A video of a group of people chanting 'Wajid bhai, zindabad' in support of the husband of the winning sarpanch candidate in Madhya Pradesh's Katni district, is circulating online with a false claim that 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans were raised.
BOOM found the claim to be false as videos of the incident show supporters chanting 'Wajid bhai, zindabad' in support of Shaikh Shahid Wajid, husband of sarpanch candidate - Rahisha Bagam who was declared the winner after the second round of counting of the Chaka Gram Panchyat polls.
The same false claim was repeated by Hindi news outlet Dainik Bhaskar and amplified by right-wing social media outlet Kreately.
Brajesh Rajput, a journalist with ABP News, tweeted, "Another controversy.. Slogans of Pakistan zindabad for winning the sarpanch of a Chaka Gram Panchayat in Katni district of MP, police are investigating this viral video."
Yogesh Mishra, Chhattisgarh bureau chief of Sudarshan News - a rabid Hindutva channel,
tweeted saying that 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans were raised in MP's Katni after Raheesha Wajid Khan won the sarpanch poll. Adding that police is probing the video, Mishra further said that the houses of those who support Pakistan should be 'bulldozed'.
The video was also shared on Facebook with same false claim. View two such posts here and here.
Fact Check
BOOM reached out to Rahisha Bagam's husband Shaikh Shahid Wajid, who refuted the claim that 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans were raised by his supporters.
"Nobody shouted slogans saying 'Pakistan zindabad'," Wajid told BOOM. Wajid said his wife Rahisha Bagam has been an active member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and contested the Panchayat polls as an independent candidate.
Women are often proxy candidates for male relatives particularly former male office bearers, in Panchayat elections in India.
The incident in the video happened on July 1, 2022 post midnight soon after the result for the Panchayat elections for the post of sarpach was declared.
Wajid also sent a 30-second video of the incident to BOOM.
In the video, one can hear his supporters chanting 'jeet gaya bhai... jeet gaya, Wajid bhai, jeet gaya' (he has won, Wajid brother has won)
Kashif Kakvi, a journalist with the website NewsClick also tweeted a video from another angle of the same incident. The video proves supporters were chanting 'Wajid bhai, zindabad'
Wajid also sent BOOM another video where he is seen being garlanded by his supporters.
Wajid alleged Sudha Santosh Tiwari, an opposition candidate, was responsible for spreading the false claim. BOOM could not independently confirm the allegation. Tiwari reportedly lost by a margin of 10 votes to Rahisha Bagam. Tiwari's supporters held a protest outside the Kuthla Police Station over the viral video.
"Someone shared the video on WhatsApp then it went viral with the false claim. Tiwari's supporters also protested outside our house. We have lodged a complaint with the local police," Wajid said.
Meanwhile Madhya Pradesh police have begun a probe into the video to ascertain if pro-Pakistan slogans were raised. Superintendent of Police, for
Katni District tweeted on July 2, 2022 tweeted that this matter is being investigated.
"Action will be taken after the investigation is done. No FIR has been lodged yet," Sandesh Parteti, Head Constable, Kuthla Police Station, told BOOM on Sunday.
