On April 3, the Waqf (Amendment) Act was passed by the Parliament, which introduced significant changes to the management of Waqf properties, endowments made under Islamic law for religious or charitable purposes. Key amendments include altering the composition of the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards to incorporate non-Muslim members, aiming to enhance diversity and transparency. Nitish Kumar's party JD(U) has also supported the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which has resulted in the resignation of over 15 of its leaders.
In the above context, a video is being widely shared on social media in which a man is seen slapping Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The video is shared with a caption claiming that it shows a man beating Nitish Kumar for supporting the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
A social media user shared the video with a caption that reads, “A youth from Bihar slapped chief minister Nitish Kumar for supporting the Waqf bill. We oppose such acts of violence, but politicians should not mix religion with politics.” (Translated from Hindi)
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The viral video is from 2022 and has nothing to do with the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the screenshot of the video was shared by Jan Satta on March 27, 2022. The report suggested that on March 27, 2022, in Bakhtiyarpur, Bihar, a youth attempted to slap Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during a public event. The assailant was promptly apprehended by security personnel and taken into custody. Nitish Kumar instructed officials to investigate the individual’s grievances.
We found that the video was also shared by The Times of India on March 27, 2022. The report suggested that a 32-year-old resident named Shankar Kumar Verma attempted to slap Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar during a public event. Security personnel quickly intervened, and Verma was apprehended and taken to the Bakhtiyarpur police station. Investigations revealed that Verma had a history of mental health issues and had previously attempted suicide twice. In response, Kumar directed officials not to pursue punitive action against Verma but to address his grievances and provide necessary medical assistance.
The incident was also reported by The Telegraph with the same details on March 28, 2022.
Since, Waqf (Amendment) Act came on April 3, 2025, we found that the viral claim is false.
