A video went viral on social media in which the disturbing sight of a burning Church can be seen. However, Congress supporter and fake news peddler Deepesh Gupta shared the viral video and claimed that the violence and arson in Sugnu, Imphal, Manipur were far from abating. He alleged that pro-BJP extremists were responsible for the destruction of the historic St. Joseph’s Church, a venerable structure with a rich history spanning over 300 years.
He further said that the situation in Manipur has been tumultuous for an astonishing 73 days, with tensions escalating and incidents of violence persisting. Gupta’s tweet also expressed disappointment with Prime Minister Modi, who, according to him, has been absent from the scene while travelling abroad. Gupta’s choice of words leaves no doubt about his disapproval, describing the Prime Minister as “shameless” and using hashtags like #ManipurViolence and #ModiDisasterForIndia to further emphasize his sentiment.
Apart from this, a Twitter handle named Divya Rathor and Mohammad Kareem also shared the viral video and made similar claims.
So, is it true that pro-BJP extremists burned and destroyed the historic St. Joseph’s Church in Manipur? let’s Fact Check.
Fact Check
During our investigation, we first conduct a reverse search on the viral video in order to uncover its true origin and authenticity. To our astonishment, we stumbled upon a video posted on YouTube by Hindustan Times on July 8, 2023, which presented visuals identical to the viral video we had been examining. However, what we discovered next left us in shock, as it revealed the true reality behind the video.
According to the detailed report by Hindustan Times, the footage of the burning church was not from Manipur, as initially claimed, but from a completely different location—North-Eastern France. The video captured a heartbreaking incident in which a 16th-century church in Drosnay had allegedly come under attack, succumbing to a massive fire that reduced the ancient structure to ashes.
Continuing our investigation, we did keyword research with the words “16th-century church burned in France” to gather more information. Our search led us to a report by Inshorts, published on July 8, 2023, which shed further light on the burning church featured in the viral video. The shared picture accompanying the Inshorts report mirrored the visuals seen in the viral video, offering further verification of the incident’s authenticity. Astonishingly, the report confirmed that the church in question did indeed belong to France, aligning with the earlier findings from Hindustan Times.
According to the report, the serene village of Drosnay, situated in the North-Eastern region of France, became the site of a disturbing incident as violence erupted once again. A 16th-century church, standing as a testament to the region’s rich history, fell victim to an appalling act of destruction when it was targeted and deliberately set ablaze.
So, all these points prove that the visuals depicting the burning church were not from Manipur, as initially claimed, but indeed from France. Hence the claims made by Deepesh Gupta, Divya Rathor, and Mohammad Kareem are completely misleading and politically motivated.
| Claim | pro-BJP extremists burned and destroyed the historic St. Joseph’s Church in Manipur |
| Claimed by | Deepesh Gupta, Divya Rathor, and Mohammad Kareem |
| Fact Check | False and Misleading |
Also Read: Viral Video of a Person Firing Shots from a Gun Misleadingly Linked to Manipur
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