Fact Check: Viral Video of Temple Vandalism Misrepresented

A video showing a mob vandalizing a temple was falsely claimed to be from Bangladesh. PTI Fact Check revealed that the incident actually took place in 2021 at Siddhivinayak temple in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The viral video was misrepresented on social media to incite unrest.

A recent video showing a mob armed with weapons vandalizing a temple was falsely claimed to be from Bangladesh. However, PTI Fact Check has determined that this claim is misleading; the incident actually dates back to August 2021 and took place at the Siddhivinayak temple in Pakistan's Punjab province.

The video, shared by a Facebook user, provoked communal tension by falsely attributing the violent act to the Muslim community in Bangladesh. The PTI Fact Check Desk used Invid Tool and Google Lens to confirm that the footage originated from Bhong Sharif area of Pakistan's Punjab where religious slogans were chanted and the incident broadcast live on Facebook.

Reports from Hindustan Times and Aaj Tak corroborated the findings, noting that after the attack, India summoned Pakistan's top diplomat to express strong objection. Subsequently, Pakistan's police registered a case, leading to the anti-terrorism court convicting 22 individuals in 2022. The investigation underscores that the viral video aims to mislead and incite unrest by distorting the facts.

(With inputs from agencies.)