Old Clip From Odisha Peddled as One of Assault on BJP Leader in Madhya Pradesh

The video dates back to March 2022 and shows Biju Janata Dal MLA Prashant Jagdev being assaulted in Odisha' Banapur.

A video showing a large crowd surrounding a white SUV, damaging the car before pulling out and assaulting a man sitting inside the vehicle is being shared on social media.

What is the claim?: The video is being shared to claim that it shows people assaulting a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Madhya Pradesh, who was campaigning on the basis of religion ahead of Assembly elections in the state.

(Archives of more claims can be seen here, here and here.)

But...?: The video is from Odisha and dates back to March 2022, when Biju Janata Dal's MLA Prashant Jagdev was thrashed by a crowd. It has no connection to the upcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.

How did we find out?: Using InVID, a video verification tool, we divided the viral video into multiple keyframes and ran reverse image searches on some of them.

• This led us to a report dated 12 March 2022, uploaded on Kalinga TV's verified YouTube channel. The report carried visuals similar to the viral video.

• According to the video's title, the incident took place in Odisha after Chilika MLA Prashant Jagdev's car ran over people in a crowd, leaving 20 injured.

The Quint had published a report regarding this incident in March 2022, mentioning that Jagdev belonged to the state's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party.

• The incident took place in Odisha's Banapur, where Jagdev's vehicle rammed into a large gathering of people. Jagdev was subsequently pulled out of his car and beaten up by the crowd.

• The district's Central Range Inspector General Narashingha Bhol told Odisha TV that Jagdev was under police escort after the incident and was treated for his injuries in Bhubaneswar.

• Several news organisations, including The Hindu, The Hindustan Times and The Indian Express, reported on the incident.

Conclusion: An old video of Biju Janata Dal MLA Prashant Jagdev being assaulted in Odisha's Banapur is being falsely shared as one of a BJP MLA being thrashed for campaigning for votes on the basis of religion.

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