Update (23 MARCH 2022):
A video is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows the latest situation of Punjab. The post says that the Khalistan movement started in Punjab. It is being shared in the context of the recent win of AAP in the Punjab Assembly Election (2022). Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of Khalistan supporters in Punjab.
Fact: It is an old video. The video is from 2014 when some Sikhs fought among themselves at the Golden Temple in Punjab. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The same video can be found to be uploaded by ‘Euronews’ (the logo can be seen on the posted video) in June 2014. The title of the video can be read as – “Dramatic sword fight breaks out between Sikhs at Golden Temple in India”. More details regarding the incident can be seen in the description of the video. (“A police official said the clashes were triggered by a minor argument between temple employees and an unnamed fringe Sikh group when commemorating the victims of the 1984 temple raid.”). The ‘BBC News’ has also posted a video on the incident in 2014.
Update (17 MARCH 2022):
Another video is being shared on social media with a claim that hooliganism has started in Punjab as AAP won the Assembly election in the state. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of goons beating an RTO officer in Punjab after AAP won the Assembly election (2022).
Fact: While the incident in the video happened on 05 March 2022, the election results came on 10 March 2022. So, the video was not taken after AAP won the Assembly Election. Also, the person getting beaten in the video is not an RTO officer. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Some social media users have commented that the video is from Hajipur (Hoshiarpur) and was taken on 05 March 2022. The FIR of the incident uploaded on the Punjab Police website can be seen here. In the FIR, the date of the incident can be seen as 05 March 2022 i.e., before the announcement of the Punjab Assembly election result. The person getting beaten in the video is not an RTO officer; he works for a mining company. Also, talking to ‘Fact Crescendo’ and ‘Alt News’, the Punjab Police and Punjab-based journalists have clarified the same.
Published (14 MARCH 2022):
Multiple videos are being shared on social media with a claim that they show the hooliganism of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters and associated incidents in Punjab after the party won the Assembly election in the state. Let’s fact-check the claims made in the posts.
Claim: Recent video of an attack on Hindus by the AAP supporters in Punjab.
Fact: The same video is on the internet at least since 2014. It does not show an incident after AAP won the election in Punjab.Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On YouTube, the same video can be found to be posted in October 2014. Also, the ‘Daily Mail’ published an article in August 2014 on the incident in the video.
Claim: Recent video of a procession demanding Khalistan after AAP won the election in Punjab.
Fact: The video is not from a procession after AAP won the election in Punjab. The video was found to be published in February 2022. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The same video was posted on YouTube in February 2022 i.e., before the Punjab Assembly election results were announced on 10 March 2022. Similar videos from the same procession in February 2022 can be seen here, here, and here. The procession was reportedly held in Bathinda in memory of Deep Sidhu. More details can be read here.
Claim: Video of a Punjab policeman in a drunken state after Bhagwant Mann became the CM.
Fact: The video is an old one. It was not taken after Bhagwant Mann was confirmed as the CM of Punjab. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The same video can be found on the internet at least since 2017. Some of the old posts can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, old videos shared as disturbing visuals from Punjab after AAP won the Assembly election (2022).
