Claim
An old video showing the demolition of a mosque has resurfaced on social media falsely claiming that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the demolition drive for hoisting Pakistan’s national flag on top of the mosque. BOOM found that the claim is false. The video is being shared with a caption, "Pakistani flag flying on top of a Mosque in In Saidabad (Prayagraj). Yogi Adityanath ordered to demolish the entire Mosque, instead of bringing down the Pakistani flag. Yogi Adityanath way to deal with anti national. Hats off to you Yogi Ji for your guts and courage." We received the video on our WhatsApp tipline number (7700906588) with a request for verification.
Fact
BOOM debunked the same video in January this year when it went viral with a similar false claim. We then found several news reports mentioning that the mosque, which was built during the regime of Sher Shah Suri, was demolished for the expansion work of Grand Trunk Road in Prayagraj. We also noticed the flag present at the top of the mosque carries a white crescent moon and a star. However, the moon and the star can be seen placed in opposite direction when compared to the national flag of Pakistan. For further confirmation, we reached out to Handia Police Station. On conditions of anonymity, an officer told BOOM that the viral claim is fake, and no such case happened there. The officer also confirmed that the mosque was demolished due to widening of the GT Road.