Video Of Mumbai BJP MLA Arguing With Cops Viral With False Communal Spin

A video showing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Yogesh Sagar confronting the Mumbai Police and protesting against barricades in place for security measures in anticipation of a Congress rally is being shared with the false and communal claim that the MLA protested against blocking of roads for performing Namaz.

In the video, Sagar can be seen getting into a confrontation with the police asking them to open up barricades stating inconvenience to the general public.

The video is being shared with a communal spin saying, "Today MLA Yogesh Sagar at kandivali protested against shivsena for closing road for namaz. All traffic including bus diverted or stopped. Raghulila Road."

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The same video is being widely shared on Facebook with the false claim.

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FACT-CHECK

BOOM found that the viral video is from February 16, 2022, when BJP MLA Yogesh Sagar had gotten into an altercation with the police in Kandivali, Mumbai over barricading on the road for security measures anticipating a Congress rally towards the house of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Gopal Shetty in Kandivali on February 16, 2022.

Mumbai Congress had organised a rally to the house of Shetty to protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in the Parliament blaming the Congress and claiming that Congress instigated migrant labourers to defy Covid-19 lockdown norms during the pandemic and leave Mumbai.

Taking a hint from the keywords in the caption, we looked up Sagar's Facebook page where he had posted the video and also dismissed the claim that he had protested against Namaz on the road. The MLA states that he was protesting against inconvenience caused to the public due to the barricades.

On February 16, 2022, Sagar posted which when translated reads, "MVA should stop harassing civilians by abusing police force. (On the day of the Congress rally near the house of Hon'ble MP Shri Gopal Shetty, I raised some issues before the police for the convenience of the citizens, and this is the video of the controversy. Some people have tried to link this video with some parties and prayers. I condemn all these people who do!)"

We also found news reports on the incident where one can see the same sequence of events and reporting that there were police security measures in place in anticipation of the Congress rally to BJP MP Gopal Shetty's house.