Some have circulated a video purporting to depict protesters in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, against the BJP government, showing an agitated mob vandalizing a poster.
Verified accounts on twitter, including @NigarNawab tweeted “Protest against BJP has taken to the streets in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. Young people are tearing up posters in anger” on March 15, 2024. The tweet has received an about 90.7k views on X.
उत्तर प्रदेश के बलिया में भाजपा का विरोध सड़क पर उतर आया है। नौजवान गुस्से में पोस्टर उखाड़ फेंक रहे हैं pic.twitter.com/GM2m7vASsI
— Nigar Parveen (@NigarNawab) March 15, 2024
Several other accounts, including @Manishkumarttp, @MediaCellAAPUP, @keshavyadaviyc made the same claim that in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, a crowd protested against the Modi government and BJP while damaging a poster in anger. The archive can be read from above.
What is the Actual Truth About this Incident? : Fact
The individuals in this video are asking the liquor store to close and are protesting against it. As to the reports, the demonstrators claim that the young guy passed away due to alcohol consumption; however, the father of the dead stated that his son was already unwell and had gone to Bansdih to obtain medication. According to police, the deceased was unwell and passed away on March 14, 2024; they are taking appropriate measures. Thus, the demonstration was directed towards liquor stores and not BJP government.
The official account of @balliapolice posted about this incident officially, which took place on March 14, 2024.
— Ballia Police (@balliapolice) March 15, 2024
We visited abplive, which published an article on this incident on March 15, 2024 with the headline “UP News: Women arrived with sticks to get liquor shops closed, staged a sit-in on the road in protest”. In Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, women holding sticks held a demonstration demanding the closing of liquor stores. Women also blocked the route as a protest during this time. The leader’s hoardings by the side of the road were destroyed during this period. On March 14, a young man passed away after consuming alcohol close to a country liquor store. This is the situation with the spirits government contract store in Narayanpur, Bansdih Kotwali area. As per reports, he died because he was already unwell. An extensive investigation has been conducted, and an excise inspector was sent to the scene. The claim that the crowd destroyed the poster due to anger against the BJP government is not true.
D-Intent’s Fact-Checking Results:
1738
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) March 15, 2024
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video that shows an aggressive crowd vandalizing a poster has been shared, claiming that people unhappy with the BJP government are protesting in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia. In this video, these people are protesting against the liquor shop (1/3) pic.twitter.com/PWUlJUTpst
Intent:
Influencers circulate videos of protesters with false claims to establish their political narrative. A video that shows an aggressive crowd vandalizing a poster has been shared, claiming that people unhappy with the BJP government are protesting in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia. In reality, They are demanding the liquor store to close and are protesting against it in the video. While the deceased guy’s father said that his son was already unwell and had gone to Bansdih to receive medication, the demonstrators reportedly claim that the young man died after consuming alcohol. The dead was unwell and passed away on March 14, 2024, according to the police, and they are taking appropriate measures. The protest was therefore directed towards liquor stores.
Conclusion:
Claim : There has been a video circulated purporting to depict protesters in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, against the BJP government, showing an agitated mob damaging a poster.
Fact : People are protesting against the liquor shop and demanding its closure. According to reports, the protesters allege that a young man died after drinking alcohol; meanwhile, the father of the deceased said that his son was already ill and had gone to Bansdih to get medicine. Police have clarified that the deceased was ill & died on 14th March 2024;action is being taken.
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