A deeply misleading video clip has been intentionally circulated online to provoke communal tensions. The fabricated footage depicts a staged confrontation where a group of individuals aggressively attempt to forcibly install the national flag at an establishment. The shop owner, falsely portrayed as a Muslim, is shown resisting these actions. However, D-Intent Data has found that this video was scripted and masterminded by content creator Ritik Kataria in August 2023.
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter) Chandan Sharma wrote, What should be done with these traitors? Earlier traitors were bothered by the saffron flag but now they are bothered by the tricolor flag as well. Some Hindu brothers went to put the tricolor flag at a traitor’s shop, and the traitor said, whatever happens. I will not let the tricolor be put up at my shop, go and put it somewhere else. After that Hindu brothers have welcomed them wholeheartedly, although the welcome video has not been uploaded due to security reasons.
Propagandist account @ajaychauhan41 has also shared the video and wrote, “Forget about saffron, they don’t even want the tricolour now?”
Several other users, influencers and propagandists have also disseminated the video and made similar claims. Their posts can be seen here, @Sadhvi_prachi, @agyatlogs
The truth about the viral video, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the visuals depicting Muslim individuals refusing to put up the national flag at his shop came to our notice, we conducted research and analysis of the video and found that the video was scripted and created by content creator Ritik Kataria.
To verify the users’ claims. We conducted relavant keywords search on Google. This led us to a full video on YouTube with the same visuals, uploaded on August 14, 2023. The video was posted by Ritik Kataria, the son of Amar Kataria, a policeman known for creating such content. At the end of the video, the Muslim man explains that he already had a national flag at the top of his shop. Additionally, a police officer was called to the scene to maintain communal harmony, and that policeman was none other than Amar Kataria.
After the video went viral, Ritik Kataria put up an Instagram story with the video link and requested the users to watch the full video to know the context.
Hence, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the viral video is scripted and has nothing to do with reality.
Intent
Social media users, influencers and propagandists are circulating scripted videos with misleading claims to set their narrative based on religion.
Conclusion
Claim– A Muslim shopkeeper refused to put up the national flag at his shop.
Fact– The video is not real but scripted and created by content creator Ritik Kataria and his dad Amar Kataria. The video was uploaded on YouTube in August 2023.
Related Article: Indian flag in Manipur removed? : Fact (dintentdata.com)
