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  • 2022-10-17 (xsd:date)
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  • Video of clash between two Hindu groups during Indian festival shared with false communal claim (en)
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  • A video has been viewed thousands of times on social media alongside a claim that it shows a violent attack on Hindus during a festival procession in central India in early October. Comments suggested some users believed Muslims -- often the target of right-wing violence -- were responsible for the attack in the Hindu-majority nation. However, locals and police told AFP that both sides of the clash were Hindus and there was no communal angle to the incident. The 59-second clip was viewed more than 1,900 times after it was shared here on Facebook on October 8, 2022. The video shows people hitting a truck with sticks and others throwing rocks at it. It also shows another group smashing the windscreen of a second truck, which was carrying a statue of the Hindu goddess Durga. The post's Hindi-language caption claims the video shows Hindus being attacked with swords, sticks, rocks and rods in Bilaspur, a city in central India. How long will a Hindu be beaten for celebrating a festival in his own country? is a question asked in the caption. Screenshot of the false Facebook post The procession was part of the rituals during the Hindu festival of Navratri, which includes statues of the Hindu goddess Durga being immersed in water. While the caption does not identify a specific group leading the attack, comments left below the post indicated some users believed the Muslim community was responsible. Mob attacks and other hate crimes against Muslims have increased in Hindu-majority India since the right-wing government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in 2014, with misinformation targeting the community routinely spread on social media. When jihadis were attacking Hindus, then these people should also do retaliatory violence, one comment said in Hindi. After all, is the law only applicable to Hindus? Hindus did not have guns or any other weapon in Bilaspur? Why don't you shoot these pig Jihadis? another read. The clip was shared with similar claims on Facebook and Twitter . However, a spokesperson for the police and a local journalist told AFP separately that the clash was between two groups of Hindus. Hindu community clash A staff member from one of the shops visible in the video -- who gave his name as Bhanu -- told AFP that both groups involved in the clash were celebrating the same Hindu festival. This incident happened in front of our shop but the shop was closed that day, Bhanu told AFP. Both the parties belong to the Hindu community and there is no communal angle in it. Manmohan Patre, a reporter who covered the incident for YWN news, also told AFP the clash erupted after a dispute between two groups of Hindus. On that day, two groups were going on the same road for immersion of the idol of goddess Durga and there was a clash in the matter of overtaking of vehicles which later turned violent, he said. Bilaspur police spokesperson Ramesh Sahu told AFP it was a clash between two groups from the Hindu community. Police reached the spot and brought the situation under control and peace was restored, Sahu said. A keyword search on Google found reports in local outlets on the clash here and here . The reports quoted another police spokesperson saying the dispute was between two procession groups over which one should perform the festival ritual first. (en)
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