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Video of Chehlum Procession Peddled With False Communal Spin Ahead of G20 Summit

This video shows a traditional Chehlum procession of the Shia Muslim community and not a communal rally.

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A video of a group marching on the streets has gone viral on the internet amid the preparations taking place in Delhi for the G20 Summit.

What is the claim?: Users are claiming that Muslims living in Delhi took out a procession and 'engaged in communal sloganeering' despite the imposition of Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people in an area.

  • It also states that this procession took place even though the Shobha Yatra for Janmashtami was cancelled.

Who shared it?: Along with several social media users, Sagar Kumar working with right-wing website Sudarshan TV and social media personality Ritu Rathaur have shared this claim.

(Archives of similar claims can be found here, here and here. We also received a query about this on our WhatsApp tipline.)

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What is the truth?: The video is being shared with a false communal twist.

  • It shows the Chehlum procession of the Shia Muslim community taking place in Delhi on 6 September, which predates the G20 Summit.

  • The Delhi Police also shared that these claims are false and that the procession is unrelated to the G20 Summit.

How did we find out?: Upon conducting a keyword search on Google, we came across a post by the Delhi police on X (formerly Twitter) shared on 7 September about the viral video.

  • Delhi police clarified that this procession was carried out with due permission before the G20 Summit, which starts on 9 September.

  • They also said that it was not a communal protest but a traditional practice of the community.

More traffic advisory related to the procession: India Today and the Hindustan Times reported that Chehlum procession would take place on the morning of 7 September.

  • A traffic advisory had also been issued by the Delhi Police to prevent chaos and hold up.

  • The notice clarified that the procession would begin on 6 September at 8:30 in the morning, a day prior due to the G20 weekend.

  • Further, it mentioned the route of the procession and the roads where traffic was regulated when the procession started.

  • The notice also mentioned that a religious and public meeting was going to organised on 6 and 7 September.

What is Chehlum?: It is observed by the Shia community on the 40th day after Muharram to observe the death of Imam Hussain, grandson of the holy Prophet Mohammad.

Conclusion: The Chehlum procession video is being shared with a false communal twist, rather, it is a traditional ritual which was taken out after due permission of the Delhi police.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)

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