Video shows flag waved at protest in June 2022, not after Congress election win in December 2023

This article is more than one year old.
Published on December 29, 2023 at 10:40
3 min read
By Devesh MISHRA, AFP India

A video of an Indian flag inscribed with Islamic text has been viewed thousands of times in social media posts in Hindu-majority India that falsely claim it was filmed after the Congress party secured a majority in state assembly elections in Telangana. The video in fact shows a flag that was waved in Telangana 18 months earlier, during protests sparked by a ruling party official's controversial remarks about the Prophet Mohammed.

"As soon as Congress won in Telangana, the Kalima (Islamic declaration of faith) was written on the flag of India," says a Hindi-language Facebook post shared on December 7.

It appears to play on accusations from critics that the Indian National Congress party -- which previously dominated the Indian political landscape -- is pro-Muslim and anti-Hindu.

The video, which has more than 6,000 views, shows a news report about a protest, with one demonstrator in the crowd seen waving the Indian national flag inscribed with the Kalima.

The news anchor says in Hindi: "Today, during one such procession in Telangana, the protesters tampered with the tricolour of India and these people removed the Ashoka Chakra from the middle of the tricolour and instead put the Islamic Kalima there."

The post's caption continues: "Would you still like to bring Congress to your respective states or to the Centre... Hindus beware of Congress."

Screenshot of the false post, taken on December 11, 2023

The video was shared in similar Facebook posts here and here after the Congress party defeated the regional Bharat Rashtra Samithi party in state elections in Telangana.

The country's main opposition, however, were routed by the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in other key state polls.

Prophet row

The logo of Hindi-language news channel Zee News can be seen in the video's top-left corner.

A keyword search on YouTube found a longer version of the report posted on Zee News's official channel on June 10, 2022 (archived link).

The video is titled: "DNA Live: Watch DNA with Sudhir Chaudhary, June 10, 2022 | Top News Today | Hindi News | Analysis".

The anchor says the clip shows a protest in Telangana against ruling party official Nupur Sharma following her comments about the Prophet Mohammed.

The footage used in the false video matches the 48-second portion of the Zee News report that starts at its 33:12 mark.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in one of the false posts (left) and the Zee News report (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video in one false post (left) and the Zee News report (right)

Sharma's remarks on the relationship between the Prophet Mohammed and his youngest wife on a TV debate show sparked widespread street rallies in India and across the Muslim world in June 2022.

The row sent the BJP into damage control, with the party suspending Sharma from its ranks and issuing a statement saying it respected all religions.

Sharma's remarks also embroiled India in a diplomatic storm, with the governments of nearly 20 countries calling in Indian envoys for an explanation.

Other Indian news outlets also reported on how the Ashok Chakra had been replaced on the national flag during the Telangana protest here, here and here (archived links here, here, here and here).

AFP has previously debunked misinformation surrounding the state elections in India here and here.

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