Fact Check: How Pro-BJP Social Media Accounts Revived Old Video For Backing CAA Narrative

At a time when several cities across India are witnessing mega protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, some pro-BJP handles have revived an old video to support the narrative for the legislation. Jawahar Yadav, officer on special duty of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar recently shared a video with a sharp swipe at the anti-CAA protesters. In a tweet posted on December 19, Yadav said, “Bangladeshi passenger travelling with Indian passports arrested at Saudi airport they are hiding their original Bangladeshi passport in their shoes sole. Some shameless Indians who are protesting against CAB should watch this video.” Yadav also tagged Tajinder Bagga, Delhi BJP spokesperson.

Bangladeshi passenger travelling with Indian passports arrested at Saudi airport they are hiding their original Bangladeshi passport in their shoes sole .some shameless indians who are protesting against CAB should watch this video(बंगलादेशी भारतीय पासपोरà¥Âà¤Ÿ पर) @TajinderBagga pic.twitter.com/k3qakooK5b

— Jawahar Yadav (@jawaharyadavbjp) December 19, 2019

Now, fact-checking sites Boom Live and Alt News have confirmed that the video is actually an old video and not from Saudi Arabia but Kuwait. According to the reports by the Boom Live and Alt News, the video is from 2015. News Nation has also found the old news from that same period when the arrests were made.

The 2015 report dates December 18 says – “Several Bangladeshis have been arrested by the immigration officers for attempting to enter the country on forged Indian passports, reports Al- Shahed daily. The daily added, the suspects had earlier been deported from the country and when they produced their Indian travel documents, they turned out to be forged. Police then checked their baggage and found their original passports hidden in shoes. The men have been deported from the country.”

The Alt News report says that the video has been in the cyberspace since 2015 and the clip has been revived to support the Citizenship Law.

From Delhi to Varanasi to Mangaluru to Mumbai, cities across India are witnessing massive protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Friday saw violent clashes with Uttar Pradesh reporting maximum deaths. So far, 17 people have died in protests, which include five in Assam also. To tackle the situation, state governments have imposed Section 144 in various cities. Mobile internet services remain suspended in as many as 20 cities of Uttar Pradesh and parts of Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnataka. According to latest reports, thousands of people have been detained in connection with the violent protests.