A 2019 video showing Shiv Sena workers assault and tonsure a man's head over an alleged derogatory Facebook post about Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, has been revived and is being shared as a recent incident.
BOOM found that the incident in the video took place in December 2019 when one Hiramani Tiwari - a resident of Mumbai's Wadala area - was assaulted by Shiv Sena workers over a Facebook post about the chief minister. Uddhav Thackeray had likened Delhi Police's storming of the Jamia Milia Islamia campus on December 15, 2019 to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
The video has been revived after Sena workers recently assaulted a 65 year old ex Navy serviceman for allegedly forwarding a cartoon mocking Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on WhatsApp.
Also Read:Man Assaulted By Shiv Sainiks Worked In The Indian Navy, ID Cards Show
A Hindi caption accompanying with
the video translates to: "If you write anything against Uddhav Thackeray on social media then the goons of Uddhav will behave in this manner."
(In Hindi: अगर आपने उद्धव ठाकरे के खिलाफ सोशल मीडिया पर कुछ लिखा तो उद्धव के गुंडे ऐसा सलूक करेंगे)
BOOM has not included the video as it depicts violence.
The video has been shared on Twitter as well with a similar narrative.
Also Read:2019 Clip Of Maharashtra Cop Viral As Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut Dancing
Fact Check
We searched with relevant keywords and found the same video had been published by NDTV on December 24, 2019.
We found a report published by The Quint. The report has a photograph of the same man in the viral video.
We also found a slightly longer version of the viral video tweeted by a journalist. This clip shows the same group, that assaulted the man, approaching the victim shortly before they tonsured his head. The tweet was made on December 23, 2019.
"The assault has damaged my eardrum and it has been certified by the doctors. If this is the way Shiv Sena functions then it is very dangerous. Police initially took my complaint but later gave us notices under Section 149 of Crpc. I demand that strict action be taken against the Shiv Sena workers who had assaulted me," Hiramani Tiwari was reported to have told media persons, at the time.
According to a report in the Hindu, the Wadala TT police registered an FIR against local Shiv Sena leader Samadhan Jugdar after BJP leaders like Kirit Somaiya and Tamil Selvan intervened in the matter, demanding stricter action than the non-cognisable complaint (NC) registered earlier.
Aaditya Thackeray, Maharashtra cabinet minister of tourism and environment and Uddhav Thackeray's son had tweeted a statement about the incident on December 24, 2019.