Old video of liquor distribution at Punjab fair falsely linked to 2024 farmers' protest

By: Rahul Adhikari
February 21 2024

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Social media posts that claim liquor being distributed at the farmers protest. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

What is the claim?

Amid the ongoing farmers' protests in Punjab and Haryana, a video has been circulated with claims suggesting that protestors are distributing and consuming liquor under the guise of protesting. This viral video shows individuals receiving liquor from a truck trolley equipped with multiple liquor drums amid a crowd holding glasses.

The video gained traction on X (formerly known as Twitter), where one user questioned the identity of the protesters as they don't appear to be "impoverished farmers" given that "they're indulging in 'Liquor Daru Langar.'" The post had accumulated over 376,000 views and 6,500 likes at the time of writing. This video also circulated during the 2021 farmers' protest with the same allegations. Archived versions of such posts can be accessed here and here. 

Screenshots of the viral posts. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the video originates from a 2021 event at a Ludhiana religious fair and is unrelated to current protests.

What did we find?

A reverse image search of the video's keyframes confirmed that it is old, as it was initially shared by "AB Vlogs" on Facebook on September 13, 2021. Although the post lacked detailed information about the incident, further research with related keywords led to a similar YouTube video from September 7, 2021. This video, titled in Punjabi, refers to "Mela Baba Rode Shah Ji Village Kaunke Kalan," where langars (feasts) are held each year that often include the distribution of free alcohol. Despite being different, both videos share elements like blue liquor drums and the method of serving from transparent mugs.

We then researched the Baba Rode Shah fair, which revealed its tradition of serving alcohol as 'prasad' (sacred offering) to devotees. This annual event occurs in Ludhiana's Kaunke Kalan village.

Using relevant keywords, we also found a February 18, 2024, YouTube video by Punjab-based journalist Sandeep Singh. In this video, he debunks the misassociation of the viral clip with the ongoing farmers' protest. Singh, reporting from the fair's location, identified visual matches between the viral and fair videos, including a truck and specific structures visible in the frame. He also interviewed locals to clarify the context behind the annual fair.

Screenshot of a video by Punjab-based journalist Sandeep Singh that compares the viral clip with a video of the fair. (Source: X/Instagram/Modified by Logically Facts)

Screenshot of a video by Punjab-based journalist Sandeep Singh that shows a small room visible in both the videos. (Source: X/Instagram/Modified by Logically Facts)

Screenshot of a video by Punjab-based journalist Sandeep Singh that shows a gate in both the videos. (Source: X/Instagram/Modified by Logically Facts)

We also found several news reports dated September 7, 2021, that covered the religious fair held at the Baba Rode Shah shrine.

Confirmation from independent reporters

Logically Facts contacted Singh, who is covering the ongoing farmers' protests, and he confirmed the video's origin from the Baba Rode Shah fair. "I personally visited the site and demonstrated that the claims in the video were false," he said.

Ludhiana-based journalist Ranjeet Singh Rana, the editor of the local news outlet 'Daily News Punjab,’ had also reported on the Baba Rode Shah fair in 2021. He also corroborated that the incident is from Kaunke Kalan village, adding that "alcohol served here is considered prasad. In fact, alcohol is used as prasad every day.”

A search with Punjabi keywords on Facebook led us to a video published by local media outlet Jan Shakti News Punjab, which fact-checked the claim in September 2021, clarifying that it did not show protesting farmers but the Baba Rode Shah fair in Kaunke Kalan.

The verdict

The video, falsely linked to the ongoing farmers' protests, actually captures a moment from a 2021 religious fair in Ludhiana, where liquor is traditionally distributed as 'prasad.' Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.