Fact-Check: 2012 Photo of Violence From Lucknow Falsely Linked to Jahangirpuri
The photo is from 2012 that showed violence and arson that had erupted in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow.
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A photo, which shows a group of men running holding sticks in their hands, is being shared on social media with a claim that it is linked to the communal clashes that erupted in Delhi's Jahangirpuri area.
Communal clashes had broken out during a Hanuman Jayanti procession on 16 April, injuring nine people. Following the incident, a demolition drive was conducted by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) on 20 April, which was stopped hours after the Supreme Court ordered to halt it.
However, we found that the photo is from Lucknow from 2012 when violence broke out in the city on the last day of Ramzan. According to media reports, violence against Muslims in Assam and Myanmar was the reason behind a protest march that had later led to arson.
CLAIM
The photo is being shared along with the claim that reads, "They’ve cleared one thing, either stop celebrating your festival or get ready to be keeled. It’s an open war against Hindus."
WHAT WE FOUND
We conducted a reverse image search on the photo and found the image in an article published in The Hindu in 2012.
The story that was published on 18 August 2012 read that violence had broken out in Lucknow after Alvida namaz (on the last Friday of Ramzan) after a mob indulged in large-scale violence, particularly targeting media persons.
The reason behind a protest march, that later led to the mayhem, was said to be violence against Muslims in Assam and Myanmar.
"The mayhem on a six-km stretch, from Pucca Pul (formerly Hardinge Bridge) near the Tile Wali Masjid and Asafi Imambara in the Old City to Dharna Sthal opposite the Vidhan Bhavan building, continued for about an hour notwithstanding a strong police presence on account of Alvida," the report read.
The caption of the photo read, "An unruly mob took the law into its own hands after the prayer of Alvida namaz in Lucknow on Friday."
The photo courtesy was given to one Subir Roy.
The story was published on 18 August 2012.
(Photo: Altered by The Quint)
A report by The Times of India from 17 August 2012 read that the mob indulged in violence and arson in the Hazratganj area. "The mob had ransacked the Buddha park, forced closure of shops, and attacked media-persons," the report read.
Clearly, an old photo from Lucknow is being shared on social media with the false claim that it is linked to the Jahangirpuri violence.
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