A video from Uttar Pradesh showing a group of men including a policeman question a woman about a classroom filled with Muslim students near a government school, is going viral with a false and communal claim that a Delhi government school has been converted into a Madrasa.
However, BOOM found that the viral video is from a government school in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh and viral and communal claims circulating with the video are also false.
The video, which is slightly over two minutes long, has gone viral over the weekend and is being shared by right-wing social media users targeting the Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi.
One of the captions circulating with the video claims, "Govt schools are converting into Madarsas in Delhi. Seems grooming Rohingyas is AAP's last ray of hope for vote banks ?"
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BOOM also received the same video on our WhatsApp Helpline number (7700906111) inquiring about the video.
FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the viral video is from a primary government school in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
We watched the video closely, at the 3.44 minutes timestamp one can spot the school name and location 'Primary school Mirzapur, UP' in Hindi in the clip.
Through an online search we also found that a primary government school is in an area named Vijay Nagar.
Taking a hint from this, and a person in the video mentioning a Facebook Live, we searched with the relevant keywords and found that the video was shared by a Bharatiya Janata Party worker Ashutosh Gupta from Ghaziabad.
The post stated that he had alerted the police and claiming illegal activities were taking place inside the school and meat was being served. Gupta can also be seen in the viral video.
The text of Gupta's post when translated says, "The primary school of Buddh Bharat Nagar, Mirzapur, Ghaziabad, has become a hotbed of objectionable Islamic activities. A party of meat-biryani was going on in the primary school on the holidays of Deepawali, Gangasnan and Gurupurab. Also found objectionable literature. Apart from men, there was a large gathering of women and children. Social worker Dr. Ashutosh Gupta showed courage, made a video and filed a police complaint:"
BOOM then contacted Ghaziabad Police who confirmed that the video was shot at a primary government school in Vijay Nagar, Ghazaibad, Uttar Pradesh.
Station House Officer Yogendra Malik told BOOM that the incident happened on November 19, 2021, when a local BJP leader claimed that namaz was being read at the school.
However, after investigating the police found nothing illegal and no case was filed or any arrest made.
"This incident is from Vijay Nagar, when some political workers had entered the place claiming that namaz was being read in the primary school. On receiving a complaint police went to the spot and on investigating found that a person named Riyazuddin with the permission of the school management was staying there for the past 2-3 years with his family. On that day ( November19), his wife had kept a Quran recital function for the health and well-being of her children. So some people including some women relatives of hers, some children and a Maulana (cleric) and some teachers were invited. Rice and daal (pulses) were being cooked there to be served when the police arrived at the spot," said Malik
On being asked if anyone was arrested as the video showed the police escorting a few men, Malik said, "members of both communities were present at the spot, some people were taken away from the spot and then later let off. No one was arrested, we had only brought them for safety. We did not find anything illegal there from our side."