A heart-wrenching video showing a girl trying to give water to her COVID positive father who was ostracized from his village in Andhra Pradesh, is being shared on social media with false captions alleging that the man was attacked in West Bengal following the Trinamool Congress's election victory.
BOOM found that the original video is from Andhra Pradesh where a girl tried to give water to her dying father, despite protests from her mother. According to news reports the family was asked to isolate themselves in a thatched hut away from the village.
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West Bengal has erupted in post-poll clashes after the Trinamool Congress got a thumping majority in the recently conducted assembly elections. According to reports, the violence has claimed at least 14 lives in two days. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had an emergency meeting on May 4 to seek immediate end to the clashes erupting in several areas of the state.
Against the backdrop of post-poll violence, social media has been abuzz with unrelated videos and photos connecting them to West Bengal.
One such video shows a girl struggling with a woman while trying to give water to a man lying on the ground. A Hindi claim with the viral clip translates to 'Mamata's goons have crossed all boundaries of brutality in West Bengal. Take a quick decision Modiji or these screams will never forgive you. #Impose President's rule under Article 356'.
(Hindi: प●बंगाल में ममता के खूनी भेड़िये निर्ममता की सारी हदें पार कर चुके हैं। अविलम्ब निर्णय लो मोदी जी अन्यथा ये चीत्कारें कभी माफ नहीं करेगी... #Article356 राष्ट्रपति शासन लगाकर प्रतिकार कीजिये... अन्यथा आने वाला समय माफ नहीं करेगा... )
BOOM has not included the video here owing to its disturbing content.
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The video is also viral on Twitter with similar claims linking it to West Bengal.
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Fact Check
BOOM watched the video closely and found that a voice in the background was speaking in Telugu. Taking cue, we did a keyword search with relevant words and found an India Today article dated May 5, 2021.
The report states that the incident is from Koyyanapeta village in G Sigadam Mandal of Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. The video shows the wailing daughter trying to give her dying father some water while her mother tries to pull her away. The man seen in the video, Asiranaidu, had tested COVID 19 positive.
Asiranaidu was a labourer in Vijayawad, AP. After his entire family tested positive for Coronavirus, they returned to Srikakulam amid impending fears of a lock down. Upon learning about their condition, the villagers asked them to isolates themselves in a hut some distance away from the village.
The viral video shows Asiranaidu gasping for breath in front of his wife and daughter. He later died.
The India Today report carries screenshots from the viral video.
BOOM also found an NDTV report on the same incident.
The video is disturbing in nature, viewers' discretion advised.
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