A video is being widely shared on social media in which people are seen standing on the rooftops of houses and vandalising them.
The video is shared with a caption claiming that it is of Meerut and shows Hindus vandalising six mosques.
A social media user shared the video with a caption that reads, “Breaking, In Meerut city, 6 mosques belonging to Muslims were demolished, and #UttarPradesh CM @myogiadityanath allegedly committed blasphemy, after which the situation became tense. 52 Muslim houses were set on fire,& #Muslims were reportedly burned alive.”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The viral video is of UP’s Hapur, where violence erupted after Maharana Pratap’s Jayanti.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the same video was shared by a YouTube channel on May 9. The caption reads, “Violent clash between two groups on Maharana Pratap Jayanti in Hapur.”
Taking a hint, we searched with relevant keywords and found that the similar video of the incident was also shared by Dainik Bhaskar on May 9. According to the report associated with the video, the Maharana Pratap Jayanti rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur district turned violent on May 9 after an argument between youths in the procession and a shopkeeper escalated into clashes. Both sides allegedly called supporters, leading to heavy stone-pelting, panic, and a stampede-like situation in the area. Police later arrested three accused linked to the violence.
We compared the viral video with the video shared by Dainik Bhaskar and found them to be the same. We can see the same house with a tin shed on the rooftop. Moreover, we can also see the banner near the house.
Hapur Police also tweeted about the incident on its X account on May 10.
According to the tweet, “Dhaulana Police Station has swiftly taken action and arrested 3 accused individuals involved in the stone-pelting incident that occurred between groups during the Shobha Yatra in Dehra village on the occasion of Maharana Pratap Jayanti, while 5 suspicious persons have been taken into custody on suspicion for interrogation. In this regard, the official statement of Hapur Police Superintendent Shri Kunwar Gyananjay Singh...! @Uppolice”
The incident was also reported by Amar Ujala.
Moreover, on doing a keyword search, we found no reports of mosque vandalism in Meerut.
Hence, we can ascertain that the viral claim is false.
