Fact Check: Video Of TMC Leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury Waving A Stick In Front Of Crowd Goes Viral With Misleading Claim

Multiple social media accounts are sharing a video in which the State Library Services minister of West Bengal and Trinamool Congress leader, Siddiqullah Chowdhury, can be seen waving a a stick towards a crowd. People are sharing the video with a claim of Chowdhury beating those agitating against the traffic jam caused due to a protest led by him.

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya along with many other Twitter users, tweeted the video on January 13, 2021, with the caption, "A West Bengal minister, Siddiqullah Chowdhury protested against farm laws in East Burdwan Galsi. When people started agitating against the road blockade then Minister was seen hitting people with a wood stick."

Many Facebook users also shared the post.

A Facebook page, Nation with Namo, also shared the video with the claim that TMC-led protestors disrupted the delivery of truck carrying COVID-19 vaccines. The page shared the video with the caption, "Truck carrying COVID-19 vaccines stopped by TMC-led protestors disrupting the delivery of life-saving vaccines is a new low for Mamata Banerjee's TMC!"

OpIndia, also did a reported about the incident, saying TMC leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury violently hurled stick at those trying to make way for the vaccine.

Claim:

Siddiqullah Chowdhury hit those opposing his protest with a stick and tried stopping the bus carrying Corona vaccine.

Fact Check:

The Logical Indian did a Google search with a keyword, 'Siddiqullah Chowdhury, vaccine' and found an article published by India Today. According to the article, the people were protesting against the farm laws under the leadership of Jamiat Ulama-E-Hind (Bengal unit) at the Burdwan-Durgapur highway. As the protesters were gathered on National Highway, a truck carrying the vaccine from the central store in Kolkata to Bankura was re-routed. The article also quoted Siddiqullah Chowdhury, who said, "We were sitting in protest against the farm laws. Our stage was not on the highway. It was near the Eidgah next to the road but some protesters were sitting on the road. When I heard about the vaccine vehicle, I told the police to give it a passage. Accordingly, the police escorted it through an alternate route. There was no problem. It is my responsibility. I even announced on stage that no medical vehicle or ambulance should be stopped."

The Logical Indian also spoke to the Traffic Police official of Burdwan, who said, "The permission was already taken for the protest and arrangements were made accordingly. But as National Highway is a busy route, there was a traffic jam due to the protest. Hence, the coronavirus vaccine van was diverted. But the intention of the protestors was not to divert the coronavirus vaccine van, it happened as a ripple effect." On asking if Chowdhury hit those protesting against the traffic jam, the official denied. He said, "He was using the stick against the protestors who were on road to clear the blockade and give way for vehicles ."

Hence Chowdhury did not use the stick against those protesting against him, rather he used it to clear the road blockade.

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