A 1:56 minute video of a group of people reciting Hanuman Chalisa (prayer verses for the Lord Hanuman) at the Tower Bridge in London is being shared now, claiming that it is a recent video, amid the ongoing loudspeaker row in the state of Maharashtra.
Leader of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Raj Thackeray has threatened to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers whenever azan (Muslim call to worship) will be played on loudspeakers.
Thackeray had given an ultimatum till 3 May to all mosques across the state to remove loudspeakers, asking Hindus to play the Hanuman Chalisa from 4 May, if azan was still played on loudspeakers post the deadline he set.
However, we found that the video is not recent and is being falsely linked to the ongoing Hanuman Chalisa row in Maharashtra.
The video is from 2021, when a spiritual organisation named International Siddhashram Shakti Centre had celebrated Krishna Janmashtami in London's Tower Bridge on 30 August 2021.
CLAIM
The video is being shared along with the claim that reads, "Hanuman Chalisa at London Tower Bridge. Please make this reach all the people resisting playing Chalisa in India. Thank god there aren't any stone pelters in the vicinity and even though the London Mayor is a Pak origin guy, no one got arrested for singing Hanuman Chalisa (sic)."
An archive of the tweet can be seen here.
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
WHAT WE FOUND
While watching the video, at 0:08 seconds, we saw a text that read 'Celebration - Krishna Janmashtami.'
The text read 'Celebration - Krishna Janmashtami'
(Photo: Altered by The Quint)
We then conducted a keyword search on Twitter and found a tweet by an user named 'Guruji' who had posted the photos of the event on 31 August 2021.
The caption said that for the first time Krishna Janmashtami celebration was held at the Tower Bridge in London by International Siddhashram Shakti Centre on 30 August 2021.
It said that (Hanuman) Chalisa and Shiv Abhishek were performed by HH R Guruji and Assistant Commissioner of City of London Police Angela McClaren.
An archive of the tweet can be seen here.
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
We also found a photo posted on the official website of International Siddhashram Shakti Centre. The URL showed that the photo was posted in 2021.
The URL showed the photo was posted in 2021.
(Photo: Altered by The Quint)
Further, we also made by a side-by-side comparison of the photo with that of the viral video. All the people seen in the photo from 2021 can also be seen in the viral video.
Photo from International Siddhashram Shakti Centre (L), Screengrab from viral video (R)
(Photo: Altered by The Quint)
Clearly, an old video of Hanuman Chalisa recitation in London is being shared now amid the ongoing loudspeaker row in Maharashtra.
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