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False Claims of Attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Over Muslim Land Reform Bill Debunked
Claims circulating online falsely assert that Bihar’s Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, faced an assault for his supposed endorsement of a new law reforming Muslim land-owning organizations, known as Waqf boards. These misleading posts utilize a video clip from March 2022, misrepresenting a past incident as recent.
Social media posts, including those on Facebook, shared a video with Hindi captions alleging, “A youth from Bihar slapped CM Nitish Kumar for supporting the Waqf Bill,” dating back to April 4, 2025. Similar assertions were superimposed as text directly onto the video, which depicts an individual approaching a man on stage before being pushed away by security personnel.
Screenshot of the misleading social media post, captured on April 9, 2025.
These deceptive posts gained traction across platforms like Facebook and X after the Indian parliament approved legislation aimed at enhancing transparency within Waqf boards, as advocated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. This legislative move regarding Waqf properties has triggered political discussion and online commentary.
Waqf Boards and the New Legislation
Waqf boards are significant Muslim land-owning bodies in India managing extensive property holdings. These organizations oversee approximately 900,000 acres (364,000 hectares) of land across the nation, constituting a substantial multi-billion-dollar real estate portfolio, positioning them among the largest landowners alongside national railways and defense forces.
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The Modi government’s initiative to reform Waqf operations has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who accuse the government of promoting divisive politics that marginalize India’s Muslim minority population, numbering around 200 million.
Fact Check: No Recent Attack on Chief Minister
Contrary to viral social media rumors, there are no credible reports confirming that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was attacked for supporting the Waqf legislation. Nitish Kumar is a key ally of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
Rupesh Jha, a spokesperson for Bihar police, refuted the claims, telling AFP on April 9, “No such incident of attack on the chief minister happened recently.”
Video from 2022 Misrepresented
A reverse image search using key frames from the video revealed that it was originally posted by the Indian news agency ANI on X on March 27, 2022. The original ANI post clarified the context of the video, stating: “Bihar | A youth tried to attack CM Nitish Kumar during a program in Bakhtiarpur. The accused was later detained by the Police.”
Incident Occurred in 2022, Man Had Mental Disability
Numerous news outlets reported on the 2022 event, confirming it took place during a program in Chief Minister Kumar’s hometown of Bakhtiarpur. Reports from The Times of India, citing local police sources, indicated that the individual who attempted to accost Kumar reportedly had a mental disability. It was further reported that Chief Minister Kumar instructed authorities against taking punitive measures against the individual.