2019 video recorded during a rally in Surat that turned violent later is shared as recent.
Claim
We pay taxes, they enjoy subsidies and govt patronage as they are “minority”. Everything is inverted at the policy level. They should be put into rigorous “de-radicalisation & humanisation” programs. Will be better for us, as well as, them.
Rating
Explanation
A video showing a mob vandalising a government bus is widely circulated now in the context that it happened recently amidst Haryana’s Nuh violence. Nuh district witnessed violent clashes during the Vishwa Hindu Parishad procession recently. This communal clash led to the death of six people and left several injured. Meanwhile, a video purportedly showing a mob vandalising a public bus is shared mentioning in a sarcastic tone that they paid tax for the minority muslim community recently. Some of the posts carrying the video recently can be seen here and here.
इन MC के लिए, हमने कल टैक्स रिटर्न फाइल कर दिया है। pic.twitter.com/GsLmxraB0t
— इंदु (@Congress_Indira) August 1, 2023
What is the truth?
When watching the viral video closely we found the word ‘Sitilink’ written on the bus vandalised by the mob. Sitilink refers to the integrated bus rapid transit and public bus transport system for Gujarat’s Surat.
With further searching, we found The Times of India article dated 6, July 2019 reporting that the mob targeted a city bus near Take Off Restaurant and broke its window panes in Surat. The incident happened during a rally organised by a city-based organisation, Versatile Minorities Forum (VFM) to protest against mob lynching incidents in different parts the country.
The rally participants were not allowed to go beyond Makkai Pool in Nanpura to meet the district collector as they did not have permission to go beyond it. However, a section of the rally participants moved beyond the limit despite the police’s request. Here is when the rally turns violent. The mob threw stones at police and damaged two city buses.
A Youtube video uploaded on 5, July 2019 by Divyang News Channel is found featuring the visuals of the damaged bus. The buildings in the background appear to be the same as seen in the viral video. It is described that the rally against mob lynching in Surat turned violent later leading Police to fire tear gas shells.
We also found TV9Gujarati and ABP Asmita Youtube channels reporting about the incident. In addition to it, a tweet dated 13, July 2019 carrying the same viral video is found. However, the caption of the tweet appears to be irrelevant to the actual incident. The tweet is quoted here to prove that the video is doing its rounds on the internet at least since July 2019.
Conclusion
It is found that an old video from 2019 recorded during the rally held in Surat in protest against mob lynching, that turned violent is shared in the context that it is a recent visual, amidst the unrest in Haryana’s Nuh district.
