Anti-CAA Protester Complaining About 500 Rupees And Biryani? A FactCheck

A viral video clip in which a Muslim woman protester at Lucknow's Ghanta Ghar (clock tower) appears to admit telling a reporter that women are being lured with 500 rupees and Biryani to participate in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, is false and misleading.

BOOM found that the 23-second clip viral on Facebook and Twitter has been cropped maliciously. In the longer version of the video, the woman who identifies herself as Samira, speaks about the allegations made by Shia Waqf Board Chairman, Waseem Rizvi against anti-CAA protesters. Rizvi alleged anti-CAA protesters in Lucknow specifically Muslim women were being lured with freebies.

As with Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, Muslim women at Lucknow's Ghanta Ghar have been at the forefront of continued sit-in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The cropped video is being shared with a sarcastic caption in Hindi which translates to, "have some shame Congress, how can a young lady run her home with just Rs. 500 and Biryani. You are exploiting people. On top of that Lucknow police are not allowing dancing cars, how can this work?"

(Translated from Hindi: कांग्रेस वालों कुछ तो शर्म करो,एक अबला खातून 500₹ और बिरयानी में कैसे अपना घर चलाएगी,लोगों का शोषण कर रहे हो ,ऊपर से लखनऊ पुलिस वहां डांसिंग कार भी खड़ी नही होने दे रही , ऐसे कैसे चलेगा )

Also Read: False: Women Fighting At Shaheen Bagh During Anti-CAA Protests

Watch the video below. Archived versions can be accessed here and here.

In cropped video the Muslim woman appears to tell the reporter "women are being called here by paying 500 rupees and to eat Biryani, mainly for Biryani, women are being called here to be stay. Now you tell me, what can be done in 500 rupees in today's world? Women are leaving their homes, their children, their husband, their parents, their education, leaving everything will they come here?"

The clip makes it sound like the woman is not only admitting to receiving 500 rupees for attending protests but also complaining about how little the amount is. BOOM found both the claims to be false.

Fact Check

BOOM looked at the video closely and found that the clip ended abruptly. The words 'Lucknow Live' can be seen in the video and a logo can be spotted on the top left corner of the clip.

We traced the Facebook page named Lucknow Live which uploaded the video on January 19, 2020.

The video starts with the male reporter asking the woman to respond to allegations made by Shia Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi against women protesting at Ghanta Ghar, Lucknow. In a recent video Rizvi accused the women protesting at Ghanta Ghar to be of 'bad character' and alleged they took money to protest and were 'ruining the atmosphere of Lucknow'. (Watch Rizvi's remarks here)

It is in response to this question that the woman says, "he (Waseem Rizvi) said women are being called here by paying 500 rupees and to eat Biryani, mainly for Biryani, women are being called here to be stay. Women are leaving their homes, their children, their husband, their parents, their education, leaving everything to come here. More than that (500 rupees) a Muslim woman gives in Zakat. What value does 500 rupees have when she gives in lakhs, in thousands in Zakat. Then why will she come here (Ghanta Ghar) for 500 rupees."

(Zakat is an obligatory contribution that every Muslim needs to give under Islamic tenet.)

Watch the woman's entire response below.

The same video can also be found on YouTube.