Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, a clipped video of an elderly Muslim man is being widely shared on social media to peddle the misleading narrative of ‘Darr Ka Mahol (atmosphere of fear).’
The misleading video was uploaded on X (formerly Twitter) by Islamic propagandist Alishan Jafri to allege that ordinary Muslim citizens of India are asked to go to Pakistan.
“This is our country. Our fathers and grandfathers are buried here. We will also die here along with our children. I will not go anywhere else…We are not from Pakistan but India,” the elderly Muslim man was heard saying in the clipped video.
We need to talk more about the psychological impact of BJP's ugly anti-Muslim campaign on ordinary Muslim citizens. pic.twitter.com/IXyYl535MF
— Alishan Jafri (@alishan_jafri) May 10, 2024
“We do not get any help…Where do I go?” the man broke down while speaking about his condition. The video, which has been edited maliciously, gave the impression that Muslims are living in a state of fear under the incumbent Modi government.
“We need to talk more about the psychological impact of BJP’s ugly anti-Muslim campaign on ordinary Muslim citizens,” Alisha Jafri claimed while posting the video of the elderly Muslim.
However, a longer version of the same video clearly shows that the said man has not been rendered helpless by his family and not the Modi government.
The Missing Context of the Viral video
“What do I tell you? It is becoming difficult to get access to food (roti). My son and daughter-in-law tell me that there is no food for me. Where do I go to beg?”
“I have a problem with my lungs. I have to go to Mehrauli to get medicines. My children do not listen to me. I have no money and hence need to walk long distances…Where would I go?” the Muslim man cried inconsolably at the apathy of his family towards him.
"ये हमारा वतन है, शिकायत नही है किसी से"
— राजस्थानी बाबा (@8amIMcm) May 10, 2024
प्यारा और गहरा शब्द
देश को जाति के नाम पर बाट रहे हो
देश को धर्म के नाम पर बाट रहे हो
पर इंशानियत के नाम पर तो बख्श दो हुक्मरानों
अंधभक्तो अब तो आखे खोलो ये वीडियो स्क्रिप्टेड नही है ये मेरे वतन के असल हालात है।
इनकी बात से सहमत हो तो… pic.twitter.com/etINgnqtMl
“I am suffering from lung disease. One of my lungs has stopped working. Where do I go?” The reporter tried to pacify the elderly man and asked, “Do you get any help from the government?”
The man informed that he gets a pension of ₹2500 from the government, which he uses to make ends meet. As evident from the longer version of the video, the elderly Muslim man was seen complaining about the ill-treatment meted out to him by his family members.
He was miffed with his son and daughter-in-law and not the Indian government for his poor economic condition. However, this did not stop the usual propagandists from casting aspersions on the state of religious minorities (particularly Muslims) in India.
This is however not the first time that Alishan Jafri resorted to spreading canards about the BJP. He was part of the anti-Modi documentary, which was produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 2023.
