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| - Fact Check: 2020 bike rally from Assam passed off as recent incident where Bajrang Dal members were arrested
A video of a bike rally with participants wielding swords and machetes has gone viral on social media, with the claim that Assam police stopped the rally midway and arrested those present. India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the video to be old.
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India Today Fact Check
This video is nearly two years old. In October 2020, a group in Assam’s Tinsukia district took out a bike rally, where they brandished swords and other weapons. Cops intervened and arrested a few of them. Some of them claimed to be from the Bajrang Dal.
A video of a bike rally, with participants brandishing swords and machetes, went viral with the claim that in Assam, the police stopped this Bajrang Dal rally midway and arrested those present.
Several Facebook users shared this video that showed a stream of two-wheelers. Many participants of the supposed rally were wearing orange and saffron attires. At one point in the video, police intervention was seen.
In the video, when asked by cops about his affiliations, one of the participants said he was with the Bajrang Dal. Following that, they asked him if they had the necessary permits to organise a roadshow. To this, the man said he did not know. He was then shoved into a police car. The video also showed cops questioning another professed Bajrang Dal member about permits.
The India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found that the viral video was nearly two years old. In October 2020, a group in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district took out a bike rally, where they brandished swords and other weapons. Reportedly, the participants attended an “Astra Poojan” ceremony organised by the Bajrang Dal prior to the rally.
The viral posts are archived here and here.
AFWA probe
The first thing we noticed was the logo of EastMojo.com, a digital news outlet that focuses on the Northeast. The video also mentioned the location — Tinsukia, Assam — in the top-left corner.
Taking this as a clue, we ran a search and found the original news clip uploaded to the EastMojo YouTube channel on October 27, 2020. The title read, “Assam youths brandish swords during bike rally; one admits to be member of Bajrang Dal.”
EastMojo reported that on October 26, 2020, a group of around 70 men took out a bike rally bearing swords and axes in their hands in Tinsukia. The rally was allegedly carried out by the Bajrang Dal on the occasion of “Astra Poojan”.
“In about 20-25 motorcycles, men carrying swords in their hands as they took out a rally from Thana Chariali towards Hijugoori, as we noticed it and followed them. Upon questioning one of them admitted to be a member of Bajrang Dal,” the news portal quoted a police officer. Cops reportedly detained four men who were part of the rally and seized three motorcycles.
The incident was covered by other local media outlets. The news portal Insidene quoted a Bajrang Dal member who said that the organisation had held an “Astra Poojan”, but added that he did not give “permission to any of the youths to take out a bike rally.”
Thus, we conclude that the video of a two-year-old incident from Assam was shared on social media without any mention of when it was from.
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