Viral video falsely portrays harassment of Muslim women in K’taka as "Love Jihad" incident
Bengaluru: A video circulating on social media, purportedly showing a burqa-clad woman attempting to coerce another woman into participating in "Love Jihad," has been debunked as misinformation. The video, widely shared by Right Wing accounts, including @ajaychauhan41, and others, is falsely portrayed as a case of religious conversion. Alt News has previously exposed the account @ajaychauhan41 for disseminating communal misinformation.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that the video dates back to November 2021 and originates from Karnataka's Kodagu district. The incident captured in the video involves two Muslim girls who were harassed by a group of men affiliated with Hindutva groups. The men accused the girls of engaging in "Love Jihad" by allegedly providing a burqa to a Christian classmate. The police investigation, however, revealed that the Christian girl had kept the burqa due to space constraints in her bag and was returning it to the Muslim girls.
According to a report by The News Minute published on November 23, 2021, the victims were threatened, slapped, and beaten by the mob, which consisted of over 30 people. The police arrested two individuals, Prajwal and Kaushik, in connection with the incident. The video captures the distressing moment when the girls were accosted by the mob, questioning them about the burqa and their backgrounds.
The victims' fathers had earlier clarified that the Muslim girls were waiting for their Christian friend to return the burqa in the evening. The Christian girl had kept the burqa for them in the morning as they had to remove it before entering their college classes. The misinformation circulating on social media falsely portrays the incident as an attempt at religious conversion when, in fact, both women shown in the video are Muslims.
This incident is part of a series of hate crimes reported in Kodagu, where individuals were targeted based on their religious identity.
The viral video from Karnataka's Kodagu district, falsely portraying an incident as an attempt at religious conversion through "Love Jihad," underscores the importance of fact-checking and responsible sharing on social media platforms. The misinformation, perpetuated by Right Wing accounts and others, has been debunked, revealing that the incident involved two Muslim girls facing harassment from a group with Hindutva affiliations.
जागो हिंदुओं
— हम लोग We The People 🇮🇳 (@ajaychauhan41) March 2, 2024
इस बुर्के वाली लड़की ने उस हिंदू लड़की का ब्रेन वॉश किया जो वीडियो फ्रेम में भी है
वह हिंदू लड़की को बुर्का पहनने और शांतिप्रिय लड़के (जो वीडियो में गलियारे में खडा दिखाई दे रहा है) के साथ जाने के लिए कहती हुई पकड़ी गई।
..लव जिहाद ये है... pic.twitter.com/1uanhZJUaZ
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Make polling hours 6am-7pm for May 7 LS polls, Karnataka BJP urges EC citing heatwave
Bengaluru, May 3: Citing the ongoing heatwave in the state, Karnataka BJP on Friday petitioned the Election Commission with a request to modify the polling hours to the 6am-7pm period in the 14 parliamentary constituencies in the state that goes to polls on May 7.
Polling is currently scheduled to be held in the second phase in the state in 14 segments in the northern districts between 7am to 6pm on May 7.
"It has become hard to come out and vote between hours 10.00 to 17.00 due to uncontrollable heat. The average heat in those parts (north Karnataka) covering 14 parliamentary constituencies are between 37 and 42 degree (Celsius). The mercury is rising at an alarming level and it would become hard for the electors to come out and vote," BJP's petition said.
The petition highlighted the alarming rise in temperatures, which are expected to go beyond 40 degree Celsius, and also stated that the number of voters over the age of 40 is high and that they are vulnerable to the heatwave.
"To keep up the good spirit of voting, necessary action should be taken," the BJP petition urged the Election Commission, saying, "In this background, it is requested to modify the time of voting in the 14 parliamentary constituencies from 06.00 to 19.00 hours on May 7".
Polling was held between 7 am and 6 pm during Karnataka's first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in 14 constituencies on April 26.
