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: From anti-Muslim rant against Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, to videos claiming to show celebrations in Kashmir & Muslim neighbourhoods in major Indian cities, India’s communal fault lines lay exposed on social media sites a day after Pakistan won the T20 world cup match against India. An investigation by Newschecker has shown that some of these videos have actually been resurrected from 2017 when Pakistan won the Championship Trophy by winning against India.
A 00:15 second long video claiming to be from Srinagar, allegedly showing Kashmiris celebrating Pakistan’s win has been widely shared after the match on Sunday. The post, shared by Twitter user @Sassy_Hindu has seen over 2,200 retweets and received over 4,000 likes. The same video was shared by many others and has gone viral.
Fact Check/ Verification
To verify the authenticity of the video, Newschecker began by developing its keyframes. The keyframes show several details, such as the crowd assembled at what looks like a large intersection. It also shows people standing atop a white truck setting off fireworks. One of the three men on top of the white truck can be seen wearing a distinctive green T-shirt, and when the camera pans, a white and green banner along the road and a uniquely designed gate catch the viewer’s eye.
The last time when Pakistan won against India in 2017, both national and international media had reported how Srinagar saw celebrations on a scale like never seen before. Hence, Newschecker ran an advanced search on Twitter to find posts from 2017 showing celebrations in Srinagar. Most videos showed young men celebrating with fireworks.
One of the stills posted in the early hours of June 19, 2017, the day after the Championship Trophy, shows the same white truck and the same three men as in the viral video, standing on top of it captured from a side angle. The man in the centre can also be seen wearing a green T-shirt just like the one in the video.
An archived copy of the tweet can be accessed here.
On further examination, more visual clues emerge. A Google search of the 2017 Championship Trophy celebrations in Srinagar throws up several images, one of which is an image by Getty, which shows a clearer image of the same three men standing on top of a white truck. The one in the centre is seen wearing a green T-shirt and the word ‘Jaan’ is written on the bottom front of the windshield. On closer inspection of the video, purportedly from October 25, 2021, one can notice similar text written on the windshield of the white truck at the same spot. However, due to poor video quality, it is not comprehensible.
The video tweeted by @Sassy_Hindu pans to show the larger crowd. On closer observation, one can see a white and green banner. On comparing it with another video tweeted by @AbubakarTweets in 2017, one can see the same white and green banner in the background. One can also see the white truck pull up into what appears to be a roundabout.
The same banner is also seen in another video from 2017.
Conclusion
Based on corroborating the videos from 2017 and 2021, Newschecker found that the two videos have the same elements and visual cues and hence are from the same occasion. Thus we conclude that the visuals were shot during celebrations in Srinagar outside the Jamia Masjid in 2017 after Pakistan won the Championship Trophy and not 2021.
Result: Misleading
| Claim Review: Celebrations in Srinagar post Ind Vs Pak T20 WC match. Claimed By: Social Media Users Fact Check: Misleading |
Our Sources
Social media
Google street view
Getty Images
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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.
