A video of a group of female students arguing with another female passenger in a private bus in Kasaragod, Kerala over the issue of wanting to halt the bus near their college is being shared on social media with the false claim that it shows Muslim women harassing a Hindu woman for not wearing a burqa in public.
BOOM spoke to Kerala Police who dismissed the communal claim stating that the argument in the viral video between students and the woman passenger and bus operator was over the issue of students demanding that the bus be halted near their college; so they could get off. We also spoke to an official from Khansa Women's College who confirmed the same and denied any communal angle to the incident.
In the 51 second video, a group of burqa clad female students can be seen having a verbal argument with an older woman in a saree in Malayalam.
The video was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Amy Mek (@AmyMek) with the caption, "Sharia Patrols in India! Islamic woman harassed a Hindu woman for daring to ride a bus in Kerala without a sharia covering. The enraged Muslims demanded she wear a burqa. Muslims do not want Hindus to ride on public transportation without adhering to their Sharia demands - Allahu Akbar! Sharia patrols are becoming increasingly prevalent in India and Europe. Women and all non-Muslims who are not acting or dressing according to Islamic law are being harassed and attacked. Meanwhile, Muslims throughout India are busy pretending/whining that they are being victimized by Hindus..."
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The same post was quote tweeted by BJP national secretary Anil K Antony with the same false communal spin Antony later deleted his tweet.
The video is being shared with same communal claim on Facebook with the caption, "Congrats hindus, Kerala. Muslim women passengers say they will not allow women in bus without burqa. Now, Hindus have to cover their head to travel by public transport. Surprisingly, this incident is not covered by the news media. Goods own country is now allah's own country. Next could be your state"
FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the viral video showed a recent incident of a confrontation of students of the Khansa Women's College in Kasaragod, Kerala, with another female passenger and the bus operator over the driver refusing to halt the bus near their college bus stop.
We found several Malayalam news reports on the viral video explaining that the incident in the viral video was due to a dispute between college students with the bus operator and the woman passenger over halting the bus at their college. It had nothing to do with wearing a burqa as being claimed by posts on social media.
Additionally, we also found a thread on Twitter by Onmanorama reporter George Poikayil on the viral video where he dismissed the communal claim; adding that the issue was actually that students of Khansa Women's College for Advanced Studies in Kasaragod's Kumbla had an argument with the driver and the female passenger since the driver of the private bus they were travelling in, refused to make the stop near their college.
He further added that private buses avoid taking students because students avail of concession on their tickets.
Poikayal also posted several other videos from the incident where we can can see other students arguing with the bus operator.
On viewing the videos including the viral video, we could not hear any instance of any of the female students arguing with the older woman in a saree about wearing a burqa as being claimed in social media posts. Also in the viral video, students who are talking in Malyalam, can be heard confronting the older woman; accusing her of abusing them.
BOOM then contacted Kerala Police who confirmed that the altercation between the students and the older woman in the viral video was over halting the bus near their college and dismissed the communal claim that it was over wearing a burqa.
Aneesh V.K. Sub-Inspector of Kumbla PS, Kerala Police told BOOM that the incident in the viral video happened on October 20, 2023. He stated that the issue was regarding the demand for the bus to stop in front of the college by the students of Khansa Women's College For Advanced Studies in Kasaragod.
He further added that the present bus stop is 300 meters away from the college and the college has earlier requested the RTO for a bus stop. "On October 20, 2023, the students had forcefully stopped the bus which led to the agitation," SI Aneesh stated. He also denied the claim that incident showed Muslim women not letting a Hindu woman travel on bus without a burqa.
BOOM then contacted a College official from Khansa Women's College For Advanced Studies, who on condition of anonymity confirmed that the issue was over the private bus halting at the college bus stop.
The college official said that the incident happened on Kumbala Badiadka road and added that while a bus stop was recently constructed at the college private buses have refused to stop at the college bus stop claiming that it is not an Road Transport Authority bus stop. This meant that the students had to get down at a bus stop located away from the college, the same issue being raised by the female students in the bus.
The bus stop at the college can be seen in the other videos of the incident. Below is the photo of the same as shared to BOOM by the college official.