Fact-Check: Old Video From Pakistan Disrespecting Indian Flag Going Viral With False Claim
The viral video claiming to depict the desecration of the national flag in the South Indian state of Kerala is actually from an incident in Pakistan. The same video was previously shared as an incident in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
- By Vishvas News
- Updated: July 13, 2023
New Delhi Vishvas News – A video is going viral on social media with a claim that the video is of an incident from Kerala where the national flag was insulted. However, an investigation by Vishvas News has found this claim to be false. The viral video is actually from Pakistan and has been circulated with fake claims using the names of different states in India. Previously, the same video was falsely circulated as an incident in Tamil Nadu.
What’s Going Viral?
Social media user ‘Yashwant Kumar‘ shared the viral video and wrote, “Watch this video from Kerala and forward it worldwide now. Forwarding after 6 months is of no use.” Several other users have also shared the same video with similar claims. The video has also been shared on Twitter by various users with identical claims.
Investigation:
Upon investigation, it can be observed that several people in the viral video are seen waving the Pakistani flag and the background music playing is ‘Nara-e-Takbeer, Allahu-Akbar,’ which clearly indicates that the video is not from India.
A search on social media revealed a tweet by Twitter user ‘Arif Aajakia’ featuring visuals from the viral video. The tweet, dated March 10, 2020, provides details about the incident, which took place in Pakistan. However, due to legal issues, this Twitter account is banned in India. The video has also been reported on a YouTube channel as originating from Pakistan.
This is not the first time this video has been falsely shared as an incident in India. Previously, it was circulated as an incident in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Vishvas News conducted an investigation and debunked the claim, confirming that the video is not from Tamil Nadu but from an incident in Pakistan.
We reached out to Feroze Khan, a fact-checker and local journalist from Kerala, regarding the viral video. He confirmed that no such incident has occurred in Kerala. Lubna Zarar Naqvi, a journalist and fact-checker based in Pakistan, also confirmed that the video is from Karachi, Pakistan.
The user who shared the viral video has a profile that reflects a particular ideology and the content shared aligns with that ideology.
Conclusion: The viral video claiming to depict the desecration of the national flag in the South Indian state of Kerala is actually from an incident in Pakistan. The same video was previously shared as an incident in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.