Fact Check: Claim Of Getting Three Years Of Imprisonment For Misbehaving With Mosque, Madarasa Staff In Rajasthan Is Fake
The claim of the Rajasthan government imposing a three-year punishment for misbehaviour with mosque or madrassa staff through an amendment to the law is false. Both the Rajasthan Police and the Chief Minister’s OSD have debunked this claim as fake.
- By: Sharad Prakash Asthana
- Published: Sep 10, 2023 at 02:23 PM
New Delhi Vishvas News – Before the assembly elections in Rajasthan, their impact was already noticeable on social media. Vishvas News has already debunked several misleading and fake posts circulating on the internet regarding the upcoming polls in Rajasthan. Now, a post is circulating on social media with claims that the Rajasthan government has enacted a new law, under which, misbehaving with the staff of a mosque or madrassa, damaging its property, obstructing its work, or threatening its members could result in a three-year imprisonment. Furthermore, all these actions are said to be considered non-bailable offences under Section 427 of the IPC and 2/3 of the Public Property Act, 1985. Upon investigation by Vishvas News, it was discovered that the viral claim was false. Both the Rajasthan Police and the OSD to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan have also dismissed this claim as false.
What’s going viral?
A user has sent this post to Vishvas News’s WhatsApp tipline number +91 9599299372, requesting it to be verified. Facebook user ‘CP Bhakta’ posted the picture on September 4, writing, “Rajasthan government issues fatwa, Dargah-Mazar can be built in front of your house, so become a messenger of peace, otherwise where will you park your car.”
Written on the picture
Important information. Section 427 of the IPC and 2/3 of the Public Property Act 1985 can lead to three years of imprisonment (punishment). On misbehaving with the staff of Masjid/Madrasa. On damaging the property of the Masjid/Madrasa. On obstructing the work of Masjid/Madrasa and staff. Intimidation and threats to any member of the Masjid/Madrasa. All this is now a non-bailable offense.
Investigation
To investigate the viral claim, we initially conducted a Google search using specific keywords. On September 2, 2021, Navbharat Times published a news article about this issue. The article stated, “A message concerning the Ashok Gehlot government went viral on social media in Rajasthan. It mentioned a proposed amendment to the law, claiming that it would result in up to three years of imprisonment for those who misbehave with mosque or madrassa staff, cause harm, or obstruct their work. The Rajasthan Police has refuted this claim, warning that legal action could be taken against those spreading such misinformation. Lokesh Sharma, the Chief Minister’s Special Officer, also deemed it false.”
Further investigation revealed an older post on the official X handle of Rajasthan Police, dated September 1, 2021. This post stated that a misleading message had been circulating on social media, which was false and misleading. The police also indicated their intent to take legal action against users sharing such messages.
Lokesh Sharma, OSD of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, posted on social media on August 31, 2021, branding the viral claim as fake. Even before the post went viral, Vishvas News had interviewed Lokesh Sharma, the OSD of CM Ashok Gehlot at the time, who debunked the viral claim.
We then conducted a Google search regarding Section 427 of the IPC. According to information published on The Indian Constitution website, “Whoever causes damage of rupees 50 or more shall be punished with imprisonment for a term extending up to two years, a fine, or both. This offense is bailable.” This means that incorrect information was provided regarding Section 427 of the IPC in the viral post. There is a provision for bail.
Additionally, we searched for information about the Public Property Act of 1985. However, we found that the correct legislation is the Public Property Act of 1984. According to information on the UP Police website, those who damage public property may face imprisonment for up to five years, a fine, or both. There is also a provision for bail.
To gather further information, we contacted Narendra Sharma, the bureau head of Dainik Jagran in Rajasthan. He stated, “This post has already gone viral, and the Rajasthan Police had previously declared it as fake. This information is incorrect.”
Finally, we examined the Facebook profile of the user who made the false post. This user has approximately 4,200 friends.
Conclusion: The claim of the Rajasthan government imposing a three-year punishment for misbehaviour with mosque or madrassa staff through an amendment to the law is false. Both the Rajasthan Police and the Chief Minister’s OSD have debunked this claim as fake.
- Claim Review : The Rajasthan government has made a new law, under which misbehavior with the staff of a mosque or madrasa can lead to a punishment of three years.
- Claimed By : FB User- CP Bhakta
- Fact Check : False
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