By Anmol Alphonso
Several old and unrelated videos are being shared falsely claiming that they show alcohol being distributed to farmers protesting in the ongoing Delhi Chalo farmers' protests.
In the viral videos, we can see people holding glasses in their hands and waiting for alcohol to be served, while in some other visuals we can see drums of alcohol.
Thousands of protesting farmers from neighbouring states, including Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, are marching towards the capital with their tractors demanding assured prices for their crops and the implementation and legal guarantee of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) by the central government.
Video 1
Visual 1 - Group of people holding plastic glasses under a makeshift tent waiting for alcohol to be served
In this clip, we can see a group of people holding glasses in their hands waiting for alcohol to be distributed. The 23 seconds video was posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) handle Rosy (@rose_k01) with the caption, "On Camera - Emotional Blackmail that we are "Anndata". Behind Cameras REALITY- Enjoying ALCOHOL Daru Langars at "Protest" #FarmerProtest2024 #FarmersProtest"
BOOM has previously fact-checked misinformation posted by the same handle on X
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Visual 2 - Drums of alcohol
In this clip, several drums of alcohol can be seen, as alcohol is being distributed to people standing in queue at the spot.
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Fact-Check
BOOM found that the viral videos are from the Baba Rodu Shah fair in Kanuke Kalan village in Ludhiana, Punjab and not from the recent Delhi Chalo farmers' protest. We had previously fact-checked the same set of videos when they were being shared in September 2021, falsely claiming it was from the then farmers protest against the three farm laws the central government had introduced.
The videos are from a religious fair at Kaunke Kalan village in Ludhiana, Punjab, where liquor is offered to Baba Rodu Shah and distributed by devotees. We came across a report from September 2021 by independent journalist Sandeep Singh who visited the Baba Rodu Shah dargah in Kaunke Kalan village and spoke to locals who confirmed that the video was recorded in the village on September 6, 2021 during the religious fair where devotees of Baba Rodu Shah gather at the dargah.
BOOM had then reached out to Singh who told us that he had spoken to locals who confirmed to him that the said video is from religious fair. The locals further added that the fair held every year since decades in the village and devotees of Baba Rodu Shah regularly participate in it.
Video 2
In this viral video, a person in a car is seen pouring alcohol from a bottle, with a crowd of people clamouring to get their share.
The video is being shared on X with the caption, "O so-called food provider! In this scorching sun, after plowing, satisfying the sweaty body and parched throat with water. You are blessed, Khamkhan people are defaming you by calling you a hired pony."
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Fact-Check
BOOM found that the viral clip dates back to April 2020 and pre-dates the ongoing farmers' protests. We had previously fact-checked the same video back in February 2021, when it was being shared falsely linking it to the farmers' protest against the farm laws.
We broke the viral clip into key-frames and ran a reverse image search using Google Images and found Facebook posts with the viral clip dating back to April 11, 2020. In these clips from April 2020, we can see the same sequence of events occur.
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Video 3
A video of a TV reporter showing a cart filled with liquor bottles and snacks in a cart is being shared falsely claiming that it is from the recent Delhi Chalo farmers protest.
In the video the reporter can be heard saying in Hindi, "See this, liquor bottles are coming out from the farmers group. These farmers are driving tractors intoxicated. Police are trying to make them understand but the farmers are trying to crush them. There are plenty of bottles including country liquor and snacks. Are these people protestors? Is this how farmers protest?”"
The video was posted on X by with the handle '@INDVivekPandey_' with the caption when translated reads, "Last time, liquor and tasting was received from the tractor of Annadatas. I hope this time they would have been told to drink as much as they can throughout the night and clean it all up in the morning. #FarmerProtest2024 #FarmersProtest"
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Fact-Check
BOOM found that the viral video is from January 26, 2021, and not from the recent farmers' protest.
The same video was posted by TV9 Gujarat's X handle on January 26, 2021 with the caption, "Police seize Liquor from tractors, police sit on roads to block rally #Delhi #TV9News #Tractorrally"
On January 26, 2021, during the Republic Day celebrations in the country, during the farmers' protest had taken a violent turn after farmers breached the red fort and displayed farm union and religious flags from the fort's ramparts, where the national flag is traditionally hoisted by prime ministers on the country's August independence holiday. The police had then used tear gas, water cannons to prevent protesters from reaching the heart of Delhi, however the demonstrators successfully broke through at multiple locations. On January 27, 2021, The Indian Express had reported that a 27-year-old protester named Navreet Singh lost his life during the demonstration that took place on January 26, 2021.
