Villagers, farmers, and tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur and Panna districts staged protests for several days against the Ken-Betwa Link Project. The protesters alleged inadequate compensation, flawed land surveys, and insufficient rehabilitation packages. As part of their agitation, they organized a “Chita Andolan” (funeral pyre protest) and Jal Satyagraha (water protest), videos of which were widely circulated on social media.
Amid this, a video from the same protest has been falsely shared on social media as footage from Manipur. The video shows police personnel allegedly dragging an elderly woman. A user shared the clip claiming that it showed the Indian Army committing atrocities against women in Manipur. A user named Komal Tiwari posted the video with the English caption:“Why does the Indian Army treat the people of Manipur like ‘terrorists’? R&AW chief Parag Jain is allowing Manipur to burn. Power may not last forever, but people will never forget this brutality, sir.”
Fact check:
DFRAC’s investigation found that the video is not from Manipur. Several digital media outlets have identified it as footage of police allegedly dragging a woman during protests against the Ken-Betwa Link Project. Furthermore, DFRAC contacted Public Vani News, which confirmed that the viral video was recorded in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh.
To verify the claim, our team first extracted keyframes from the viral video and conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. We found that Public Vani News had uploaded the same video on its Facebook page on July 31. The accompanying description stated:“Police action against an elderly tribal woman is shameful. During protests against the Ken-Betwa Link Project in Chhatarpur, a video showing police removing an elderly tribal woman has gone viral. Protesters claim they were holding a Jal Satyagraha, hunger strike, and Chita Andolan while demanding fair compensation and protection of their land, forests, and homes.”
Further investigation revealed that several other digital media platforms also identified the video as being related to protests against the Ken-Betwa Link Project. A report published on the Public App stated: “Bijawar: Video of women being dragged during the Chita Andolan against the Ken-Betwa Link Project goes viral. Tribal families have raised serious concerns. Protest leader Amit Bhatnagar shared the video on Friday morning, alleging that police dragged women who were peacefully protesting for their rights over water, forests, land, and fair rehabilitation.”
To gather additional information, DFRAC also contacted Public Vani News, which categorically refuted the viral claim and confirmed that the video was indeed filmed in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, and has no connection to Manipur.
Conclusion:
DFRAC’s fact-check confirms that the viral claim is misleading. The video is not from Manipur and does not depict Indian Army personnel targeting women there. Multiple digital media reports and confirmation from Public Vani News establish that the footage is from protests against the Ken-Betwa Link Project in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh.
| Claim Review | Brutality against women by Indian Army in Manipur |
| Claimed by | X User– Komal Tiwari |
| Fact check | Misleading |
Sources:
1.Facebook video of Public Vani News, Posted on July 31st, 2026
2.Coverage of Public News on July 31st, 2026
3.Public Vani News Statement to DFRAC
