Viral Video of Agra man ‘kneeling, begging’ being propagated with fake claim: UP Police

New Delhi: As India sees an oxygen crisis due to the Covid surge, a video is going viral on social media in which a man can be seen begging the policemen not to take away oxygen cylinders from a private hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra.

The video went on to claim that the police confiscated the oxygen cylinder from a private hospital in Agra and “supplied it to a VIP”.

“My mother will die. Please don’t take away oxygen cylinders. I request you,” the man can be heard in the video

The clip was shared by the official Twitter handle of the Youth Congress

This is a really heart breaking video.
A man is begging in front of policeman not to take a Oxygen cylinder he has arranged for his mom in Agra, UP.

This is a total inhumane act by the police.

Is this how you should treat your fellow citizens Mr Yogi ? pic.twitter.com/Z4qTqsl5rY

— Indian Youth Congress (@IYC) April 28, 2021

Since the video went viral, the Agra Police on Wednesday issued a clarification on the video. They said that clip is shared with a misleading claim. Police refute the claims that they took away the oxygen cylinder that the man had arranged for his COVID-19 positive mother. Agra Superintendent of Police BR Prasad said the cops were actually carrying an empty cylinder.

Watch what Police said:

उपाध्याय हॉस्पिटल के वायरल वीडियो, ऑक्सीजन की समस्या से ग्रसित व्यक्ति, खाली सिलेंडर को ले जाकर भरवाने की कोशिश व 1 व्यक्ति द्वारा पुलिस से सहायता हेतु सिलेंडर की मांग दर्शाते हुए, भ्रामक तरीके से पोस्ट किए गए वीडियो के खंडन के संबंध में #SPCityAgra द्वारा दी गई बाइट। @Uppolice pic.twitter.com/XSvvbn11kC

— AGRA POLICE (@agrapolice) April 28, 2021

“The viral video is of Upadhyay Hospital. Due to shortage of oxygen cylinders in Agra few days back, some people were giving away their personal cylinders to hospitals for the treatment of the loved ones. The two people who are taking away the cylinder are actually taking away an empty cylinder. The man seen requesting the police is a kin of a COVID patient and was actually asking the cops to help him procure a cylinder for his mother,” the SP said.