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A 20-second video of a woman donning a hijab speaking to a reporter is widely circulating on social media. Accompanying claims suggest that she accepted that women protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are taking bribes. The woman can be heard saying, “Women are told to come here for Rs 500 and mainly biryani. You tell me, what is Rs 500 these days? These women leave their home, child, husband and studies and come here. [ Translated from औरतों को यहाँ पे बुलाया जा रहा है, Rs 500 दे कर के और खाने के लिए बिरयानी के लिए, mainly बिरयानी के लिये औरतों को Rs 500 में बुलाया जा रहा है यहाँ पे रोकने के लिए। अब आप मुझे ये बात बताइये कि Rs 500 में क्या होता है आज कल? औरतें अपना घर छोड़ कर, अपने बच्चे, अपना husband, अपने मम्मा-पापा, अपनी पढ़ाई, सब छोड़ कर वो यहाँ आएंगी। ]”

Twitter user @PrayagrajWale tweeted the viral video along with the following text in Hindi – “Folks from Congress, have some shame at least. How can a helpless woman run her home in Rs 500 and biryani? This is an exploitation of people. And top of this the Lucknow Police won’t allow a dancing car, how can this work? [Translated from कांग्रेस वालों कुछ तो शर्म करो,एक अबला खातून 500₹ और बिरयानी में कैसे अपना घर चलाएगी,लोगों का शोषण कर रहे हो ,ऊपर से लखनऊ पुलिस वहां डांसिंग कार भी खड़ी नही होने दे रही , ऐसे कैसे चलेगा]” This tweet has been retweeted over 1,400 times.

Several Facebook and Twitter users have posted the viral video with the same text.

EDITED CLIP

Alt News did a keyword search a video on YouTube and found the original video. It was uploaded by the channel Lucknow Live on January 23. Lucknow Live also uploaded this video with the title ‘सीम रिजवी पर भड़की मुस्लिम महिला [Muslim women attacks Waseem Rizvi] on January 20 on their Facebook page.

In the video, the woman introduces herself as Sameera. The reporter from Lucknow Live asked her, “Yesterday Waseem Rizvi made horrible allegations on the women at the clock tower. What are your comments? [Translated from कल वसीम रिज़वी जी ने एक विडीओ रिलीज़ करी है, जिसमें  उन्होनेय घंटा घर की महेलाओ पे बहुत ही संगीन इंजाम लगाए है। उसके ऊपर आप क्या कहना चाहे गे?]”

Syed Waseem Rizvi is the chairman of the Shia Central Board of Waqf in Uttar Pradesh. On January 18, he made controversial comments about women who were protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Clock Tower in Lucknow. He questioned the character of the protestors and alleged the women were gathering for money. He reiterated his comments during a January 23 Bharat Samachar broadcast as well. According to a report by ANI, a complaint has been filed against Rizvi for his remarks.

The viral video has been edited from the 15th second in the video. The viewers neither hear the reporter’s question about Rizvi nor Seemra’s opening statement – “He said the following things about the women…(उन्होंने महिलाओं को यह बोला गया है कि … ]”

Alt News reached out to Rustam Khan who manages the Facebook page of Lucknow Live. He said, “This video was shot on January 19 at the Hussainabad Clock Tower. We uploaded it January 20. Since last few days, an edited version of our video has gone viral.”

On January 25, Lucknow Live alerted viewers about the misinformation posted, “Attention Viewers: On January 20 we uploaded a video with a title ‘Muslim women attacks Waseem Rizvi.’ An edited version of this video is viral on social media with false claims. [Translated from दर्शकों के लिए सूचना : Jan २० को हमने ‘वसीम रिजवी पर भड़की मुस्लिम महिला’ के नाम से एक विडीओ डाला था । सोशल मीडिया पर इस विडीओ को एडिट कर ग़लत फ़ेमी प्रचार करी ज़ारही। – Rustam Khan, Lucknow Live]”

In conclusion, the viral video has been edited in a way that the woman seems to suggest that anti-CAA protesters at Lucknow’s Clock Tower accepted bribes. However, she was referring to the statement made by Syed Waseem Rizvi, chairman of the Shia Central Board of Waqf.

Citations

[1]https://twitter.com/PrayagrajWale/status/1220270162294665216[2]https://t.co/KWHPCBhsYX[3]https://twitter.com/PrayagrajWale/status/1220270162294665216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[4]https://twitter.com/search?q=%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B8%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%9B%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8B%20%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8B%2C%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%95%20%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A8%20500%E2%82%B9%20%E0%A4%94%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%80%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%87%20%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%98%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%2C%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A3%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%87%20%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8B&src=typed_query[5]https://twitter.com/search?q=%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B8%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%9B%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8B%20%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8B%2C%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%95%20%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A8%20500%E2%82%B9%20%E0%A4%94%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%80%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%87%20%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%98%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%2C%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A3%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%87%20%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8B&src=typed_query&f=live[6] - YouTube ➤ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK1niS6wKAc&feature=youtu.be[7]https://www.facebook.com/Lucknowliv/videos/1409326722607809/[8] Waseem Rizvi Statement | प्रदर्शनकारी महिलाएं बेतुकी हैं, पैसे के लिए कुछ भी कर सकती हैं - YouTube ➤ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L-_KoL96Bo&feature=emb_logo[9] WASEEM RIZVI की बातों से नाराज़ होकर Munawwar Rana की बेटी ने बीच में DEBATE छोड़ी ! - YouTube ➤ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BnBFTMD5wU[10]https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/complaint-filed-against-up-shia-central-waqf-board-chairman-waseem-rizvi20200123160236/[11]https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=533783700567913&id=325911878021764