In the lead-up to the Eid al-Adha festival in India in May 2026, an old video of a fight at a temple circulated on social media with a false claim it was instigated by Muslims. While clashes have broken out in several areas in Mumbai over certain rituals during the Islamic festival, the clip was filmed months ago. Police also told AFP the scuffle was sparked by a dispute between priests and devotees, adding that no Muslims were involved.
"Muslims threw meat at devotees at the Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Temple, shouting 'Allahu Akbar'. About 20 priests responded by hurling coconuts at Muslims," reads a Hindi-language Facebook post shared on May 23.
The attached 19-second video shows a group of men attacking a person. It has been viewed more than 43,000 times since it was posted to a Facebook page with more than 58,000 followers.
The page has previously posted other false claims debunked by AFP.
The clip appeared in similar Facebook and Instagram posts in the lead-up to the Eid al-Adha celebrations as police were deployed to several areas in Mumbai in May to settle disputes between Hindu and Muslim residents over a ritual to sacrifice animals.
Indian media reported that police arrested a person and detained at least three others at a housing complex in northern Mumbai, where clashes had broken out over a temporary bamboo shed where goats purchased for ritual sacrifice were kept (archived link).
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