came across a post on X by the Delhi police on September 7. The post called out the social media handles for projecting the Chehlum procession of the Shia Muslim community as a communal ahead of the G20 summit. "The Chehlum procession has been traditionally taken out with permission from law enforcement agencies", Delhi Police said.
On 6 September, India Today reported that Delhi police issued a traffic advisory in the wake of the Chehlum procession. The advisory asked people to commute via the metro and avoid taking the road. The notice clarified that the procession would begin on 6 September at 8:30 in the morning, a day prior due to the G20 weekend. It also mentioned certain routes and stretches will experience traffic regulations and diversions.
We also found the advisory posted on X by Delhi Police on September 6.
Hence, we conclude the Chehlum procession of the Shia Muslim community to observe the death of Imam Hussain, grandson of the holy Prophet Mohammad, was taken out with proper permission from authorities. The video of the procession is being falsely shared with communal spin.
