A video showing a group of protesters burning effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah is being falsely linked to the agitation against the new University Grants Commission (UGC) bill on caste discrimination.
BOOM found that the protest took place in Hariharpara, West Bengal, on January 19, 2026, against the special intensive revision, with Trinamool Congress MLA Niamot Sheikh leading the demonstration.
Students in several parts of the country protested against the UGC’s new equity regulations, saying they could affect their studies and future. The protestors also warned that the rules might increase social divisions on campuses. On January 29, 2026, the Supreme Court ordered the new regulations to be put on hold.
The Claim
The video is being shared with the caption, "Upper Caste Protest Turns Fiery: Shoes Thrown, Effigies of PM Modi & Amit Shah Burnt Over New UGC Law."
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
What We Found: Video Is From Protest Against SIR In West Bengal
1. Video from West Bengal: We first broke the video into keyframes and ran a reverse image search. The search led us to an Instagram post carrying the same video, which stated that it showed a protest in Hariharpara, West Bengal.
Taking a cue from this, we conducted a related keyword search in Bengali and found a Facebook post by news outlet Uttarbanga Sambad dated January 20, 2026. The post carried the same visuals and said the protest against SIR took place in Hariharpara, West Bengal, where workers of the state’s ruling party, the TMC, burnt effigies of Modi and Shah.
2. The Protest Against SIR in Bengal: We also found a report by Indian Express Bangla published on January 19, 2026, about the protest. The report said the agitation against SIR began on the evening of January 19 and was led by Hariharpara TMC MLA Niamot Sheikh along with other TMC leaders. It added that the protest, which alleged harassment of the public through SIR, included the burning of effigies.
The event was streamed live on Sheikh’s Facebook page on January 19, 2026. In the video, he is seen protesting against SIR at the same location, with visuals matching those in the viral footage.