Video Of Woman Snatching Away Bharat Mata's Photo Viral With False Communal Spin

A video of a woman arguing with security guards is going viral with a claim that a Muslim woman in Maharashtra tried to block tricolour's hoisting and to snatch the photo frame of Bharat Mata on Republic Day. In the 2:23 minute viral video, a woman can be seen getting into an argument with the crowd around her. She can be seen surrounded by a huge crowd including security guards trying to let go of the photo and repeatedly urging her to engage in the conversation but the woman refuses to do so, stating that the Bharat Mata's photo does not belong in a man's hand. Later in the video, she can be seen getting violent and slapping a few people around her.

The video is viral on social media with a caption that reads, "A Muslim lady in Maharashtra blocking flag hoisting and trying to snatch Bharat Mata photo. Look at the liberty we have given them and unexplainable, stupid tolerance."

The video is shared on Facebook & Twitter with a similar claim.

Image Credit: Facebook

Claim:

A Muslim woman desecrating the picture of Bharat mata on the Republic Day in Mumbai.

Fact Check:

The Logical Indian Fact Check team verified the claim and found it false. We found that the woman in the viral video is a Punjabi Hindu and a resident of Thane city in Maharashtra. She is suffering from a mental illness and so couldn't bear the noise of the loudspeakers, which led to the incident.

We extracted different keyframes from the viral video and conducted a Google reverse image search. It led us to a post that shared the same video; the official Twitter handle of Thane Police replied that "NC has been registered against this woman in Kapurbawdi police station." NC refers to a complaint registered for non-cognisable offences.

Taking a hint from here, we conducted a keyword search on the internet using relevant Hindi, English and Marathi keywords. It led us to a few media reports that reported this Thane incident.

According to the Navbharat Times report, published on January 27, the incident took place on January 26, during Republic Day celebrations in the Lodha Amara residential complex of Thane in Maharashtra. The report stated that the woman hindered the function by snatching away the photo frame of 'Bharat Mata', which led to an argument between the people and the woman. A complaint was filed against the woman at Kapurbawadi police station by locals.

Image Credit: NavBharat Times

Another report by Times Now Marathi also verified that the complex residents organised the event but was disrupted by the woman after she snatched the photo frame, which led to a commotion.

Image Credit: Times Now Marathi

We contacted Kapurbawadi police who confirmed that the woman is not a Muslim, and her name is Kankika Sekhri. Senior police inspector of Kapurbawadi station, UD Sonawane, said, "She is mentally ill and couldn't bear the noise of the loudspeaker. She came down and started asking what was happening when they responded that it was the Republic Day celebrations. They got into a spat, and that was recorded in the video, which is now going viral with communal claims that are not true".

Evidently, a video of the argument between a woman and local residents of her complex is viral with a false communal spin that the woman is a Muslim who snatched away the photo frame of 'Bharat Mata' during the Republic Day celebrations. However, the woman is a Punjabi Hindu and is mentally ill, which led to the argument.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

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