No, Himalaya Drug Co. Founder Did Not Call For ‘Muslim Dominance’

The founder M Manal passed away in 1986, as stated on the company website.

The video, made in response to the Babri Masjid demolition, can be traced back to a Facebook page, Naqi Ahmed Nadwi.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A viral video of a man inciting communal hatred and calling for ‘Muslim dominance’ in fields of judiciary, administrative services, police and so on, is being shared with a false claim that he is the founder of The Himalaya Drug Company.

The video, made in response to the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the subsequent onset of the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, can be traced back to a Facebook page called Naqi Ahmed Nadwi. The Himalaya Drug Company also denied the viral claim, calling it, “groundless and untrue.”

A still from the viral video.(Source: Facebook)

CLAIM

The viral video is being shared with the claim, “ We are all proud of Indian 'Himalayan Drug Company' but see the mentality of it's owner Mohammed Manal and think twice before using the products.”

The users have also called for a boycott of the company’s products.

You can view an archived version here. (Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

You can view an archived version here.(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

You can view an archived version here.(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

You can view an archived version here.(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

The man in the video is not Himalaya Drug Company’s founder, M Manal, as claimed.

A reverse image search led us to an article in the Hyderabad-based daily, Siasat Daily, carrying a screenshot from the viral video, which states that a “lawyer” has asked Muslims to ensure representation in “IT, government, law enforcement, and the judiciary,” instead of “mourning Babri demolition.”

A keyword search of the same in Urdu led us to a Facebook page, Naqi Ahmed Nadwi, which had uploaded the video on 6 August, a day after the Bhoomi Poojan.

The video was captioned, “The demolition of the Babri Masjid and the construction of the Ram Temple on its site is a turning point in the history of India. Muslims must seriously consider!” in Urdu.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

On his Facebook account, Nadwi states that he’s from Sheohar, a district in Bihar.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

We also found a LinkedIn account with the same name and profile picture, where Nadwi states that he’s an administrator at Maaden, a sand-mining company based in Saudi Arabia.

Nadwi also has a YouTube channel with the same name where similar videos on Islam and Muslims in India can be found.

HIMALAYA’S RESPONSE

Himalaya had also responded to the claims on Twitter. In response to one user who had shared the video, Himalaya stated that the “claims being made are groundless & untrue. We urge you not to fall for or spread baseless rumors. (sic)”

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

Further, an image of Himalaya Drug Company’s founder M Manal can be found on their website, which does not match the man in the video.

(Photo: Screenshot/Himalaya Wellness)

Mr Manal had passed away in 1986, as stated on the website.

(Photo: Screenshot/Himalaya Wellness)

Evidently, the man in the viral video has been misidentified as the founder of The Himalaya Drug Company.

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