On Friday (February 3), the Uttar Pradesh police initiated action against an Indian Youth Congress (IYC) leader named Vaibhav Upadhyay for spreading fake news on Twitter.
A day earlier, Upadhyay had shared the video of an assault on a woman, which took place in Madhya Pradesh in 2021, to falsely claim a case of caste conflict. He suggested that the incident was the handiwork of Hindutva forces in Uttar Pradesh.
“This video is not related to Uttar Pradesh but showcases a 2021 incident, the case of which is registered at Tanda police station in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. Legal action is being implemented against you for the misleading tweet,” the Uttar Pradesh police tweeted.
#FactCheck – यह वीडियो उत्तर प्रदेश से न होकर सन् 2021,थाना टांडा,जनपद धार,मध्य प्रदेश से संबंधित है।
— UPPOLICE FACT CHECK (@UPPViralCheck) February 3, 2023
आपके विरुद्ध भ्रामक ट्वीट करने हेतु वैधानिक कार्यवाही अमल में लायी जा रही है।#UPPViralCheckhttps://t.co/kxoH4RiPo6 https://t.co/dP9NhUgZqS pic.twitter.com/jZzdYcx8q4
The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) leader, Vaibhav Upadhyay, tweeted on Thursday (January 2), “Until when these Hindutva goons will continue to spoil peace and harmony in the country? Yogi Aditynath (UP CM), tell us how long will Dalits need to tolerate this?”
He further claimed, “Under your rule, the murder of Indian constitutional rights is at its peak. How long will the ordeal continue, asks India with teary eyes?”
The archived version of the misleading tweet can be accessed here. At the time of writing, the tweet was viewed over 2.29 lakh times, shared by 5k users, and liked by 8000 others.
The Truth behind the viral video
As per a report by NDTV, the incident dates back to June 22, 2021, when the family members of two girls assaulted them for talking to their maternal cousins.
Both the victim and the accused are from the tribal community. The incident took place in Pipalwa village in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. After the matter came to light, the local police sprung into action and admitted the two victims to a local hospital.
They also arrested 7 accused of assaulting the two victims in full public glare. It is thus clear that the heinous crime was not motivated by caste and had no involvement of the Brahmin or ‘Hindutva forces.’ However, this did not stop the usual suspects from vilifying them and making genocidal remarks.
