May 17th 2024.
Fact-Check:
After conducting thorough research and investigation, it has been determined that the claim circulating on social media regarding a viral video is misleading. The video, which has been falsely linked to the current Lok Sabha elections, actually dates back to 2021 and depicts an attack on BJP leader Anirban Ganguly during the state Assembly elections in Bolpur, West Bengal.
The claim in question states that the video shows Ganguly, a BJP candidate from Jadavpur, being attacked by locals during the current Lok Sabha polls. However, this is not the case. The video actually shows armed military personnel and bodyguards escorting Ganguly to a vehicle while being pursued by a stick-wielding mob. It is important to note that the incident captured in the video is unrelated to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Upon conducting a reverse image search on the video's keyframes, it was discovered that the incident took place in 2021. A local news outlet, Sangbad Pratidin, posted a longer version of the viral clip on their YouTube channel on April 29, 2021, with the title "BJP candidate from Bolpur Anirban Ganguly's convoy attacked at Ilambazar, Birbhum." The viral clip is a segment from the original 2:03-minute video, specifically from the 0:25 to 0:55-minute mark.
According to a report by Anandabazar Patrika on April 29, 2021, the incident occurred during the 2021 state Assembly polls. Ganguly, who was the BJP candidate for the Bolpur Assembly seat, was attacked by a mob armed with bamboo sticks on the final day of the elections. The BJP claimed that TMC workers were responsible for the attack, but the TMC denied these allegations.
A report by The Indian Express in April 2021 also depicted a similar scene to the one in the viral video, detailing clashes between BJP and TMC workers following an attack on Ganguly. The police confirmed that two people were injured in the violence.
It is worth mentioning that Ganguly, who represented Bolpur in the 2021 Assembly polls, was defeated by TMC candidate Chandranath Sinha. Currently, he is competing for the Lok Sabha seat in Jadavpur, West Bengal, in the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections against TMC candidate Saayoni Ghosh.
In conclusion, the video in question is not related to the current Lok Sabha elections, and therefore, the claim is misleading. It is a dated video showing an attack on Ganguly during the 2021 Assembly elections, and it has been falsely linked to the ongoing elections. As a result, the claim has been marked as misleading.
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