Fact Check: Viral video shows clash over removal of Bhindrawale’s poster, not ongoing farmers' protest

Hyderabad: As the farmers continue their protest, a video showing people attacking policemen is doing rounds on social media, claiming that it shows farmers attacking cops.

“So-called farmers attacking police with swords allowed on them for religious purposes. Are they farmers??? Ask yourselves!!! #FarmerProtestInDelhi #FarmerProtest, (sic)” wrote an X user who shared the video.

Multiple X users have shared the video claiming the same. Click here and here to view the posts.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the video is being falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protests. It shows a clash over the removal of Sikh separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s poster at a fair in Punjab in January.

We noticed several users in the comments of the post stating that the video is of a clash at a gurdwara in Punjab’s Pahu Wind village, not from the farmers’ protests.

With this cue, we ran a relevant keyword search and found similar videos on Facebook posted in January. The videos had similar elements such as the same number of police personnel, the man attacking a police official with a sword in the same attire, the banner in the background and the same car. As per the captions, the clash took place over the removal of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s poster. Click here and here for the posts.

According to a report by Jagran from January 29, which carried a screengrab from the viral video, the mob attacked the president and members of the gurdwara managing committee in Punjab’s Tarn Taran over the alleged removal of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s poster.

According to Hindustan Times, the incident unfolded in Gurdwara Janam Asthan Baba Deep Singh at Pahuwind village in Tarn Taran district on the birth anniversary of Sikh warrior Baba Deep Singh. It mentioned that the incident happened when the video of the president of the gurdwara management committee Col Harsimran Singh (retd), went viral on social media, where he was purportedly seen asking a group of Sikh volunteers to remove a portrait of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale from the premises of the gurdwara. On refusal of volunteers, the president himself removed the portrait.

Hence, we conclude that the viral video showing the clash is being falsely linked to the farmer’s protest.