Fact Check: Old Tenali Police Video Shared as ‘I Love Muhammad’ Protest Crackdown

The "I Love Muhammad" campaign began on September 4, 2025, in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, when a group of young Muslims put up an illuminated sign that read "I Love Muhammad" during a religious procession. Some local Hindu groups protested the sign, arguing that its placement constituted a "new tradition" and was a deliberate provocation in a mixed-faith neighborhood. After a scuffle broke out, police intervened and removed the signboard. However, the dispute intensified after accusations surfaced that protesters from both sides had torn down posters related to the other’s religion.

On September 9, Kanpur police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against 24 Muslims for allegedly disturbing communal harmony. According to the police, the FIR was filed for introducing a new custom and not for the slogan itself, but Muslim activists viewed it as targeting their freedom of expression.

The incident quickly sparked protests and counter-protests in other states and on social media. It also triggered demonstrations and rallies by Muslims in states including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Telangana. Participants displayed "I Love Muhammad" posters and demanded the withdrawal of FIRs. In Bareilly, a protest on September 26 turned violent after police denied permission for a march. Clashes broke out, leading to police using batons and tear gas, widespread arrests, and temporary internet shutdowns in some areas.

Amidst this, a video showing police officers brutally beating young men in the middle of a street went viral on social media with the claim that the police were thrashing the men for participating in the ‘I Love Mohammed’ protests.

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Here is the screenshot of the claim.

Fact check:

The claim is False. The video is an old one, not related to ‘I Love Mohammed’ protests. When we extracted keyframes from the viral video and searched them using Google reverse image search, we found that the video is an old one from May 2025.

We found an X post sharing an image similar to the screenshot from the viral video, published on June 1, 2025, with the caption “This is sad. Police brutality in Andhra has taken away another life. Remember, these were the cops who recently thrashed Dalits & Minorities publicly. TDP/NDA govt gives no damn about it. What's happening, @ncbn @naralokesh @PawanKalyan garu?”

We also found an Instagram post by Deccan Time that was posted on May 26, 2025, stating “Police Crackdown in Tenali: Rowdy-Sheeter’s Followers Publicly Caned. In a dramatic show of enforcement, #Tenali Two Town Police publicly punished the followers of a rowdy-sheeter who had allegedly attacked a police constable. The incident traces back to a month ago in Itanagar, where followers of a known rowdy-sheeter named Laddu—identified as Victor, Baboolal, and Rakesh—reportedly assaulted Constable Chiranjeevi while under the influence of ganja. Following the constable’s complaint, police registered a case and took swift action. The accused were taken back to #Itanagar, where police administered a public punishment by caning the soles of their feet on the roadside. The video of the public caning has since gone viral on social media, sparking mixed reactions. While some citizens are praising the police for taking a tough stance against rowdyism, others are raising concerns about human rights and the method of punishment. Authorities have yet to issue an official statement regarding the legality and intent behind the public action. #Guntur #AndhraPradesh”

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also shared the video condemning the assault by the police officials on the youth. This post was shared on May 27, 2025.

According to an article published in the Times of India, police in Tenali town arrested three people accused of assaulting a police constable last month in Andhra Pradesh’s Itanagar. However, the arrests sparked controversy after a video emerged showing the accused being made to sit on the ground while police personnel beat them on their feet. The footage quickly went viral on social media, drawing widespread attention. The accused — Chebrolu John Victor (25), Shaik Babulal (21), and Doma Rakesh (25) — are alleged to be close associates of a known rowdy-sheeter named Laddu.

According to Tenali Two Town Police official Ramulu Naik, the incident occurred nearly a month ago when the trio, along with another individual identified as 'Killer', allegedly attacked Constable Kanna Chiranjeevi while under the influence of ganja. The constable was reportedly hospitalized following the assault. A case was subsequently registered based on his complaint. Police arrested the accused on Sunday and produced them before the court, after which they were sent to judicial remand.

Therefore, the viral video is not related to the ‘I Love Mohammed’ protests. It is an old video from Tenali, Andhra Pradesh, where police officials beat the young men for allegedly attacking a constable. The claim is False.