Fact Check: Old video of Bangladesh cleric hitting out at Yati Narsinghanand goes viral amid Karnataka Hijab row

A video of a man has gone viral in the midst of the Karnataka hijab controversy, with the claim that he threatened all Hindus with grave repercussions if they did not convert to Islam. India Today Anti-Fake News War Room (AFWA) found the viral video to be old and edited.

Amid the Karnataka hijab row, a video of a man has gone viral with the claim that he threatened all Hindus with dire consequences if they did not convert to Islam.

Several Twitter users shared the video that declared in Hindi text, “These people have decided your fate. They are just waiting for Modi to be out of the picture. Let’s ensure that all our Hindu brothers are aware of this. Hindus, see this with clear eyes and hear this with your ears clear. Use WhatsApp to make sure every Hindu brother in your contacts list sees this.”

Some Twitter users even shared the video with the trending hashtag #KarnatakaHijabRow.

In the 29-second-long clip, a man can be heard speaking in Hindi. He says, “There is still time. Repent. Ask for forgiveness from God's messenger. Or your body won't even be burnt. Vultures, crows, and jackals will feed on your body.” Then, after a jump cut, the man says, “I am inviting you, read the Kalma and become a Muslim. If you want deliverance, read the Kalma and become a Muslim.”

India Today Anti-Fake News War Room (AFWA) found that the viral video was edited. The person in the video is Saeed Irshad Ahmed Al Bukhari of Dinajpur, Bangladesh. He was responding to Yati Narsinghanand's comments on Islam.

With the help of InVid and reverse image search, we found that a longer version of the same video was tweeted in May 2021. In the caption, journalist Swati Goel Sharma wrote, “Friendly message from Bangladesh: Corona pandemic and the many deaths and cremations in India is because of 'blasphemy' by Narsinghanand. Hindus, do tauba, otherwise your dead bodies won't be cremated but eaten by cheel-kawwe. Ae pandit Narsinghanand, accept our Islam.”

Using this as a clue, with the help of keyword search, we found the original video on Facebook, belonging to one Dr Syed Irshad Ahmad Al Bukhari. The original video was over seven minutes long and it was posted on April 30, 2021.