A video of multiple women fighting inside a bus is being shared on social media platforms with users claiming that it shows a recent incident from Andhra Pradesh.
What's the context?: The government in Andhra Pradesh had introduced the 'Stree Shakti' scheme in August aiming to allow free bus travel for all girls, women, and transgender individuals in the AP State Road Transport Corporation-run (APSRTC) buses.
The clip is going viral in the backdrop of this scheme.
What is the truth?: The video could be traced back to at least January 2024, which predates the recent scheme that was introduced in Andhra Pradesh.
It reportedly showed visuals of women fighting in a bus travelling from Sangareddy to Zaheerabad in Telangana.
How did we find that out?: On conducting a Google Lens search on the keyframes of the viral video, we found the same visuals published on an unverified YouTube channel named 'Alo TV Channel'.
It was published on 1 January 2024 with a title that loosely translated to, "Women clashed over seats in the free bus – Free Bus Effect in TS | ALO TV."
Its description mentioned the location as Sangareddy, which is located in Telangana.T
Other sources: A report published in The New Indian Express said that a video showing women travelling from Zaheerabad to Sangareddy arguing, which later turned to a physical altercation, went viral.
It said that RTC official inquired into the incident and found that the bus did not belong to the Sangareddy region and could possibly belonged to Hyderabad depot.
YOYO TV Channel, a Telugu YouTube channel, shared the same visuals on 1 January 2024.
The video's caption said, "Ladies Fight in Free Bus at SangaReddy To Zaheerabad | CM Revanth Reddy | New Year 2024 | YOYO TV."
About the scheme introduced in AP: In an order dated 11 August, the government introduced the 'Stree Shakti Scheme' that will offer free bus travel in five categories of buses of APSRTC.
The scheme will be available for all girls, women, and transgenders belonging to the state.
AP govt's fact-checking unit clarifies: The official X handle of AP government's fact-checking wing debunked the viral claim and called it "completely untrue".
The post shared on 20 August, too, identified the location of the incident as Telangana.
It further said that strict action will be taken against those sharing the fake posts.
Conclusion: Evidently, the video is old and is being falsely shared as a recent incident from Andhra Pradesh.
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