CLAIM
A video showing Khalistan supporters shouting slogans of ‘Khalistan’ and ‘Hindustan Murdabaad’ at a Congress event in London has been circulating online.
The video has been shared multiple times on social media within the last few days.
MISSING DETAILS
As a standalone video, the audio is not discernible and it is unclear who is shouting ‘Congress Zindabad’.
The short clip also raises several questions:
- Who are these people?
- Were they invited?
- Was the Congress aware of their arrival?
- What happened next?
TRUE OR FALSE?
Firstly, this is an old video from Rahul Gandhi’s visit to London on 25 August 2018 to address the Indian Overseas Congress.
It was reported last year that the three pro-Khalistan supporters were not linked to the Congress event. In fact, they crashed the event and disrupted the proceedings, only to be escorted out by Scotland Yard before Rahul Gandhi arrived.
Despite being clarified in 2018, the old video has resurfaced creating the same confusion over Congress’ connections to the pro-Khalistan movement.
The video has been on social media since August 2018, and has been debunked already. The Youtube video from Wion published on 26 August 2018 clearly mentions “three Sikh separatists attempted to interrupt the event.”
They further clarify that the pro Congress slogans were shouted by the crowd in response to the disruption.
BEHIND THE DISRUPTION
According to a report by The Times of India, the three Khalistani supporters were responding to remarks made by Gandhi regarding the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The spokesperson for the National Sikh Youth Federation, Samsher Singh, told The Times of India, “This was a massacre against Sikhs and no one has been found guilty. Sikhs hold Congress responsible for Operation Blue Star and the riots."
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