Amid the incident (here, here and here) where ex-MLA Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion and his supporters vandalised independent MLA Umesh Kumar’s office in Khanpur, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, firing gunshots, a video (here, here and here) showing Kunwar Pranav Singh dancing with guns in both hands alongside his team is going viral. The video claims he is celebrating the attack on Umesh Kumar. Let’s uncover the truth behind this video.
Claim: BJP ex-MLA Pranav Singh Champion is dancing with guns following the recent attack on independent MLA Umesh Kumar in Haridwar.
Fact: That video of BJP ex-MLA Pranav Singh Champion dancing with guns surfaced in July 2019, leading to his suspension from the party. The recent incident occurred on 26 January 2025, in Khanpur, Haridwar, where Pranav Singh Champion and his supporters vandalised the office of independent MLA Umesh Kumar and fired gunshots following a dispute. However, the 2019 viral video has no connection to the recent attack. Hence, the claim is MISLEADING.
A reverse image search using keyframes from the video led to an NDTV post on X dated 17 July 2019, featuring a screenshot of the viral video. The post was captioned, “BJP MLA Pranav Singh ‘Champion’, who was seen dancing with guns in viral video, expelled from the party for six years,” indicating that the viral video dates back to 2019.
Further research led us to an NDTV video report from 10 July 2019, which shows the viral video with a Hindi caption reading, “Suspended BJP MLA Pranav Singh seen dancing while waving weapons.”
Further research, based on several news reports (here, here and here), reveals that on 10 July 2019, a viral video showed BJP MLA Pranav Singh Champion brandishing guns and abusing the people of Uttarakhand, sparking widespread outrage. An FIR was lodged against him at Nehru Colony police station, Dehradun. BJP president Amit Shah instructed Uttarakhand party chief Ajay Bhatt to take strict action, leading to Champion’s suspension from the party. Known for his controversial behaviour, Champion later apologised, attributing his actions to being drunk.
Meanwhile, on 26 January 2025, in Khanpur, Haridwar, former MLA Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion and his supporters vandalised the office of independent MLA Umesh Kumar and fired gunshots, following days of verbal abuse and threats on social media between the two leaders. The attack was reportedly in retaliation for Umesh allegedly entering Pranav’s house a day earlier and threatening his family. Pranav was arrested, and police are taking action against both leaders, with reports of their licensed arms sent to the District Magistrate (here, here and here). However, the viral video from 2019 showing Pranav brandishing guns has no relation to this incident.
To sum up, a 2019 video of BJP ex-MLA Pranav Singh Champion dancing with guns has been shared as depicting a recent incident.
