Video doesn’t show Karnataka Congress workers getting injured while burning PM Modi's effigy

What’s the claim?

A 30-second video is circulating online, showing individuals kicking and attempting to burn an effigy, with some of their clothes catching fire. The video is being shared with the claim that it depicts Congress members in Karnataka setting themselves on fire while burning an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An archived version of the post can be found here.

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

The same video is also being circulated as an incident from Tamil Nadu. An archived version of this post can be found here.

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

However, contrary to the claim, the video does not show Congress members from Karnataka. Instead, it features members of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) protesting against the Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University in 2012.

Here are the facts

Upon examining the viral video, we noticed that the signboards of the shops visible in the background are written in Malayalam, a language primarily spoken in the South Indian state of Kerala.

A reverse image search led us to a longer version of the same incident on the YouTube channel of Asianet News, published on July 5, 2012. The viral clip can be seen from the 15-second mark of the Asianet video. The video's caption reads, "Lucky Fire Escape for KSU workers in Pathanamthitta." The news report in the video states that KSU members protested by burning the effigy of the MG University Vice-Chancellor, alleging his involvement in corrupt practices and demanding an investigation.

In this video, the protesting workers can be seen carrying the KSU flag. KSU is the largest student organization in Kerala and the student branch of the Indian National Congress Party in the state.

Comparison of a flag held by protestors in Asianet News and KSU flag. (Source: YouTube/Kerala Student’s Union/Screenshot)

The same video was posted on Evartha TV on July 5, 2012.

A Times of India report published on July 24, 2012, stated that several KSU members, including the state and district presidents and a district executive member, were injured while burning the effigy of the Vice-Chancellor. They were subsequently admitted to a private hospital in Pathanamthitta, Kerala.

According to the Times of India, a complaint was filed on October 17, 2011, accusing members of MG University, including Vice-Chancellor Dr. Rajan Gurukkal, of misappropriating funds and abusing their official position. The investigation was handled by the vigilance and anti-corruption department unit in Kottayam.

We identified the exact location of the protest, as seen in the viral video, using Google Maps Street View. We found that the protest took place near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Pathanamthitta, confirming that the footage is from Kerala.

Screenshot of Google Maps. (Source: Google Maps/Screenshot)

The New Indian Express reported that Vice-Chancellor Gurukkal dismissed the corruption allegations as politically motivated.

The verdict

A video from 2012, depicting KSU members getting injured while setting fire to an effigy of Dr. Rajan Gurukkal—Vice-Chancellor of MG University in Kerala—has been shared with the false claim that it depicts Congress members in Karnataka. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.