Video of stone-pelting at protest in Uttarakhand given communal spin

What's the claim?

A 19-second video circulating on social media shows a crowd, including police, with a voice in the background claiming 'Muslims are throwing stones at locals and police officials.' This video is being used to suggest it depicts a recent incident in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

On X (formerly Twitter), the video was shared with Hindi captions claiming that it shows Muslims throwing stones at Hindus at holy sites like Uttarkashi. One post received 1,400 likes and over 28,000 views, while another garnered 5,700 likes and nearly 88,000 views at the time of writing this report. Archived versions of the posts can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

The narrative has also appeared on Facebook, with archived posts available here, here, and here.

Screenshot of viral posts circulating on social media. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, our investigation revealed that the video actually shows clashes during a protest rally organized by a Hindu group demanding the demolition of a mosque, with no communal aspect involved.

What was the incident?

On October 25, 2024, The Indian Express reported that several individuals, including police officers, were injured during a scuffle and stone-pelting incident in Uttarkashi on October 24. This unrest occurred during a protest rally organized by Hindu groups under the Sanyukt Sanatan Dharm Rakshak Sangh, which questioned the legality of a mosque in Uttarkashi, claiming it was not registered in the government's official revenue records.

According to the report, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Srivastava stated that the incident began around 2:30 p.m. on October 24 when protesters deviated from the agreed route and demanded access to the mosque. Tensions escalated after police denied their request to remove barricades, leading to scuffles and stone-pelting.

TIMES NOW Navbharat (archived here) and ABPLIVE (archived here) shared visuals of the protest, highlighting the escalating tensions over the mosque issue. The footage from TIMES NOW Navbharat shows clashes between protesters and police in the same area.

Logically Facts contacted Madhu Joshi, a local reporter in Uttarakhand, and shared the viral video with him. He confirmed that the video is from October 24, when the demonstration demanding the mosque's demolition escalated into violence. 

Joshi noted that protesters threw stones at the police, who responded with a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. The rally was organized by the Sanyukt Sanatan Dharma Rakshak Dal, with participation from members of the Bajrang Dal, Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan, and other Hindu organizations.

Regarding the social media allegations, Joshi clarified that there was no communal aspect to the incident and stated that no Muslims were involved in throwing stones.

What have the police said?

In response to allegations of stone-pelting by the Muslim community during the rally, Uttarkashi Police (archived here) stated that these claims are false and that misleading information is spreading on social media. On their official X account, they noted that the Hindu organization did not follow the designated route for the rally. When stopped by police barricades, protesters began throwing stones and bottles, with some later targeting Ambedkar Bhawan.

Screenshot of a post by Uttarkashi Police on October 25, 2024 (Source: X).

SP Srivastava issued a statement (archived here) confirming that permission had been granted for a specific route and time. However, the protesters chose a different path, leading to clashes with police. He reported that eight officers were injured and acknowledged that some protesters were also hurt, though the exact number was unclear.

An FIR has been filed against more than 200 participants in the protest. The FIR specifically names Jitendra Chauhan, Sonu Negi, Suraj Dabral, Kulveer Rana, Sushil Sharma, Gautam Rawat, Alok Rawat, and Sachendra Parmar, all residents of Uttarkashi, as suspects in the violence.

What were the protests about?

The Hindu reported that protesters claimed the mosque, located near the Kashi Vishwanath temple, was illegally constructed on government land. However, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Meharban Singh Bisht clarified in an earlier October press conference that the mosque possessed all necessary documents and was registered with the Waqf Board.

The verdict

A clip from a protest rally organized by the Sanyukt Sanatan Dharma Rakshak Sangh is misrepresented to suggest that Muslims were throwing stones at locals and police. In reality, the visuals show a scuffle between the protesters and police, with no reported involvement from the Muslim community.