A wildfire video purporting to show Muslims lighting Uttarakhand on fire because they were upset over infiltrating Muslims, who were being deported is making the rounds.
Verified accounts on twitter, including @SonOfBharat7 tweeted “Jihadi Muslims are setting Uttarakhand on fire When caught, he said that he was angry about why the infiltrating Muslims were being chased away. Imagine if the intruders were driven out of the country If he goes, they will not hesitate to set the country on fire.” on April 28, 2024. The tweet has received an about 88.3k views on X.
उत्तराखंड को आग लगा रहे जिहादी मुस्लिम
— Deepak Sharma (@SonOfBharat7) April 28, 2024
पकड़े जाने पर बताया कि वो इस बात से नाराज़ थे कि घुसपैठिये मुसलमानों को क्यों भगाया जा रहा
सोचिये अगर घुसपैठियों को देश से भगाया
गया तो ये देश में आग लगाने से भी न चूकेंगे.. pic.twitter.com/RvxtiueC5o
Several other accounts, including @bhagwakrantee made the same claim that Muslim community had set Uttarakhand on fire as they were angry over infiltrating Muslims are being deported. Also, there were many accounts, including @epanchjanya, who tweeted “big news ! Names of those who set fire to the forests of Uttarakhand :- mohammad nurul mohammad feroz Mohamed Shalem Mohammad Najefar Mohd Mosar Alam Massive fire in the forests of Pauri Garhwal, Forest Department and Police Department have so far arrested ten people from different places on charges of setting fire to the forest. The most suspicious case among these has come to light in Pauri Garhwal.” and misinterpreted the video. Many others, like @SaffronSunanda, @raviagrawal3, @MeghUpdates also shared the same regarding this incident. The archive can be read from above.
What is the Actual Truth About this Incident? : Fact
The truth is that these assertions are fraudulent and unfounded. Throughout Uttarakhand, forest fires occur often throughout the summer. There have been no reports of human participation in Nainital forest fires. We visited Times of India, which published an article on this incident on April 28, 2024 with the headline “Uttarakhand: Forest fire in Nainital; Naini Lake boating halted”. Uttarakhand’s forest department has noted a worrying increase in forest fire occurrences, documenting 26 incidents in the Kumaon region and five in the Garhwal region within a span of 24 hours. These fires have devastated around 33.34 hectares of wooded areas.Since November 1, the state has seen 575 forest fires, destroying 689.89 hectares of woods and incurring considerable economic damages of almost ₹14 lakh. Forest fires during the summer season are a common occurrence in Uttarakhand, aggravated by dry weather and high temperatures. The state’s rugged terrain and dense forests make it especially vulnerable to wildfires, needing constant vigilance and rapid response from authorities to mitigate the damage on residents and the environment.
Check out the Youtube Video:
D-Intent’s Fact-Checking Results:
1897
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) April 28, 2024
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video of wildfire is being circulated claiming that people belonging to the Muslim community setting Uttarakhand on fire because they were angry over infiltrating Muslims are being deported. Fact is that these claims are fake and baseless.(1/2) pic.twitter.com/4GIxk4z5Ok
Intent:
Propagandists are circulating Uttarakhand wildfire videos with communal claims to set their narrative. A video of wildfire is being circulated claiming that people belonging to the Muslim community setting Uttarakhand on fire because they were angry over infiltrating Muslims are being deported. The truth is that these claims are false and unjustified. Forest fires are widespread throughout the summer months in Uttarakhand. There have been no reports of human participation in forest fires in Nainital.
Conclusion:
Claim : A video of a wildfire has gone viral, saying that Muslims set fire to Uttarakhand because they were dissatisfied about infiltrating Muslims, being deported.
Fact : Fact is that these claims are fake and baseless. Forest fires are common during the summer season in Uttarakhand. There are no reports of any human involvement in forest fires in Nainital.
Also Read : EVMs Vandalised Over “Proxy Voting” Allegations in Manipur, Propagandists Circulate False Claims: Fact-Check
