Old video shared as a recent instance of vandalism of Karnataka vehicles in TN amid the Kaveri water dispute - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 2, 2023
In the context of ongoing protests in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the issue of Kaveri River water distribution, a video showcasing a mob vandalizing vehicles is being widely circulated on social media. This video is claimed to represent the recent incident of Karnataka vehicles being vandalized in Tamil Nadu. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of mob vandalizing Karnataka buses in Tamil Nadu during Kaveri water dispute protests in 2023.
Fact: This video shows an incident that happened in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, in September 2016, where activists vandalized Karnataka vehicles during the Kaveri water dispute protest. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
An internet search using the keyframes derived from the viral video directed us to a similar video. This video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of Nakkheeran TV on 12 September 2016, and was titled “Tamil activists attack Karnataka buses | Cauvery Water dispute”. We discovered that the viral video was a mirrored version of this one after comparing the visuals.
Media reports indicate that the video originated from Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, during the 2016 Kaveri water dispute protests. This protest occurred after the Supreme Court ordered Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for a period of 10 days.
During the recent Kaveri water protests in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, incidents of vehicles being halted from each other’s state were reported. However, according to media reports, no incidents of violence or vandalism have been reported so far. Additionally, the Tamil Nadu police lodged cases against two individuals for disseminating misinformation online by posting fake videos in relation to this matter. The police department issued a stern warning against sharing such videos, stating that users would face charges if they continued to do so.
To sum it up, an old video of a Karnataka bus being vandalized in Tamil Nadu is being recirculated as an instance from the 2023 Kaveri water dispute protests.