The recent targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandit and non-local government employees in the Valley has created panic in the minority community. While J&K is gripped in protests and fear, some rumour-mongers are spreading false information taking advantage of this situation. A viral video of a crowded Srinagar Airport has been shared widely on Twitter with a claim that Kashmiri Pandits are rushing out of the valley.
The claim
The recent killing of the bank employee on Thursday was the eight such killing in the valley since May 1. Selective killing continues unabated as the bank employee Vijay Kumar's brutal murder was the third of a non-Muslim government employee. In wake of such incidents, a viral video on social media claimed that the minority community, fearing an exodus, were rushing to leave the Union Territory.
Many users shared the video of a packed Srinagar Airport as the aftermath of bank employee's killing.
Heavy rush of #KashmiriPanditemployees, & other Hindus employed in private sector at d Srinagar Airport . This is post Vijay Kumar killing who got married just 40 days ago, was shot at and killed right in hs office ds morning in Kulgam.#TheGenocidecontinues#ResignManojSinha pic.twitter.com/zpu0jgmARb
— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) June 2, 2022
Fact check
International Business Times reviewed the viral claims made on Twitter regarding the minority community rushing out of the valley. Taking notice of the video and claims made on Twitter, the airport authorities were quick to debunk, calling it nothing more than "sensational rumours-mongering."
"We strongly rebut the sensational rumour-mongering. We handle between 16,000 to 18,000 passengers every day. Today also the number of passengers is average. There is no heavy rush of the minority community," the official Twitter handle of the Srinagar Airport posted.
The authorities also revealed that the passengers seen in the video is average and that there is no heavy rush of minority community.
"Today also the number of passengers is average. There is no heavy rush of minority community as rumored by this tweet. Please do not spread rumors like this," the authorities further added.
Hence, IBTimes has arrived at the conclusion that the claim about Kashmiri Pandits rushing out of the valley is completely false and baseless. The video is shared with a false context.