No, This Viral Video Doesn't Show 'Bhole Baba' Linked to Hathras Stampede

A self-styled godman known as 'Vibration Baba' is being misidentified as Bhole Baba, linked to Hathras stampede.

Fact-check: Another self styled godman from Gujarat is being misidentified as 'Bhole Baba' who is linked with the Hathras stampede.

(Photo: The Quint)

A video showing a man surrounded by rose petals while continuously moving his upper body with his tongue out is going viral on social media.

What is the claim: Users sharing this video are claiming that this is the self-styled godman, known as 'Bhole Baba', who had organised an event in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras where a stampede led to 121 deaths.

An archive can be seen here.

(Source: Instagram/Screenshot)

(Archives of similar claims can be seen here and here.)

What's the truth?: Another self-styled godman known as 'Vibration Baba' from Gujarat is being misidentified as 'Bhole Baba', who is linked to the Hathras stampede.

How did we find out the truth?: On performing a reverse image search on some of the keyframes of the viral video, we came across a YouYube video shared by a channel named 'Vindhya Bharat Live'.

• The title stated that this person is famously known as 'Vibration Baba'.

• Taking a cue, we performed a keyword search on Google using 'Vibration Baba Gujarat' and this led us to several reports about this person.

• A video report shared by Zee Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand also carried the viral video.

• The report stated that this man is famously known as 'Baba Bharatmadi' in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat.

• He claims that he has the power of a Hindu goddess and that he can relieve troubles and pain with boiling oil.

Actual 'Baba' linked to Hathras stampede: At least 121 people reportedly died, with several others getting injured, in a stampede that took place on 2 July at a religious function in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district.

• The tragedy took place at a Satsang, which was organised for another religious preacher, Sakar Vishwa Hari aka 'Bhole Baba'.

• We checked several reports by The Quint, India Today and Rajasthan Tak, which carried images of 'Bhole Baba'.

• On comparing these images to the one seen in the viral video, we concluded that these are two different men.

Comparison between the two.

(Source: Altered by The Quint)

Comparison between the two.

(Source: Altered by The Quint)

Conclusion: Clearly, a different self-styled godman from Gujarat is being misidentified as 'Bhole Baba', who is linked to the Hathras stamp

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