A video purportedly from a press conference is going viral on the internet with a claim that it shows recent visuals of leaders from Manipur officially 'declaring freedom' from India.
What have users said?: Those sharing the clip have uploaded it with a caption that said, "Manipur Officially Declares Freedom from Indian Occupation. The respected leaders of Manipur have officially announced independence, citing widespread Indian Army violations across all areas..."
What is the truth?: The video actually dates back to October 2019, when two men named Yamben Biren and Narengbam Samarjit held a press conference in the United Kingdom and claimed to form a government-in-exile.
This clearly made the viral claim misleading.
How did we find that out?: A simple Google Lens search directed us to a news report published in India Times in October 2019, which carried a similar visual.
The report said that two men from Manipular claiming to represent the titular King Leishemba Sanajaoba announced the formation of "Manipur government-in-exile during a press conference in the UK.
While Yamben Biren claimed to be the "Chief Minister of Manipur State Council", Narengbam Samarjit referred to himself as "Minister of External Affairs and Defence of Manipur State Council".
Other sources: The official YouTube channel of HW News English had shared a video report talking about the two men's declaration during a press conference in the UK.
It was published on 31 October 2019 with a title that said, "North-East challenge: Manipur separatist leaders announce 'Government in Exile' in UK."
Actions taken by the govt: An NDTV report said that the Manipur government had filed a police complaint and asked for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe in the matter.
The then Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that a case had been registered against the two men for "waging a war against the state".
Manipur's King Leishemba Sanajaoba categorically denied the claims that he had authorised these men to form a government-in-exile.
Conclusion: It is evident that an old video is being reshared to mislead the viewers on the internet.
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