Misleading Claims About Haryana CM Amid Election Campaign

A viral video showing protests against BJP leaders with black flags in Haryana is misleading. The video is from October 2020 and not recent as claimed. Farmers blocked a BJP tractor rally in support of farm laws. PTI Fact Check Desk has clarified that the video is being reused to spread false claims ahead of the upcoming Haryana elections.

Ahead of the polling in the Haryana Assembly elections, a video was shared on social media showing people protesting against BJP leaders by waving black flags with the misleading claim that Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini faced public opposition. The PTI Fact Check Desk found in its investigation that the viral video is not recent but from October 2020. At that time, the BJP organised a tractor rally in support of the now-repealed farm laws and Manohar Lal Khattar was the Haryana chief minister.

A Facebook user posted, ''Massive opposition to Chief Minister Nayab Saini in Haryana. BJP leaders, who once hated farmers' tractors, are now campaigning for votes sitting on tractors.'' To verify the claim, the desk conducted a reverse search of key frames from the video. They found the video on a Facebook page named 'Rajveer Singh RV,' shared on October 16, 2020. Reports stated that farmers had staunchly opposed the BJP's tractor rally.

During the investigation, the desk also found a video report on the YouTube channel 'Hind Express TV' about BJP leaders being shown black flags. According to the report, then Union Minister of State Rattan Lal Kataria and Kurukshetra MP Nayab Saini faced protests from farmers in Ambala's Narayangarh during a tractor rally in support of the farm laws. Farmers waved black flags at the BJP leaders during the protest.

According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) had strongly opposed the BJP's tractor rally. During the protest, farmers blocked the tractors on National Highway 72 for about three hours.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP replaced Khattar with its then state unit chief Nayab Singh Saini as chief minister in March. Khattar got elected to the Lok Sabha from Karnal and was made a Union minister while Saini won the Karnal Assembly bypoll that was held alongside the general elections.

Saini is the BJP's chief ministerial face for the October 5 Haryana assembly polls. The results of the state elections will be declared on October 8.

Based on the PTI Fact Check Desk's investigation so far, it is clear that the viral video is four years old and is being shared with misleading claims ahead of the upcoming Haryana assembly elections. Read the full fact-check report here: https://bit.ly/3Biky2f For verification or clarification on any claim going viral on social media, contact the PTI Fact Check Desk via WhatsApp at +91-8130503759.

(With inputs from agencies.)