A video circulating online depicts a group of people engaged in a brawl and assaulting an individual on a road. The footage is being shared with the claim that a Muslim man was caught urinating on a sacred Maha kumbh banner, leading locals to detain him. However, police investigations have clarified that the individual involved is Vinod, who does not belong to the Muslim community.
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter) serial fake news peddler and propagandist account @RealBababanaras wrote, “Rae Bareilly, UP: Abdul Urinates on Photos of Mahakumbh and Hindu Deities on Wall, Caught by Locals.”
Rae Bareilly, UP: Abdul Urinates on Photos of Mahakumbh and Hindu Deities on Wall, Caught by Locals. pic.twitter.com/Kih0SYmtNQ
— Baba Banaras™ (@RealBababanaras) January 14, 2025
Another propaganda account @AshwiniSahaya also shared the video and wrote, “Islamist Mohammad Zubair urinated on the sacred Mahakumbh banner, after which people nearby apprehended him. Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh”.
Islamist Mohammad Zubair urinated on the sacred Mahakumbh banner, after which people nearby apprehended him.
— Ashwini Shrivastava (@AshwiniSahaya) January 11, 2025
📍Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh #MahaKumbh2025 #UttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/fgBUMMCCuW
Several other users, influencers and propagandists have also disseminated the video and made similar claims. Their posts can be seen here, @ajaychauhan41, @SonOfBharat7, @SachinGuptaUP, @MuslimSpaces, @kilbilpandey09.
The truth behind the claims about Maha Kumbh Mela, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the video and claims came to our notice. Subsequently, we conducted research and analysis of the incident. We found that the individual who urinated on the banner was not from the Muslim community but from another community.
To verify the claims made by the users. We performed a relevant keyword search and found media reports and a police statement regarding the incident. According to the police sources, the individual involved was identified as Vinod, who does not belong to the Muslim community. As per the sources, Vinod was intoxicated at the time of the incident, which has no ties to religious hate crimes. The altercation occurred on January 10, 2025, in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh.
Therefore, it is evident from verified sources that the individual was identified as Vinod and the incident was not related to religious hate crime.
2848
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) January 15, 2025
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video showing a group of people involved in a brawl and assaulting an individual on a road is being circulated with the claim that a Muslim man was caught urinating on a sacred Mahakumbh banner, prompting locals to apprehend him. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/N6eCADAAVs
Intent
Influencers are circulating videos from Raebareli with misleading claims to set their narrative based on religion.
Conclusion
Claim– A Muslim individual urinated on a Maharashtra Kumbh banner in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact– The individual involved has been identified as Vinod, who does not belong to the Muslim community. At the time of the incident, he was intoxicated, and the act was determined to be unintentional.
Related Article: Kashi Vishwanath Temple to hire fifty thousand priests? : Fact
