Falsely Connected Video of a Palanquin Procession in Maharashtra to Voter Awareness March in Bihar is Circulated Online
In recent days, a video has been circulating on social media platforms, claiming to show a large crowd for Rahul Gandhi's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar. However, fact-checking reveals that this claim is false.
The video actually depicts a palanquin procession in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra, specifically between Khamgaon and Shegaon. The procession is of Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj, a revered saint in the region.
The video was first published by an unspecified media organization on 31 July 2025, and a longer version of it can be found on a YouTube channel linked in the Instagram bio of the account 'divyavarhad_'. The Instagram post, dated 2 August 2025, describes the event as "Gajanan Maharaj's palanquin left Khamgaon city towards Shegaon."
It's important to note that the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' began on 17 August 2025, in Sasaram, Bihar, and is a 16-day march covering over 1,300 km across more than 20 districts of Bihar. The campaign will conclude with a rally at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on 1 September 2025.
The viral video predates the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' and was reported in an article in 'ABP Majha' dated 30 July 2025. The YouTube video description reads, "Lakhs of devotees march with the palanquin, the palanquin of Shrivari returns home.. Video of the palanquin taken by a drone camera between Khamgaon and Shegaon."
The palanquin procession begins in Shegaon, proceeds to Khamgaon, and returns to Shegaon the following day. The procession was not related to the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar, which has been initiated against the backdrop of the Congress's accusations of "vote chori" against the Election Commission and the INDIA Bloc's opposition to the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.
We encourage readers to verify information before sharing it on social media to avoid spreading misinformation.
