Fact Check: This video DOES NOT show mosques, Muslim houses being burnt in Meerut
India Today Fact Check found that the video is from Uttar Pradesh's Hapur, not Meerut. It shows a clash between two groups on the day of Maharana Pratap Jayanti.
India Today Fact Check
A video allegedly showing communal violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut has gone viral on social media. In the video, a mob of men — many wearing saffron scarves and carrying saffron flags — can be seen climbing the roofs of houses.
Sharing the video, an X user wrote, “In Meerut city, 6 mosques belonging to Muslims were demolished, and Uttar Pradesh CM @myogiadityanath allegedly committed blasphemy, after which the situation became tense. 52 Muslim houses were set on fire, and Muslims were reportedly burned alive.”
India Today Fact Check found that no such incident had been reported from Meerut. This video is from Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur and shows a clash between two groups on the day of Maharana Pratap Jayanti.
OUR PROBE
Reverse-searching keyframes from the video led us to the same footage published by Bharat Samachar on May 9. According to the news outlet, the video showed a clash between two groups on Maharana Pratap Jayanti in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh.
We also found the viral video in a Dainik Bhaskar report from May 9. According to it, a rally on the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap turned violent in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur district when an argument between the youth participating in the rally and the shopkeeper escalated into a physical altercation.
The report mentioned that the police said both sides called their associates, leading to heavy stone-pelting, triggering panic and a stampede in the area.
The Hapur Police’s official account also shared a video statement of Superintendent Shri Kunwar Gyananjay Singh on May 10. Singh said that three accused involved in the stone-pelting that occurred between two groups during the Shobha Yatra in Dehra village on the occasion of Maharana Pratap Jayanti have been arrested. The press note attached to the post listed their names as Zahid, Mehtab, and Nausher.
Finally, we searched for the news reports of six mosques being demolished, and fifty-two Muslim houses set on fire in Meerut, but found nothing credible. India Today’s Meerut reporter also confirmed that no such incident had taken place in the city.
Notably, Hapur is just about 30 km away from Meerut. However, it’s clear that the viral claim is unsubstantiated.
A video allegedly showing communal violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut has gone viral on social media. In the video, a mob of men — many wearing saffron scarves and carrying saffron flags — can be seen climbing the roofs of houses.
Sharing the video, an X user wrote, “In Meerut city, 6 mosques belonging to Muslims were demolished, and Uttar Pradesh CM @myogiadityanath allegedly committed blasphemy, after which the situation became tense. 52 Muslim houses were set on fire, and Muslims were reportedly burned alive.”
India Today Fact Check found that no such incident had been reported from Meerut. This video is from Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur and shows a clash between two groups on the day of Maharana Pratap Jayanti.
OUR PROBE
Reverse-searching keyframes from the video led us to the same footage published by Bharat Samachar on May 9. According to the news outlet, the video showed a clash between two groups on Maharana Pratap Jayanti in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh.
We also found the viral video in a Dainik Bhaskar report from May 9. According to it, a rally on the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap turned violent in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur district when an argument between the youth participating in the rally and the shopkeeper escalated into a physical altercation.
The report mentioned that the police said both sides called their associates, leading to heavy stone-pelting, triggering panic and a stampede in the area.
The Hapur Police’s official account also shared a video statement of Superintendent Shri Kunwar Gyananjay Singh on May 10. Singh said that three accused involved in the stone-pelting that occurred between two groups during the Shobha Yatra in Dehra village on the occasion of Maharana Pratap Jayanti have been arrested. The press note attached to the post listed their names as Zahid, Mehtab, and Nausher.
Finally, we searched for the news reports of six mosques being demolished, and fifty-two Muslim houses set on fire in Meerut, but found nothing credible. India Today’s Meerut reporter also confirmed that no such incident had taken place in the city.
Notably, Hapur is just about 30 km away from Meerut. However, it’s clear that the viral claim is unsubstantiated.