Claim
A video showing a group of people campaigning and a man being dragged below and thrashed by the group, has resurfaced online with a false claim that it depicts the leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) being thrashed, stripped naked, and chased away in Tamil Nadu. The video is being shared with the caption, "An incident has just happened in Tamil Nadu. The traitor leaders of BJP RSS were pulled down from the chariot, stripped naked, beaten and made to run. This time the arrogance of more than 400 is because of the EVM machine, otherwise these traitors cannot get even 40 seats in the whole country." BOOM has received the video on its WhatsApp tipline number (7700906588) with a request for verification.
Fact
BOOM fact checked the video in 2024 and found that it shows a clash between BJP leaders in Odisha's Balangir which happened in October 2023. We then went through comments under the viral video and noticed that a user pointed out that the video was from Balangir, Odisha, and showed two BJP factions clashing. Following this lead, we ran a related keyword search and found a local news report published by Kalinga TV from October 9, 2023, carrying similar visuals. The report stated that BJP Odisha's state president, Manmohan Samal, and MP Sangeeta Singh Deo were rallying in the area when two other members, Anant Das and Balram Singh Yadav, attempted to present them with a bouquet of flowers. BJP leader Gopalji Panigrahi allegedly stopped them, leading to a scuffle between them, the report added. Odisha Bytes and The New Indian Express also reported on the incident, stating that it took place during the BJP's 'Mo Mati Mo Desha' programme. Following the clash, Gopalji Panigrahi filed an FIR at a local police station, and sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Tofan Bag confirmed the incident.