Claimed footage of 50 mosques being demolished in India is from another incident
A video has circulated on Facebook claiming to show the demolition of 50 mosques in the Indian city of Meerut. However, a fact-check by Dismislab found that the footage is not from Meerut. Instead, it shows an incident that took place in Hapur district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. According to reports by multiple India-based media outlets and fact-checking organizations, clashes broke out between two groups during a Maharana Pratap Jayanti procession in Dehra village, under the jurisdiction of Dhaulana police station, on May 9. While shops and vehicles were vandalized during the violence, no credible reports were found indicating that any mosque had been demolished.
On May 17, a Facebook profile posted a video with the caption: “This is a scene from Meerut city. Fifty mosques are being demolished simultaneously and reduced to rubble. Muslim businesses and homes are also being set on fire. As neighboring countries, do Pakistan and Bangladesh have nothing to say? If this continues, you too could be consumed by the same fire” The 28-second video shows several individuals climbing onto the roof of a building and vandalizing it. Below, a crowd can be seen holding orange flags.
The same video was also shared by multiple (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Facebook profiles and groups with identical claims.
To verify the claim, a reverse image search using keyframes from the video led to reports published by several India-based media outlets. A report published by India Today on May 11 stated that a video falsely claiming to show communal violence in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, had gone viral on social media. The footage showed a group of men, many wearing saffron scarves and carrying saffron flags, climbing onto the roof of a building. According to India Today’s fact-check, the video was not filmed in Meerut but in Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh. The report identified it as footage of a clash between two groups that took place during Maharana Pratap Jayanti celebrations.
The report also noted that searches for news reports claiming that six mosques had been demolished and 52 Muslim homes set on fire in Meerut found no credible evidence. India Today’s correspondent in Meerut further confirmed that no such incident had occurred in the city.
Multiple media reports (1, 2, 3) described the incident as a clash between two groups in Hapur. The footage used in those reports matches the circulated video exactly. On May 10, Hapur police issued a video statement on X regarding the incident. The caption stated that Dhaulana police had taken swift action following a stone-pelting incident between two groups during a Maharana Pratap Jayanti procession in Dehra village. According to the statement, three people were arrested, while five others were taken into custody for questioning.
Multiple fact-checking organizations in India (1, 2, 3, 4) have published reports on the claim. In a May 14 report, India-based fact-checking outlet Alt News debunked the claim under the headline: “Vandalism at mosque, arson at houses of Muslims in Meerut? No, Hapur video viral with false claims.”
The report stated, “A 28-second video showing a mob holding saffron flags vandalizing a structure and brutally beating a man has gone viral on social media with communal claims. Users are claiming that this incident occurred in Meerut after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made ‘blasphemous’ remarks, following which six mosques were vandalized, 52 Muslim houses were set on fire, and several Muslims were burnt alive.”
A screenshot of a post on X was attached to the report. On that post claiming the incident to be from Meerut, the Meerut police commented, “This case is not related to Meerut district, and no such incident has occurred anywhere in Uttar Pradesh. An FIR is being registered against the said X handle. The cyber cell is investigating the source and other identity verifications of this account.”
The report further stated, “The incident is not from Meerut, but from Hapur, and the video does not show scenes of vandalism at any mosque.”
That is to say, scenes of a clash in the Hapur district of India are circulating with the claim that mosques are being demolished in Meerut.
