Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
New Delhi: A video, allegedly from Srinagar, showing young men setting off fireworks in a dark alleyway, cheering and waving Pakistan’s flags after the recent Ind Vs Pak T20 WC match has gone viral on social media. Several verified handles on Twitter, from both within India and abroad, shared the video claiming to be celebrations in Srinagar. A fact check by Newschecker has found the video to be from 2020.
Many users claimed hypocrisy, questioning ban on crackers during Diwali if it could be used to celebrate Pakistan win, while others justified the abrogation of Article 370 citing the videos.
Meanwhile the video was also shared by many journalists and opinion makers across the border in Pakistan.
Another viral video with a similar claim of celebrations in Kashmir was recently debunked by Newschecker as misleading. You can read that article here.
Fact check/ Verification
A quick keyword search in YouTube led Newschecker to videos of celebrations in Srinagar following Pakistan’s Championship Trophy win and also the celebrations on August 14 2020 & 2021, the day Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day. The visuals reported to be from the Independence day celebrations showed fireworks being set off in the dark and one can spot Pakistan’s flag as well. Using this as a clue, Newschecker explored the videos related to Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar, and found a video with a very similar keyframe as the viral video.
The video was uploaded on 15 2020 August, a day after the Independence Day of Pakistan.
Conducting a frame by frame comparison, Newschecker found several common elements in both the videos. Both videos show people waving Pakistan’s flag on a backdrop of crackers, while fireworks zoom skyward in similar fashion. The frames are almost identical in both the videos and only differ in the sound of the crackers going off in the background.
The viral video shared on Twitter also shows what appears to be the railing of a footbridge on the left side of the frame. Close inspection revealed that the video uploaded on YouTube has also captured a similar railing with the same pattern, on the same side of the frame.
More similarities emerge on close observation. A lit up house window can be seen on the right side frame of the viral video. The video from 2020, which has a wider frame, also shows lit up windows on the right side of the frame shaped in the same distinct style.
Furthermore, both videos also have captured a parked 2-wheeler on the right side of the frame, stationed in the same position, with very similar headlights that are turned on.
On researching further, Newschecker found several reports that showed the celebrations in Srinagar on August 14 2020. The reports revealed the location of the celebration to be in the Nawakadal area of the city. Several videos on YouTube also showed these celebrations, from different angles. On geolocation using Google Maps, Newschecker found a bridge at the Nawakadal area which could have been the location where this video was recorded.
Conclusion
By corroborating the elements of the videos from August 14 2020 and the video claiming to be from Sunday, it is found that the viral video is in fact from Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar and not a celebration post the Ind Vs Pak T20 WC match.
Result
Misleading content/partly false
Sources
YouTube
If you would like us to fact check a claim, give feedback or lodge a complaint, WhatsApp us at 9999499044 or email us at checkthis@newschecker.in. You can also visit the Contact Us page and fill the form.
Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
