No, video doesn't show Bhim Army chief at protest against RG Kar Hospital murder

What’s being claimed?

A video featuring Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekar Azad at a protest, with participants shouting slogans, was shared online with the claim that he was rallying against the Kolkata rape-murder case. The Bhim Army, also known as Bheem Army Bharat Ekta Mission, is an Ambedkarite and Bahujan social organization founded by Azad in 2015 in Uttar Pradesh.

An X (formerly Twitter) user shared the video with the caption, “Chandrashekhar Azad takes out a rally on the Kolkata Doctor <redacted> rape and murder case, Bharat Bandh on 21st August... Raise the slogan of Inquilab Aayega!!” The post received 1,600 likes and 275 retweets. A similar archived post is available here.

Screenshot of the viral video shared online. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

This claim emerged following the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, reported on August 9, 2024. The death led to nationwide protests, with doctors condemning the attack and calling for improved conditions for trainee doctors. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently handling the case.

However, the viral video is unrelated to the doctor’s case. It actually depicts Azad participating in a rally concerning the alleged assistant teachers' reservation scam in Uttar Pradesh.

Here are the facts

The video shows Azad leading a rally on reservation issues. Slogans heard in the video include, “Reservation is our right,” “We will take reservations,” and “If you don’t give us, we will snatch reservation.”

A reverse image search identified the video, posted on Instagram by Bheem Army A.S.P (bheem_army_king_) on August 17, 2024 (archived here). The caption indicated that the video was from a rally in Uttar Pradesh about reservation issues. The hashtag “#69000_शिक्षकभर्ती_आरक्षण_घोटाला” was also used in the caption, which translates to “69000 Teacher Recruitment Reservation Scam.”

Comparison of viral video and Instagram video. (Source: Instagram/Modified by Logically Facts)

Azad also posted a video of the same rally on his official Instagram account on August 17 (archived here). Although filmed from a different angle, it features similar visuals. The caption reads: “#We will snatch the file and get reservation. Amidst the 69000 teacher recruitment movement. #69000_शिक्षकभर्ती_आरक्षण_घोटाला.” 

A Google search revealed that on August 17, Azad led a rally celebrating the Allahabad High Court's verdict, which ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to issue a new list of appointments for 69,000 teacher posts. This followed a 2021 petition alleging a recruitment scam in the 2019 selection exam.

The Assistant Teachers Recruitment Examination (ATRE), held in January 2019, aimed to fill 69,000 positions in the state's Basic Education Department. In October 2020, two lists of 67,867 selected applicants were released, leaving 1,133 positions vacant due to a lack of Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates.

Applicants protested the selection process, filing a petition in 2021, claiming the list was published without providing category-wise marks, according to The Indian Express.

In August 2024, the Allahabad court ordered the merit list to be revised. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath confirmed that the government would comply with the order and ensure fairness in the selection process, per the Times of India.

The verdict

The video of Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekar Azad protesting against the Assistant Teachers’ selection process was misrepresented as related to the Kolkata murder case.