A video of a woman is being shared on social media with the claim that a female TMC leader in West Bengal threatened local residents, saying she would set everything on fire if they voted for the BJP or put up BJP flags.
While sharing the video, a user wrote: “A TMC woman leader warned residents of an area that if even a single vote goes to the BJP or if anyone puts up a BJP flag, she will set everything on fire. She will burn everything down and set the entire colony on fire. All the seculars and the Bengal Police are silent on this.” (English Translation)
Additionally, several other users have shared the video, claiming that it shows a female TMC leader, which can be seen here, here, and here.
Fact Check:
The DFRAC team’s investigation found that the viral video is not recent. It dates back to 2022 and features a leader named Baby Kole, who made the remarks during a dispute over BJP ticket distribution in Kharagpur, West Bengal. We found media reports from News18 Bangla and ABP Ananda, dated February 2022, which stated that Baby Kole had alleged irregularities in the ticket distribution process.
According to the ABP Ananda report, A BJP leader herself told people not to vote for the BJP candidate. The incident took place in Ward No. 10 of Kharagpur Municipality. BJP leader Baby Kole warned, ‘If you vote for BJP, the consequences will not be good.‘
During the investigation, we also found a post from the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the West Bengal Police regarding the video. The post clarified that no such incident has occurred recently in West Bengal. The police stated: “This video relates to an incident from February 27, 2022. It is being circulated with the false claim that it is a recent event. Legal action will be taken against those spreading this misleading video. #FakeNewsAlert.”
Conclusion:
DFRAC’s fact check clearly establishes that the viral video is not recent. It is from 2022, when BJP leader Baby Kole made the remarks after expressing dissatisfaction over ticket distribution. Therefore, the claim being shared on social media is misleading.
