A few days ago, an altercation erupted on a college campus in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, when a young man was recording a video using his mobile phone. This incident led to a scuffle involving a boy, a girl, and a group of young men. Misleading narratives started circulating, asserting that religious and caste-related issues drove the altercation. The misleading claims suggested that the boy, wearing a cap, was targeted due to his religious beliefs and was forced to remove his skull cap.

It is noteworthy that the misleading narrative surrounding this incident was widely shared on social media platforms by various accounts, primarily those with pro-Muslim inclinations. These accounts have a history of sharing fake and misleading information that aligns with their narrative. Prominent among them were @bstvlive, @Ahmedkhabeeer, @AsianDigest, @Gabbar0099, @MuslimSpaces, @fiire_n_iice, @_sayema, and @Ramraajya.

Furthermore, the misleading news found its way to other groups with varying agendas. Some shared it with anti-India sentiments, while others aimed to criticize the present government (BJP). There were also accounts with anti-Hindu agendas, and some were attempting to create communal tensions. Certain individuals through the video of altercation sought to defame India, the state of Uttar Pradesh, its government, and the administration, including the Meerut police.

Surprisingly, one of the misleading tweets was also reposted by a ‘alleged’ fact-checker and co-founder of Alt News, Md Zubair. He, too, has a history of sharing news that appears to align with his agenda or is critical of the BJP government.

The Video and Its Context

A CCTV video surfaced online, showcasing a confrontation involving a boy and a girl with a group of young men. The narrative accompanying the video alleged that the boy was visiting the college with his sister, and an altercation ensued when the group of young men hurled religious and caste-based slurs, compelling him to remove his skull cap. Contrary to this claim, investigations show that the boy was simply recording a video on his mobile phone, which prompted objections from the other group. The disagreement escalated into a verbal altercation and later turned physical.

Meerut Police swiftly responded to the incident and clarified the details. They confirmed that the young man was at the college campus with his sister to pay fees and was recording a video on his mobile phone. The other party objected to this and attempted to assault the boy, leading to a scuffle. The police registered a case in this regard and are taking appropriate action against the accused, emphasizing that the altercation had no religious or caste-based motivations.

Conclusion

In summary, the video from Uttar Pradesh circulating with misleading claims, suggesting a religiously motivated assault, is untrue. The scuffle stemmed from a disagreement related to recording a video on a college campus and had no association with religion or caste. Meerut Police have taken appropriate action against the accused individuals involved in the altercation. Following a precise analysis and fact-checking, our team has reviewed the claim. You can refer to the findings of this inquiry in the Twitter thread below.

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ANALYSIS: Misleading

FACT: A CCTV video of a scuffle between Youths that shows a girl and a Boy involved in a brawl with a group of young men has been shared, claiming that a boy wearing a cap came with his sister to the college where a group of young men hurdled (1/3) pic.twitter.com/KeNYWJAnJg

— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) September 27, 2023

Claim: The altercation in the video from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, was fueled by religious bias, with the boy being forced to remove his skull cap due to his faith.

Fact: The altercation was unrelated to religion; it began as a disagreement over the boy recording a video on the college campus.

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