Recently, a viral video is taking tours of the internet which claims that a ‘thanks giving’ rally was taken out by ‘Rohingyas’ in West Bengal after winning the recently concluded Assembly elections and that they had chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans. The video is shared with a caption, along with the video which reads: “A ‘Thanks giving’ rally in West Bengal taken out by some of the 31 Rohingyas elected in the recent elections, with chanting slogans like “Pakistan Zindabad”. Where is ‘Secular India’ leading us?
Well, on carefully looking at the viral clip, at 0:50 seconds, a shop by the name of ‘Bhoomi Vastralaya’ was noticed. With help of Google maps it was found that the shop is located in Rupaidiha in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich.
On comparing the structure of the shop seen in the viral video with that of a user uploaded image on Google of the said shop in Bahraich, similar things were found. Further, on carefully listening to the viral video, it was clearly heard that the crowd was chanting ‘Haji Sahab Zindabad’. From 0:11-0:18 seconds, one can hear the slogan: “Hamara pradhan Kaisa ho? Haji Sahab Jaisa ho.” (Translated: How should are head be? Like Haji Sahab.) Haji Abdul Kalim is the newly elected pradhan of Kewalpur village in Bahraich. According to news report by Amar Ujala which said that after the three- phase panchayat elections concluded in Uttar Pradesh, supporters of Haji Abdul Kalim took out a procession. Police had, later, registered a case against 100 unidentified persons for violating COVID-19 protocols. The shop owner Shivam Sahu confirmed that the video was shot in front of his shop during a victory procession organised by supporters of Haji Abdul Kalim, who won from the Kewalpur Gram Sabha. Sahu further said, “No such slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ were raised in the procession. They said ‘Haji Saab Zindabad’ and ‘Gram Sabha Pradhan Kaisa Ho. Haji Sab Jaisa Ho’ during the procession.”
Dr Jang Bahadur Yadav, deputy superintendent of police, also confirmed that the crowd was chanting ‘Haji Sahab Zindabad’ slogans. “This video (one viral now) and the other video in which we can see a boy wearing a mask has been sent for forensics. They are from the same day. In our initial investigation, we found that the crowd was saying ‘Haji Sahab Zindabad’. The boy who was shooting in the other video also confirmed it to us. We have sent it to the forensic science lab to see if anyone has edited the video to make it sound like ‘Pakistan Zindabad’.”
Haji Abdul Rahim, elder brother of Haji Abdul Kalim, who won in the panchayat elections also stated, “The procession was taken out when the results had not been declared and the counting process was going on. Some of our supporters raised slogans when they came to know that Kalim was leading and they took out a small procession in this regard.”
Hence, a procession video from Uttar Pradesh is spread with the claim that Rohingyas raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans in West Bengal to celebrate victory in the recently concluded state elections.
