A 26-second video has recently been circulated on Facebook, claiming that Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, India, are being targeted in acts of communal violence. The video, which has gone viral, shows two men dressed in traditional Punjabi attire sitting on a cot in an open area. Suddenly, a group of individuals appears and attacks them by breaking through a wall. However, FactWatch’s investigation reveals that the incident depicted in the video is unrelated to communal violence. The attack occurred in March and stemmed from a land dispute involving both Hindu and Muslim parties.
A reverse image search of the video led to a report published on March 9 by the Indian local news outlet Free Press Journal. The report confirms that the incident took place in Kuan Kheda village under Bachhraon Police Station in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, where an elderly man was killed and three others injured due to a conflict over land. The deceased was identified as Abdul Salam, also known as Sukhwa.
According to the report, a man named Anis had sold Abdul Salam’s ancestral land in Milk Motikheda village to two individuals, Anil and Hrithik. When Abdul Salam began construction work on the disputed land, Anil and Hrithik arrived at the scene and attacked him.
The same details were reported by another Indian news outlet, ETV Bharat, which published a corresponding article on its website. Citing police sources, the report states that Anis sold the land in question to Anil and Hrithik. On the evening of the incident, while Abdul Salam was supervising construction work on the disputed land, Anil and Hrithik, accompanied by others, reached the location. The video shows two elderly men seated on a cot before a group of assailants breaks through the boundary wall and initiates a physical assault. The attackers were armed with weapons and sticks.
Multiple Indian news outlets have reported the same account, affirming that Abdul Salam’s death was not the result of a communal attack. The land dispute involved individuals from both Hindu and Muslim communities, and Anis, a Muslim, is also implicated in the conflict. Based on this evidence, FactWatch has determined that the viral claim is misleading.
Original News Source: https://www.fact-watch.org/hindus-and-muslims/
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Sharing religious misinformation and disinformation can cause harm. Always verify before sharing.