2016 Video Resurfaces As Assault On Congress Leader For Sexist Comments

An old video of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from West Bengal being assaulted by a mob has resurfaced with claims that it shows Congress party leader Phool Singh Baraiya being attacked for his sexist and caste-based remarks recently.

The same video was recently viral with claims that Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan was assaulted. BOOM had debunked the claim surrounding the video and found that it is from 2016 where a BJP leader was allegedly beaten by alleged Trinamool Congress party workers in West Bengal. Read BOOM's debunk here.

Also Read:2016 Video Falsely Shared As Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Assaulted

The video has resurfaced on Facebook with the caption "Congress candidate Phool Singh Baraiya who was speaking about keeping sawarna (upper caste) women at his home was given a proper thrashing. He won't speak like this again." (Original text in Hindi: सवर्णो की औरतों को अपने घर रखने की बात कहने वाले #कांग्रेस_उम्मीदवार_फूल_बरैया की ठुकाई में कोई कमी नहीं रही अब नहीं बोलेगा आगे से..) Click here for an archive of the Facebook post.

A complaint was made to the Election Commission against Baraiya after two videos emerged of him making objectionable remarks against women and upper caste were viral. Baraiya, a popular Dalit leader, has denied the allegations. He will represent Congress and contest the by-poll for Bhander, Madhya Pradesh seat.

The video, which shows a mob beating up a man as police try to rescue him and take him away, is viral on Facebook with the same caption.

Fact Check

BOOM found that the incident is from October 2016, and the person in the viral clip is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from West Bengal Subrata Mishra who was beaten up by reported TMC workers.

Union Minister Babul Supriyo, a BJP Member of Parliament (MP) from Asansol had gone to BNR More area in Asansol where he was hit after a senior local party leader Subrata Mishra was beaten as members of the two parties clashed, reported NDTV on October 20, 2016. The same visuals can be seen in this video report by ANI; Mishra can be seen being assaulted at the 14 seconds timestamp.

Mishra can be seen in these photos below from October 19, 2016.

The same clip was previously viral in November 2016 after demonetisation, falsely claiming that BJP MP Dr Harsh Vardhan was beaten up by an angry mob outside a bank in Delhi. Vardhan had back then tweeted and clarified that on the viral video stating that it is being spread with malicious and mischievous intent.

Also Read:Unrelated Video Passed Off As Hathras Victim's Mother Assaulted By Police

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