Fact Check: Video Of Mumbai Police Paying Homage At Mahim Dargah Goes Viral With Fake Claim

Image Credit: Wikimedia

Fact Check: Video Of Mumbai Police Paying Homage At Mahim Dargah Goes Viral With Fake Claim

A video of an age-old tradition of Mumbai Police Paying Homage at Mahim Dargah during Urs is being shared to target Shiv Sena claiming that police officials are paying obeisance at the shrine for the first time.

  • Whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Linkedin
  • Print
  • koo
  • Whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Linkedin
  • Print
  • koo
  • Whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Linkedin
  • Print
  • koo

Many social media users are sharing a video of Police officials saluting in front of a Dargah. The video is being shared with the claim that for the first time Mumbai Police paid homage to Hazrat Makhdoom Shah's dargah, a shrine of a saint and scholar who was prominent during Tughlaq dynasty. The shrine is also known as Mahim Dargah.

Social media posts suggest that Maharashtra's ruling party Shiv Sena is starting a new ritual where Mumbai police is going to Dargah. This video is shared to show Shiv Sena as Hinduphobic party and a party that is promoting Islam.

The video is being shared a Hindi description, translation of which is "Mumbai police for the first time is saluting Peer Hazrat Makhdoom Shah. Shiv Sena is at its last stage".

The video is viral on Twitter.

Many Facebook users are also sharing the video.


Claim:

Mumbai police paid homage to Hazrat Makhdoom Dargah for the first time.

Fact Check:

The Logical Indian did a reverse image search and found the video posted on a YouTube channel. It was uploaded on December 30, 2020. The video was shared with the caption, "Urs Mubarak Makhdoom Shah Baba Mahim Mumbai lockdown 2020."

The Dargah visible at the beginning of the video is the same as the image of Mahim Dargah.

Screengrab of the YouTube channel


Original Image

The same video was also tweeted by F3 News, a digital media house based in Mumbai. It was tweeted by them on December 29, 2020, saying police came to pay homage on the celebration of Hazrat Makhdoom Shah's urs at Mahim Dargah.

Indian Express also tweeted about the celebration of Urs at Mahim Dargah. They shared the picture of police officials carrying Chaddar with the caption, "Mumbai Police carry chaddar to Mahim Dargah on Tuesday. The city police force has the privilege of laying the first chaddar on the Urs of saint and scholar Makhdoom Ali Mahimi."

Hence, we were able to conclude that video is of the Urs festival that happens at Mahim Dargah.

We searched with the keyword, 'Mumbai Police Mahim Dargah' and found multiple Google results describing this celebration.

In a report by Scroll published on December 26, 2015, the article spoke about Makhdoom Mahimi Dargah and its relation with the Mumbai police. According to the article, Makhdum Ali Mahimi was a 14th-century Sufi scholar who was considered to be a patron saint of the Mumbai police since its roots as a citizen's militia in the 17th century. Once in a year, during the death anniversary of the Mahimi, when Urs is celebrated, people across Mumbai come to pay their respects and seek his blessings. Mumbai police are first to offer the "chaddar" (shawl) at the tomb on the first day of the festival. It is an age-old celebration that happens annually.

Did Mumbai Police pay homage at Mahim Dargah for the first time?

We found an article published by Navbharat Times on May 2, 2018. The article spoke about the celebration of Mahimi Urs and participation of Mumbai police in it. Since Devendra Fadnavis was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from BJP party from 2014 to 2019, Hence we can conclude that this festival was even celebrated during the BJP's rule and Mumbai police went to the Dargah.

We also contacted a person at the Pir Makhdoom Trust who confirmed that the event has been happening for a long time. He said, "Makhdoom Sahib passed away 600 years ago, after which the tomb was built. Since then many of his followers have been visiting the place. The Mumbai Police are always the first ones to offer Chaddar at the tomb and it has happened for a long time". He also described the legends behind the Mumbai police paying homage to the Dargah. He said that according to the legend, police officers once received assistance from an old man, whom they believed was the saint, in fighting smugglers, since then they have always celebrated Urs with a belief that the saint guides them in resolving cases.

Hence, it is not for the first time that the Mumbai police has paid their obeisance at the shrine of Makhdum Ali Mahimi.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

Also Read: Fact Check: Haryana CM Cancelled Mahapanchayat Rally Due To Bad Weather? Dainik Jagran, News 18 Falsely Report

Contributors Suggest Correction
Editor : Bharat Nayak
,
Creatives : Abhishek M

Must Reads