Video of a boy offering namaz on a busy street is not from Karnataka

By: Annet Preethi Futado
May 22 2023

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Context

A 40-second video showing a boy engaged in namaz (Islamic prayer) on a busy street is being shared as an incident in Karnataka and linked to the results of the state's elections in May 2023 where the Congress party defeated incumbent government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the video, the boy lays a green prayer mat on the road and performs namaz while vehicles pause at a traffic signal. 

A man, presumably a traffic police personnel, can be seen standing beside the boy and managing traffic. One Twitter post with the video featured a Hindi caption, stating, "Enjoy the street view of Karnataka this morning, must watch *Secular Hindu. See the effect of the vote you have given." Several other Twitter posts featuring the video accused individuals of interpreting the Indian constitution to suit their own agenda, urging Hindus to "stay alert."

However, the incident did not occur in India and has no connection to the aftermath of the Karnataka elections. 

In Fact

We found that the same video had been first posted on TikTok in January 2023 by a user named ''ajom75uddin.'' Notably, all the viral videos prominently featured the logo of this TikTok user. At the beginning of the video, the guard appears to be trying to ask the boy to move over to the pavement for his prayer but fails. The one-minute-long TikTok video provides a clearer view of the incident compared to the shorter, rather blurry viral video that has gained widespread circulation. The video being online since January this year indicates that it was recorded before the Karnataka election in May. On TikTok and Facebook, the user's profile mentions Dubai.

Examining the longer video, the man appearing to be security personnel is wearing a shirt with Arabic text that roughly translates to "guard." We came across several news reports featuring images of security guards donning similar attire in Dubai and other parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

We also found a YouTube video titled "Arkan Security Solutions," published by Ejadah Asset Management Group in 2015. This video features security personnel donning uniforms that resemble those seen in the viral video - similar text on the back of the shirt and a very similar badge with a blue core on the left sleeve. According to their website, Arkan is a smart guarding company providing services in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with Traffic and Parking Management among their offerings.

The license plates on the cars seen in the video, displaying five-digit numbers, do not correspond to those typically found in India. Dubai has license plates with five digits where the plates bear the inscription 'Dubai.' Additionally, those driving the vehicles seen in the video are seated on the left-hand side, contrary to right-hand driving in India. These findings conclusively demonstrate that the video was not recorded in India.

The video also features a man wearing an orange uniform on the right side of the street. By conducting a reverse search, we were able to discover a photograph featuring a Talabat Food Delivery employee, whose uniform and food container matched that of the man seen in the viral video. Talabat is an online food ordering company that was founded in Kuwait in 2004. It operates in various countries, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

The user who originally posted this video is based in Dubai and several cues point to the incident being from Dubai or the UAE. While Logically Facts could not independently verify the exact location of the incident, it is clear that the video is not from India. 

The Verdict

The video of a boy praying in a bustling street is not originally from Karnataka, contrary to the claims circulating on social media. The posts asserting a connection to the aftermath of the Karnataka elections are false.