In the wake of the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, a video is being widely shared on social media claiming that BJP leaders were being thrashed for seeking votes. Another video is also being shared in the context of upcoming elections in UP. Let us fact-check this claim.
Claim: Recent video of BJP leaders being thrashed in UP for seeking votes.
Fact: The video is from 2017 and not a recent one. This video shows Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJP) activists attacking the then West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh in Darjeeling. A 2021 video of a clash between SP, BJP workers is also being shared in the context of upcoming elections in UP. Both these videos have nothing to do with BJP leaders being beaten in UP for seeking votes for the upcoming general elections. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the first video, a YouTube video with similar visuals was found. The YouTube video by NMF News uploaded on 06 October 2017, was about an attack on the then West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh in Darjeeling. According to the description of the video, he was allegedly manhandled by the activists of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).
In Early October 2017, when the then BJP President Dilip Ghosh went to meet the Gurung’s faction of GJM, Benoy Tamang’s faction of GJM allegedly attacked Dilip Ghosh and his supporters. Similar visuals were also uploaded by other news outlets and they can be watched here and here.
The second video which is being shared in the context of upcoming elections in UP is actually a video from June 2021 when there was a clash between SP, BJP workers during filing of nominations for a district panchayat chief post.
According to an Indian Express article, BJP candidates in UP did face black flags, stones, etc. However, these viral videos have nothing to do with BJP leaders being beaten in UP for seeking votes for the upcoming general elections.
To sum it up, 2017 video of an attack on West Bengal BJP President is being shared as BJP leaders being beaten for seeking votes for upcoming elections in UP.
