Fact-check: West Bengal unrest videos actually from earlier slum fire and Bangladesh footage

Social media users shared two separate videos as evidence of chaos in West Bengal after the 2026 state election results and the swearing‑in of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Investigations showed the first video, posted online in April 2026, depicted a fire in the Metiabruz area of South 24 Parganas and pre‑dated the election, making the claim of post‑poll violence false. The second video, bearing a Bangladeshi source logo and also posted on April 26, originated in Bangladesh and bore no connection to the West Bengal oath‑taking ceremony. Both videos were therefore falsely presented as showing civil unrest in the Indian state.

The false captions included claims of “civil war‑like” conditions and communal attacks, but reverse‑image searches and source verification disproved any link to West Bengal events.