A video is being widely shared on social media in which a group of policemen can be seen thrashing a man in public with sticks. Those sharing the video claim that it shows a Muslim man in Bihar being beaten for participating in a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
A social media user shared the video and wrote, “In Bihar, people of a particular community started creating disturbance by taking out a procession in support of the Waqf Board in Patna. They have forgotten that this is not the government of Lalu and Tejaswi! It is a coalition government of Nitish Kumar and BJP. Police first explained with love but when they were not ready to accept, police were forced to treat them well.”
SouthCheck found that the claim was false. The video is old and has nothing to do with the protest against the Waqf Bill.
On a Google reverse image search, we found the same video published by The Times of India on August 28, 2015. The report stated that police lathi-charged teachers who were protesting in Patna, Bihar. They were protesting the non-payment of their dues for the past two years.
The video was also shared by Midday India YouTube channel on September 22, 2018. The caption stated that the teachers were on a protest, led by the Bihar State Madrasa Teacher’s Association, for the last four days against the State government for the non-payment of their dues for two years.
Hence, we conclude that the viral video is old.