Video of PM Modi’s Cutout Behind Bars in Canada Not Related to Kejriwal’s Bail

The video of PM Modi behind bars in a rally in Canada predates Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's bail by three days.

The video showing PM Modi behind bars has no connection to AAP or Arvind Kejriwal's release.

(Source: Facebook/Altered by The Quint)

A video showing a cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi behind bars, during a public event in Canada, is being shared on social media.

The claim: The video is being shared to claim that it shows visuals of "PM of India in Jail," during a campaign in Canada, held after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was released on interim bail in connection to the Delhi liquor excise policy case on 10 May.

• The claim also asks users if they "still need any proof Aam Admi Party's (AAP) Canadian connection, who's sponsoring this party. (sic)"

• The claims talked referred to the reports of AAP allegedly receiving foreign funding from pro-Khalistani groups.

An archived version of this post can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

(Archives of more claims can be seen here, here, and here.)

But...?: The event in the video shows the Malton Nagar Kirtan in Canada, which took place on 7 May 2024, three days before Kejriwal was released on interim bail.

How did we find out the truth?: We ran the video through InVID, a Chrome extension, and divided it into multiple keyframes, to run reverse image searches.

• One such search led us to a similar video shared by '@pakke_australia_ale' on Instagram on 7 May 2024.

The video was shared three days before Kejriwal was released on interim bail.

(Source: Instagram/Altered by The Quint)

This was three days before the Supreme Court granted Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal interim bail in the Delhi liquor policy case, on 10 May.

The video also carried text on the screen showing its location as Malton, and hashtags which indicated that the video was taken during Malton Nagar Kirtan in Canada.

When we looked for more information with the keywords 'Malton Nagar Kirtan', we came across an Instagram post by the area's gurdwara, which mentioned that the event was held on 7 May.

News reports: A report by The Print carried a cropped, but the similar visual of PM Modi's cutout, mentioning that a depiction of him in a prisoner's outfit behind bars was seen at a nagar kirtan by Sikhs in Malton, Toronto.

• It added that the participants of the nagar kirtan were believed to hold PM Modi accountable for Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's death.

• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the incident, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issuing a statement which expressed "strong concerns" about the "violent imagery."

• "Celebration and glorification of violence should not be a part of any civilised society," it said, calling on the government of Canada "to stop providing criminal and secessionist elements a safe haven a political space in Canada."

• Other media organisations such as Hindustan Times and Indian Express also carried similar details.

Conclusion: An unrelated video is being shared to falsely claim that Sikhs in Canada depicted PM Modi behind bars after Kejriwal was granted interim bail.

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