An old video of actor Salman Khan has gone viral with claims that he is threatening gangster Lawrence Bishnoi following the murder of NCP leader (Ajit Pawar faction) and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddiqui. Social media users are sharing the video, claiming that Khan has issued a warning to Bishnoi and his family.
BOOM found the claim to be false. The viral video is from April 2020, when Salman Khan released a video message urging people to follow the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and criticised those violating safety guidelines.
In the viral video, Salman Khan is heard saying: "I agree that you are very strong, very brave, so brave, so powerful, but will you give shoulder to your family members? Will you carry their bier? Do you have that much courage? Why do you want to become Yamraj and Angel of Death? And why do you want to recite Inna Lillahi and Ram Naam Satya Hai for your family members?"
The English caption with the clip claims, "Salman Khan is now openly threatening Lawrence Bishnoi's family"'
(Original text-"Salman khan ab openly Dhamki de rahe Lawrence Bishnoi ki family ko")
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On October 12, 2024, NCP leader Baba Siddiqui was shot dead in Mumbai, with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang allegedly taking responsibility via a Facebook post. According to the gang’s claim, Siddiqui was targeted due to his connections with Salman Khan and Dawood Ibrahim.
Fact Check: The Viral Video is from 2020
BOOM ran a reverse image search of key frames from the viral video and found the original video uploaded on the official YouTube channel of Sansad TV on April 16, 2020, titled "Salman Khan's message to people violating lockdown."
This message was originally intended to address those not adhering to lockdown rules during the COVID-19 pandemic, and not related to Lawrence Bishnoi.
Further searches with related keywords led to a Hindustan Time's news report from April 16, 2020, which confirmed that Khan's video message was meant to urge compliance with lockdown measures.
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Additional media outlets such as ABP Live, ANI, TOI, and IndiaTV also reported on this incident, emphasizing that the video addressed people violating the COVID-19 restrictions. BOOM also found the original video on Salman Khan’s official Instagram account, where it was posted on April 15, 2020.
