Fact-Check: False claims link Muslim man's video to Hamas, Indian Constitution
Suvarna News publishes news with misleading claims about video
Video has been shared multiple times with different contexts by handles followed by PM Modi
New Delhi: The viral video circulating on social media platforms, in which a Muslim man is heard making inflammatory statements, has recently garnered attention.
The video shows the man asserting, “They were just 5 Lacs (0.5 million), we are 25 crores (250 million), even if 5 crores (50 million) do die. We will teach you a lesson. We will change the Constitution of India, and set a new constitution.”
Claims accompanying the video, particularly on Twitter, suggest that the man was referring to Hamas, Palestine, or Israel. The video, which has resurfaced multiple times over the past few years, lacks clear context, and its origin remains uncertain.
Upon fact-checking, it was found that the video is indeed old and has been shared several times under different contexts. However, the specific origin of the video remains unclear. It was shared most recently by a Twitter user named Norbert Elikes, who claimed that the man in the video was speaking about Hamas and threatening to change the Indian Constitution.
Norbert Elikes shared the video on Monday, November 7, with a caption that read “Watch: 🇮🇳 An Indian Muslim man says “They (Hamas) were just 5 Lacs (0.5 million), we are 25 crores (250 million), even if 5 crores (50 million) do die. We will teach you a lesson. We will change the Constitution of India, and set a new constitution (Sharia Law)”. What’s more problematic is, the crowd gathered behind is cheering for that person. The world should now stop accommodating such Jihadi pigs.”
Watch: 🇮🇳 An Indian Muslim man says “They (Hamas) were just 5 Lacs (0.5 million), we are 25 crores (250 million), even if 5 crores (50 million) do die.
— Norbert Elikes (@NorbertElikes) November 7, 2023
We will teach you a lesson. We will change the Constitution of India, and set a new constitution (Sharia Law)”.
What’s more… pic.twitter.com/UGLHPwHknA
A handle going by the name of Mr. Sinha which is followed by PM Modi, shared the video on October 13, 2023 when former US President Barack Obama defended the rights of minorities in India. Mr. Sinha captioned the video “Here a MusIim leader of India was seen openly threatening PM Modi & Indian govt. He says "Mr Modi, listen carefully, we aren't 5 lakhs but 25 crore population, we will finish every Hindus, we will finish the democracy from India & write our own history". And @BarackObama thinks this community is being oppressed in India. What more freedom do they want?”
Here a MusIim leader of India was seen openly threatening PM Modi & Indian govt.
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) October 13, 2023
He says "Mr Modi, listen carefully, we aren't 5 lakhs but 25 crore population, we will finish every Hindus, we will finish the democracy from India & write our own history".
And @BarackObama thinks… pic.twitter.com/PGAg0KwpNS
The same video was shared by another user named Ashish Merkhed who is also followed by PM Modi in January 2020 during the anti-CAA and NRC protests.
After Norbert Elikes shared the video with a misleading claim on Monday, November 7 stating that the man was speaking about Hamas and was threatening to change Indian Constitution, the tweet has been shared nearly 9000 times while it also has over 13,000 likes and nearly 2000 comments. Several media outlets including Asianet News and Suvarna News also published news and the video on their handles with misleading claims and linking it to the Hamas, following which right-wing users have made posters of the posts to share it on other social media platforms.
The earliest post that we discovered on 'X' with the said video was published on December 20, 2019 by a popular right-wing user Rishi Bagree.
This should be an Eye opener to everyone pic.twitter.com/nkTNV8XUxM
— Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) December 20, 2019
Despite the video's virality, it is crucial to note that the man's statements lack clear context, and he does not explicitly mention any specific organization or group. Claims associating his words with Hamas, Palestine, or Israel are not substantiated by the content of the video.
Our factcheck concluded that although the origin of the video remains unclear, the video is old and the man speaking in the video was not referring to Hamas, or Palestine or Israel as being claimed with the latest viral claims about the video. The video dates back to at least December 2019.
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Surjewala slams Pratap Simha’s ‘vile’ remarks on CM Siddaramaiah, demands apology from BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP over alleged disparaging remarks made by former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during an assembly bypoll campaign in Bagalkote.
Simha made the remarks while campaigning for BJP candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath, triggering a political row ahead of the by-elections scheduled for April 9.
Congress has fielded Umesh Meti, son of former MLA late M Y Meti, whose death necessitated the bye-election.
"Pratap Simha's vile remarks about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bagalkot have exposed the BJP's despicable politics once again," Surjewala said in a social media post.
Alleging a larger political design, he added, "It is increasingly evident that Pratap Simha’s outburst is driven by desperation," and accused the BJP of using such remarks to target backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and minorities.
The Rajya Sabha member further claimed that the incident reflects a pattern within the party. "This is not one man's madness—it is the BJP’s political culture," he said, adding that the remarks were aimed at "denigrating leaders from marginalised communities".
Referring to past incidents, Surjewala said, "CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar have received death threats in the past, including one from BJP leaders who warned that their bodies would be stuffed into a refrigerator."
The Congress leader also criticised the BJP’s bypoll campaign strategy, alleging "internal contradictions".
He pointed to the party’s use of expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in campaigning despite earlier disciplinary action against him, accusing the BJP of resorting to "abuses and indignities" against opposition leaders.
Surjewala demanded immediate action from the BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, state president B Y Vijayendra, and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka.
He said they must tender a public apology to Kannadigas, particularly to OBCs, SCs, and minorities, over the remarks, and urged the party to expel Simha if it does not repudiate his statements.
Surjewala also called for legal action, demanding that an FIR be registered against Simha and that strict measures be taken.
Warning of "political consequences", he said the electorate in the bypoll-bound constituencies would respond decisively if the BJP failed to apologise, asserting that voters would "teach the BJP a befitting lesson" in the elections.
There has been no immediate reaction from the saffron party yet.
