Man with Knife at MP Temple Falsely Identified as Muslim in Communal Misinformation

Social media users have been circulating a video showing a man wielding a cleaver and threatening two people at a temple in Madhya Pradesh, accompanied by claims that the assailant is Muslim and carried out a “deadly attack” on a Hindu priest.

However, investigation reveals these claims are false and designed to inflame religious tensions.

The video, which shows a man brandishing a weapon and intimidating others at the Chintaman Ganesh Temple in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, began circulating widely in March 2026. Several social media accounts with histories of spreading misinformation shared the footage with captions alleging a Muslim man had entered the temple to attack the priest.

One prominent account, operated by a user named Oxomiya Jiyori (@SouleFacts), described the incident as evidence of “India’s terrified Muslim” who “entered a temple and carried out a deadly attack with a weapon on the priest.” Another user, Jitendra Pratap Singh (@jpsin1), who is followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, made similar claims, tagging the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and suggesting authorities were ignoring attacks on Hindu temples.

Singh’s post alone garnered more than 150,000 views, demonstrating how quickly such inflammatory content can spread across social media platforms.

A fact-check investigation reveals the incident actually occurred in July 2025, nearly eight months before these posts appeared. According to reporting by Bhaskar English from the time of the original incident, the assailant was identified as Mahesh Yadav – not a Muslim as claimed in the viral posts.

Police reports indicate Yadav confronted the priest’s son and another individual at the temple over a financial dispute. According to authorities, Yadav claimed he had spent a significant amount of money on a legal case related to the priest and entered the temple premises with a knife when the money was not repaid.

The Sehore Superintendent of Police confirmed Yadav’s identity in an official press briefing posted on social media. The accused was booked under Sections 296 and 351(2) of the BNS, along with Section 25 of the Arms Act, according to Sehore CSP Dr. Abhinandana Sharma.

This case illustrates a concerning pattern of misinformation being used to stoke communal tensions in India. Both social media users who promoted the false narrative have previously been identified by fact-checkers for spreading divisive content and communal propaganda.

The incident highlights the challenges faced by authorities and social media platforms in combating the spread of false information, particularly when it targets religious communities. Despite the original incident being well-documented months earlier, the misleading narrative gained significant traction before being debunked.

Media literacy experts have long warned about the dangers of such misinformation, noting how out-of-context videos can be weaponized to target minority communities and inflame existing social tensions.

For those encountering similar claims online, experts recommend verifying information through multiple credible sources before sharing, and being particularly cautious about content that appears designed to provoke strong emotional reactions along communal lines.