Amidst the recent instances of communal unrest in Haryana, a video of cow vigilante and Hindutva leader Bittu Bajrangi, expressing distress and accusing authorities of mistreatment, is being shared on social media platforms linking it to the recent incidents of violence. The accompanying post suggests that the tears stem from a fear of being arrested in connection with the recent violence. Within the video, Bittu Bajrangi can be heard alleging harassment for organizing a rally in which swords were brandished. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi expressing distress, fearing arrest following the recent violence.
Fact: The viral video is old and is about an earlier incident where Bittu Bajrangi made allegations of police mistreatment regarding his involvement in organizing the Hindu Ekta Bhagwa rally on 10 April 2022, in Faridabad. Subsequent to the rally, Bittu Bajrangi utilized Facebook to assert that officials had harassed him, especially since some participants had wielded swords during the procession. On a different note, in the wake of recent violent events, Bittu Bajrangi was arrested by the police for sharing a video containing offensive remarks targeting a specific community. However, it’s important to note that the viral video is unrelated to the recent outbreak of violence. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
As per the news reports, following the recent incidents of communal violence, police have arrested the Hindutva leader Bittu Bajrangi on 31 July 2023, for posting a video in which he made derogatory comments on a particular community. Taking cognizance of the video, police arrested him and later was released on bail.
However, the viral video in question is an old video and not related to the recent incidents of violence. Relevant search with keyword led us to a Facebook video, dated 16 April 2022, which carried similar visuals.
At 13:15 time stamp of this video, we can hear Bittu Bajrangi speaking the exact words as in the viral video, wherein he accuses some officials of harassing him to reveal the names of his workers, who participated in a rally in which swords were brandished.
A further search yielded news reports, according to which, on 10 April 2022 Bittu Bajarangi, organized a rally in which Suresh Chavhanke, owner of news channel Sudarshan News, was the chief guest. Most likely, police must have questioned him for this rally.
Further, in this video dated 13 April 2022, speaking to the media, he explains the reason behind his crying in his earlier Facebook Live. All these clearly establish that the current viral video is not related to the recent violence.
To sum it up, an old video of Bittu Bajrangi crying alleging police harassment is being shared linking it to the recent violence.
