Video of lathi-charge on BJP workers in Patna shared as Haryana violence

By: Annet Preethi Furtado
August 10 2023

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Context

On July 31, 2023, communal clashes erupted in the town of Nuh in the north Indian State of Haryana, which claimed the lives of at least seven people. The unrest quickly spread to the neighboring Gurugram and Sohna, resulting in violence in the areas. 

Amid this, a video, which shows police personnel lathi-charging people, is being widely shared on X (formerly Twitter). The text, along with the video, states that it is from Mewat (Nuh was formerly called Mewat). The 1:35-second-long video carries audio, which resembles news commentary. Numerous such posts are circulating online. The archives can be found here and here. 

The video is being shared with a claim that it is from Mewat. (Source: X/@DineshKumarLive, @archanarchaubey/Altered by Logically Facts)

However, we found that the video dates back to July 2023. It is from an event in Patna where the police lathi-charged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers who were protesting against alleged corruption and teacher recruitment issues in Bihar.

In fact

We conducted a reverse image search on some of the keyframes of the video and found a video posted on X on July 13. The posts suggested that the video was from Patna, Bihar, and mentioned that protesting BJP workers were lathi-charged by the State police. 

Screenshot of Manish Singh's tweet from July 2023 saying that BJP workers were lathi-charged. (Source: X/@MSinghBJP)

Using this information as a cue, we conducted a keyword search and came across a video report by English news channel Mirror Now posted on July 13, 2023. The description states that chaos erupted on the streets as BJP workers were protesting against the State government. The police resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas to disperse them, as per the report. 

We noticed several similarities between the viral video and this one. For example: There is a blue van with a distinctive red circle in both the videos.

Comparison between the viral video and the video posted on Mirror Now YouTube channel. (Source: X/@archanarchaubey/YouTube/Altered by Logically Facts)

Additionally, we noticed a shop named ‘CHHABRA SPORTS' in both videos. 

Comparison between the viral video and the video posted on Mirror Now YouTube channel. (Source: X/@archanarchaubey/YouTube/Altered by Logically Facts)

Using Google Maps, we verified that Chhabra Sports is situated on Mazharut Haque Path in Patna. And the Street View shows the same location as that in the viral clip.

Street View of 605 Mazharul Haque Path, Patna, Bihar. (Source: Google Maps)

What did reporters say?

Neeraj Priyadarshi, a freelance journalist in Bihar, confirmed that the video is from Patna. He also confirmed this was from the protest march organized by the BJP against the State government. They were marching towards the Vidhan Sabha. He said, “In order to disperse the crowd that had assembled on the streets of Patna, the police resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas against the protesters, as captured in the viral video.” 

The Times of India also reported on this and noted that the march was to “raise the issue of corruption and teacher recruitment” in the State. 

The verdict

The viral video depicting the police lathi charge does not originate from the communal violence in Haryana's Mewat, but rather from a BJP-organized protest in Patna, Bihar, on July 13.

Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.