India’s Congress party, often accused by detractors of prioritizing the nation’s Muslim minority, has again been embroiled in a misinformation campaign. A viral video shared online before local elections falsely accused Sajid Khan Mastan Khan, a Muslim Congress candidate, of leading a rally featuring flags from Islamic countries and organizations. The claims were unfounded, as the footage actually depicted a religious procession unrelated to the elections.
Viral Video Misrepresentation
The video, posted on X (formerly Twitter) on November 15, 2024, falsely described an election rally allegedly favoring Islamic groups. One post claimed, “Flags of Palestine, Iran, Iraq, ISIS, Hezbollah… no Indian flag. Guess this election rally is from which country? This is in the secular Maharashtra state Akola West, Congress party candidate Sajid Khan Mastan Khan’s election rally.
The clip showed a cavalcade waving Indian tricolours alongside flags of Islamic nations and religious groups. Despite attempts to link the imagery to Sajid Khan’s campaign for the Akola West seat in Maharashtra, the footage was not related to his election activities. Khan later won the seat, with Congress teaming up with regional allies to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition.
Context and Verification
The video’s actual origin was a procession marking Eid Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, held in Latur district, approximately 330 kilometers (200 miles) from Akola. A reverse image search revealed a longer version of the clip, first uploaded to YouTube on October 1, 2024, by local news channels like Latur News Official and BharatSatta Live. These sources confirmed the procession occurred on September 19, 2024.
Hamid Sheikh, editor of BharatSatta, verified the details to AFP, explaining that the procession began at Sophia Mosque in Latur and passed through several city landmarks. The visual match between the video and Google Street View imagery confirmed the location near Gandhi Chowk.
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Political and Social Context
The BJP and its supporters frequently accuse Congress of pandering to India’s 200-million-strong Muslim minority, despite India’s constitutional secularism. Such allegations have intensified since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP came to power in 2014, with calls to align politics more closely with Hindu nationalist ideals.
This latest misinformation campaign highlights the challenges faced by minority politicians in India, as narratives exploiting religious divisions are weaponized in the political arena. While the viral claims failed to impact Sajid Khan’s electoral success, they underscore the ongoing need for vigilance against disinformation in the digital age.
