By Anmol Alphonso
A video of a drone footage of building rooftops shot by Ranchi Police is being shared on social media with a false and communal claim that the footage showed Muslim houses kept stones on rooftops to attack Ram Navami processions in Ranchi on the day of the festival.
BOOM spoke to Ranchi Police who denied the viral claim stating that there is no communal angle to the incident. The police further added that bricks on rooftops were for construction related activity and the building owners who were sent notices comprised of both Hindus and Muslims.
Ram Navami falls on April 17, 2024 this year, with security arrangement in place, as several instances of communal clashes were reported last year in March 2023. In the viral video, officials can be seen carrying out a drone surveillance of building rooftops.
The nine seconds video was posted by verified X handle Arun Pudur, with the caption, "Outrageous! Ranchi police, while using drones to survey tomorrow's Ram Navami procession route, found ten homes stocked with large quantities of stones on their roofs. During Eid not a single Hindu attacked Muslims, but Muslims are attacking every Hindu festival."
BOOM has previously debunked misinformation posted by Pudur on X
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Right-wing YouTuber Ajeet Bharti quoted a post with the same video with the caption when translated reads, "These poor, persecuted Muslims are collecting stones to protect themselves from the disturbance caused by DJ music on Ramnavami. How nice."
(Original text -ये बेचारे, सताए हुए मुसलमान रामनवमी के दिन डीजे बजने से होने वाले खलल से स्वयं की रक्षा हेतु पत्थर इकट्ठा कर रहे हैं। कितनी अच्छी बात है।)
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The same video was also posted on X by Anand Ranganathan, and also by X handle @MrSinha_ adding communal overtones to the footage, "The drone footage captured by Jharkhand Police. They found stones are being stocked at rooftops. A Ram Navmi Shobha Yatra is scheduled in this route tomorrow. Doesn’t it prove that all the attacks on Hindu festivals are pre planned? Seculars present it as “reaction of provocation” but it isn’t…". Sinha later deleted his post.
Times Now reported on the incident with the headline, "Communal Mishap Averted: Drones Detect Stones On Roofs In Ranchi Ahead Of Ram Navami"
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NBT Bihar also reported on the video with the caption on X when translated reads, "Jharkhand police exposed a big conspiracy with the help of drone! Before Ram Navami, stones were found on the roofs of 10 houses in Ranchi city under drone surveillance, notice issued to all house owners"
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the there is no communal angle to the incident and reached out to Ranchi Police who denied the viral claim stating that the building owners who were sent notices compromised of both Hindus and Muslims. Ranchi Police further clarified that the stones found were for construction related activity.
Ranchi Police posted on X calling out news outlets for giving sensational headlines and stating that there is no communal angle to the incident. Ranchi Police quote tweeted a post with the viral video and the caption when translated reads, "Drone monitoring of procession routes is a common administrative process. This is done in many districts and if any construction material such as stones, bricks, sand etc. is lying on someone's roof, then the concerned @JharkhandPolice @Lathkar_IPS @amolhomkar_IPS @NBTBihar is asked to remove it."
The second post by Ranchi Police when translated reads, "The house owners were called. Such a notice was given to the house owners in Ranchi district also. There is no communal or conspiracy dimension in this. It is not legal for any news channel to run sensational news like *exposing a conspiracy* without any solid basis."
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BOOM reached out to SP Chandan Kumar Singh, Ranchi Police, who said, "In the light of the excitement regarding Ram Navami, the routes of the procession were monitored with drones. This is a normal administrative procedure. There is no communal angle of any kind in this. Both Hindu and Muslim owners were given instructions to remove any construction material left on the roofs of some houses."
Ranchi Police has also been posting on their X handle regarding the security arrangements they are making to deal with anti-social elements on Ram Navami.
Ranchi Police had posted on April 16, 2024, with the catpion when translated reads, "Ranchi police ready to deal with anti-social elements and rioters* In view of Ram Navami, a mock drill was organised at the police station today. @JharkhandPolice @Lathkar_IPS @amolhomkar_IPS"
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