No, elderly woman seen in this video is not 'cursing farmers protesting in Delhi'

By: Rajini KG
February 15 2024

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The screenshot of the social media post. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

Context

Two years after their prolonged protests, farmers in India have declared a 'March to Delhi' to compel the Indian government to meet their demands. These include pensions for farmers and agricultural workers, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, assurance of a minimum support price (MSP), and waiver of farm debts. In anticipation, Delhi's borders have seen heightened security, with police erecting blockades and barricades to manage the march.

What’s the claim?

A video showing a woman rebuking individuals for obstructing road traffic has gone viral on social media, with claims suggesting she's shouting at protesting farmers for creating roadblocks. BJP worker Priti Gandhi amplified this narrative on X (formerly Twitter), alleging it depicted Punjab's citizens' frustration with the ongoing farmer protests. The post garnered over 112,900 views and 250 likes, with an archived version accessible here. The same video was also shared on YouTube and Koo (archived here and here).

The screenshot of the viral social media post. (Source: X/Koo/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, contrary to these claims, the video is from November 2022 and captures a protest by petrol pump owners in Patiala.

How we debunked this claim

A reverse image search led us to the original video, posted to a Facebook account owned by Satpal Garg, who identifies as the Editor-in-Chief of SACH TE PEHRA Newspaper. Garg's post from November 6, 2022, covers the viral video, revealing it was shot during a protest by petrol pump dealers in Patran-Saman, Patiala, on November 5, 2022. The footage, matching the viral clip, spans from 0:51 to 1:37 in Garg's upload.

Further investigation led us to a report by SACH TE PEHRA TV, dated November 5, 2022, detailing the petrol pump dealers' roadblock over allegations of a fraudulent complaint against them. The blockade resulted in significant traffic disruptions and snarls, during which the woman in question criticized the protestors for hindering traffic flow.

The police, in a conversation with the 24 Punjab News YouTube channel, clarified that the root of the dispute involved a monetary issue, where a man named Devi Dayal owed Rs 10-12 lakh to a Patiala petrol pump owner. After failing to repay the debt, Dayal's vehicle was confiscated by the pump's employees when he attempted to refuel. His subsequent police complaint against the pump owner for not returning his vehicle led to the employees' protest, claiming the escalation of a financial dispute into unfounded legal charges.

The report added that the sit-in protests led to a traffic jam, following which this woman was seen criticizing them for blocking the road.

The verdict

A 2022 video of a woman scolding petrol pump owners for protesting and blocking the main road in Patiala, Punjab, was misrepresented to be from farmers’ 'Delhi Chalo' protest. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.