A video of student activists blocking the convoy of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has gone viral with the claim that it’s a recent incident from Lucknow.
However, we found that the incident dates back to June 2017 when activists of Samajwadi Chatra Sabha had showed black flags and blocked the road leading to the venue of the programme that Adityanath was supposed to attend as the chief guest.
CLAIM
The claim along with the video reads: “आज लखनऊ में योगी जी के काफिले को रोकते... बेरोजगार” (Translated: Today, Yogi ji’s convoy was blocked in Lucknow...unemployed)
The video shared by Facebook user Annu Baudh Anu had garnered over 5 lakh views and over 8,000 shares at the time of publishing the article.
Several social media users shared the video with the same narrative on Facebook and Twitter.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
We searched on YouTube using keywords “लखनऊ में योगी जी के काफिले” (Translated: Yogi ji’s convoy in Lucknow) and found an ABP bulletin dated 12 June 2017.
The bulletin carried the viral video and mentioned that activists of Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha (Samajwadi party students wing) who blocked CM Yogi’s convoy and showed black flags. The convoy was passing through Lucknow University when the incident took place.
Further, The Times of India had tweeted images of the 2017 incident. We found that two girls seen in the viral video are wearing the exact same clothes as seen in TOI’s image.
ABOUT THE 2017 INCIDENT
An Indian Express article mentioned that the incident took place on 7 June 2017 when several people blocked the road and showed black flags to CM Adityanath. Most of them being activists of Samajwadi Chatra Sabha.
Adityanath was supposed to attend a programme at the Lucknow University as the chief guest and the activists blocked the road leading to the said venue.
“They alleged that the ‘BJP programme’ was organised at the cost of the varsity and its students,” the report added.
Student protester Puja Shukla had then told Newslaundry, “We protested against the irregularities in the admission process and the inefficiency of varsity administration that does not release funds for genuine academic needs. Yet, went on to spend public money for organising an academically irrelevant and politically malevolent function at university.”
On 8 June 2017, eleven activists were sent in judicial custody for 14 days, the article mentioned.
Evidently, an old incident of student activists blocking the convoy of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been revived to claim as recent.
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