A woman was beaten by a priest inside the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in the Amruthahalli locality on December 21, according to a video that has gone viral on social media.
Verified accounts on twitter, including @HateDetectors tweeted “This is from #Bengaluru, #Karnataka. Dalit women Assaulted By Temple Administration Board Member, And Restrict Her to Entered Gods Darshan. Victim Filed Complaints Against Accused at Amrtuhalli Police Station. #Bangalore #Amrtuhalli #Dalit #Casteism #DalitLivesMatter“. The tweet was made on Jan 6, 2023, which has received an about 155.2k views on X.
This is from #Bengaluru, #Karnataka.
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) January 6, 2023
Dalit women Assaulted By Temple Administration Board Member, And Restrict Her to Entered Gods Darshan.
Victim Filed Complaints Against Accused at Amrtuhalli Police Station.#Bangalore #Amrtuhalli #Dalit #Casteism #DalitLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/OUnhdaXXcx
Several other accounts, including Ashok Swain (“@ashoswai“) also made the same claim. The tweet was made and deleted by The Dalit Voice (“@ambedkariteIND”).
The video once again became viral and was resurfaced during December 2023 when Sikhs are not Hindu (“@akal_de_sewadar“) claimed that the Dalit woman is being assaulted and removed from the temple premises in Bangalore, India. Kavita Yadav (“@KavitaWrites“) made the same claim on Jan 10, 2024.
Crime Reports India (“@AsianDigest“) tweeted “Lower Caste Hindu Dalit (Harijan) woman dragged by her hair and beaten by Hindu Brahmin Temple priest for entering the Temple” on Jan 8, 2024.
Lower Caste Hindu Dalit (Harijan) woman dragged by her hair and beaten by Hindu Brahmin Temple priest for entering the Temple pic.twitter.com/EcyEGJxzoP
— Crime Reports India (@AsianDigest) January 7, 2024
What is the Actual Truth About this Incident? : Fact
A complaint has been filed against Munikrishna under Section 354 of the IPC.
The woman claimed that Lord Venkateshwara was her husband, and Munikrisha informed the police that she wished to sit close to the idol in the sanctum sanctorum. She spit on the priest, though, and was asked to leave when her demand was denied. The woman was thrashed and hauled out because she refused to listen.
We visited THE SIASAT DAILY, which published an article on this incident with the headline “Karnataka: Dalit woman dragged, beaten at temple; video surfaces”. The incident was clarified in this article.
D-Intent’s Fact-Checking Results:
380
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) January 7, 2023
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video has gone viral on social media in which a priest can be seen beating up a woman inside the temple, the incident took place on December 21 at Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Amruthahalli locality.(1/3) pic.twitter.com/EQh90TXE2Y
Intent:
Anti-India gang are spreading lies about the incident as the woman was not beaten up because of her identity, but because of her disrespectful behaviour inside the temple. After proper research, analysis and fact-checking, we have discovered that Munikrishna has been charged under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code. According to Munikrisha, the woman claimed to be Lord Venkateshwara’s wife and wanted to sit next to the idol in the sanctum sanctorum. When her demand was denied, she spit on the priest and was asked to leave. Because the woman refused to listen, she was beaten and dragged out.
Conclusion:
Claim : A video of a priest beating up a woman inside a temple has gone viral on social media; the incident occurred on December 21 at the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Amruthahalli locality.
Fact : There is a case against Munikrishna under Section 354 of the IPC. The woman demanded to sit close to the idol in the sanctum sanctorum and declared to Munikrisha, that Lord Venkateshwara was her husband. However, she spat on the priest when her demand was denied, and she was then asked to leave. When the woman refused to listen, they beat and dragged her outside.
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