By: Umme Kulsum
February 16 2024
2022 video of clash between two groups wrongly linked to ongoing farmers' protests in India
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Screenshot of posts linking a clash between two groups outside a temple with the ongoing farmers' protest. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)
Fact-Check
The Verdict False
The video was captured during a confrontation between 'pro-Khalistan supporters' and Shiv Sena members in 2022.
Claim ID 4e717dfa
What's the claim?
In the wake of the 'Delhi Chalo (march to Delhi)' protest by Indian farmers, who are demanding a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) amid other asks, social media is rampant with misinformation. An emerging narrative is also trying to portray the protesting farmers, many of whom are from Punjab, as Khalistanis, who support the creation of a separate, independent Sikh state in Punjab and its adjoining areas.
One X (formerly Twitter) user shared the video (archived here) with the claim that "Khalistani terrorists" attacked a temple. Linking the video to the ongoing farmers' protest, the user further claimed that the agitation was just an excuse to create. Khalistan. Several users claimed that the video showed "Khalistani Farmer terrorists" attacking the temple. Such posts can be viewed here and here.
Screenshot of posts implying that farmers attacked a temple. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)
However, the viral video is nearly two years old and has no connection to the ongoing farmers' protests.
What did we find?
A reverse image search using keyframes from the video in question led us to an X post sharing the same clip. The post was shared on April 29, 2022, with the hashtag' #Patiala' mentioned in the accompanying caption.
We also came across video reports shared by news outlet Republic World on YouTube, and by Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar on Facebook. Several visuals from the two video reports matched scenes from the viral clip. While Republic World's video description stated that the clip documented "Pro-Khalistani-Shiv Sena Clashes" outside a goddess Kali temple in Patiala, Dainik Bhaskar reported that Sikh protesters in Patiala attacked a shopkeeper inside a temple complex.
Comparison of visuals from the Dainik Bhaskar video report and the viral clip. (Source: X/Dainik Bhaskar)
Using these details as a clue, we ran a Google Search for news reports on the incident. Multiple media outlets had reported on the clashes that erupted outside Patiala's Kali temple in April 2022. Notably, no credible news organization linked the event to farmers or a farmers' protest. The incident was reported as a clash between two groups.
Google Street View and visuals of the temple' as seen in the viral video. (Source: X/Google Maps)
Using Google Maps we geolocated the structure visible in the viral video to Patiala. The Street View of the surroundings of the Kali temple is quite similar to the visuals of the spot seen in the viral video.
The April 2022 clashes
According to a report by The Indian Express, the Shiv Sena organized a "Khalistan Murdabad March" in Patiala, Punjab, on April 29, 2022. The march was intended to counter a call given by the group 'Sikhs for Justice' to observe "Khalistan Foundation Day."
The Shiv Sena's march was met with opposition from a group of Sikh organizations, including the Nihangs. The two groups clashed near the Kali temple in Patiala, with stones being pelted, prompting the deployment of additional security forces in Patiala, the daily said.
The verdict
An old video from clashes between two groups has been wrongly linked to the ongoing farmers' protests. Therefore, we have marked this claim as misleading.
