A video is being widely shared claiming that an Allahabad (now Prayagraj) Mosque had been destroyed. We have also received a similar video on our WhatsApp tipline (+91 92470 52470) to check the veracity of the video. The video even claims that the Mosque was demolished by the Modi Government and no media had picked up the story. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Claim: Video of Allahabad Mosque demolished by Modi government.
Fact: The video does not belong to Allahabad (now Prayagraj). Some of the images used in the video are of clashes between Tablighi factions in Bangladesh in 2018. Though we could not confirm where remaining images in the video belonged to, no such mosque demolition had taken place in Allahabad. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, an article with one of the images was found. The article published on 02 December 2018 is titled, ‘One killed, over 200 injured in Tablighi Jamaat’s factional clashes.’ Fierce clashes had occurred between two factions of Tablighi Jamaat in Bishwa Ijtema grounds in Bangladesh on 01 December 2018. According to a news report, the two factions fought over the venue, the Ijtema grounds. The rift had been brewing among Tablighi members over the nomination of Indian preacher Maulana Muhammad Saad Al Kandhalvi.
Some images found in several reports here and here are similar to the images in the video. These reports do not talk about any mosque demolition in Allahabad (now Prayagraj).
Though we could not confirm where the remaining images in the video belonged to, it is clear that no such mosque demolition had taken place in Allahabad as there were no recent news reports about any such incidents in Allahabad (now Prayagraj). In 2018, Muslims removed parts of two mosques in Allahabad to make way for Kumbh pilgrims. This was done voluntarily by the Muslims living there.
To sum it up, this video claiming mosque demolition in Allahabad by the Modi government is false.
