Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Claim
Huge rally in Manipur by Meiteis in support of those accused in the viral video case.
Fact
Viral image was found to be of another rally in protest against “Chin-Kuki narco terrorism”.
Several social media users are circulating an image of a massive gathering of people on the road holding up a banner, claiming to show a rally by “majoritarian Meitei Hindu group against the arrest of those who had publicly paraded and sexually assaulted Kuki Christian women.”
The archived versions of the tweets can be seen here and here.
The Manipur Viral Video Case
Chief justice of India DY Chandrachud on July 31 slammed a lawyer during a hearing on the Manipur viral video case which saw two Kuki Zo women being paraded naked by a mob of Meitei men on May 4. The CBI had the previous week taken over the investigation into the Manipur viral video case, seeking custody of the seven suspects apprehended by the Manipur police and interrogating them afresh. At least 150 people have reportedly been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3 when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
Also Read: Old Video Of Brutal Murder In Brazil Falsely Shared As Manipur
Fact Check
We started by taking a closer look at the banner held by the protesters in the viral image, which read, “Mass Rally Against Chin-Kuki Narco Terrorism”, contradicting the viral claim that it was a rally in support of the accused in the viral video case.
We then ran a keyword search for “rally Chin-Kuki narco terrorism”, which led us to multiple news reports about the march, organised by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) on Manipur Integrity.
“Thousands of protesters on July 29 held a mass rally against Chin-Kuki Narco terrorism from THAU ground to Hapta Kangjeibung in Imphal district of Manipur,” read an India Today NE report, dated July 29, 2023.
“Tens of thousands of people hit the streets of Manipur’s capital Imphal on Saturday and reaffirmed their stand against the ‘Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists’. Drugs have been at the centre of the nearly three-month-long violent ethnic conflict between Meiteis and Kukis in which nearly 150 people lost their lives and over 50,000 others were displaced,” read a report published in The New Indian Express, dated July 29, 2023, adding that the protesters demanded an end to the present conflict.
According to a Times of India report, the meeting decided to exterminate “Chin-Kuki narco terrorism” allegedly perpetrated by illegal immigrants in the state and urged the government to fully implement NRC, .
A reverse image search of the photo led us to this Imphal Times report, dated July 29, 2023, confirming that the viral image was of a rally against narco-terrorism in the state.
Also Read: Crash Between Two Electric Vehicles? Here’s The Truth Behind Viral Video
Conclusion
Unrelated photo of an anti-narco terrorism rally held in Manipur falsely claimed to be a march in support of the accused in the Manipur viral video case.
Result: False
Sources
India Today NE report, July 29, 2023
Imphal Times report, July 29, 2023
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
