Fact Check: Video of man threatening to let Pakistan enter borders is from 2021, not from 2024 farmers’ protest

Hyderabad: A video of what appears to be a Sikh jawan threatening the Government of India that if they trouble the farmers then it would take 10 minutes for Pakistan to reach Delhi through the Punjab border.

Media outlets South Asian Journal and Squint Neon have also shared the video. The South Asian Journal X post reads, “A Sikh Farmer warns, ‘if our Sikh boys in Indian Army rebel and join the farmers. It will take 10 minutes for Pakistan to reach Delhi’ (sic).”

Click here and here to view similar posts.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading as the viral video is from the 2021 farmers’ protest.

Over a reverse image search, we found the same video uploaded by an X user with the caption, “A Singh is threatening Modi Gov that if he takes any action against ‘so-called’ farmer protesters, their sons in Indian army will leave China & Pakistan borders and march Delhi. This is dangerous, @DelhiPolice@HMOIndia@NIA_India. please do consider this video seriously. (sic)” The video was tweeted on January 30, 2021.

Another similar search led us to a Punjabi local Facebook page named Mini TV9, which uploaded the same video back on January 30, 2021, with the caption “Sikh Regiment Warning”. As the video has been on the internet since 2021, it is evident that the video is not from the ongoing farmers’ protest in 2024.

On carefully analyzing the viral video, we noticed the Bharatiya Kisan Union’s flags and the same written on the banner behind the farmer in the Army uniform. This indicated that the video is from the farmers’ protest.

Moreover, according to a report on India Today on January 20, 2021, in a letter to the Kendriya Sainik Board, the Army reiterated the rules regarding the wearing of uniforms. it said, “The Indian Army has asked ex-servicemen not to wear uniforms or pin medals on their chest while attending the ongoing farmers’ protest. Besides, serving soldiers from Sikh and Punjab regiments have also been sensitized not to be part of such protests as per existing norms.”

Although we could not independently verify the exact source, we can conclude the video is old and unrelated to the ongoing farmers’ protests in 2024.