India’s West Bengal state has stepped-up an anti-immigration drive at its border with Bangladesh since the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in recent local elections, but a video of troops in a field pointing weapons at a crowd is unrelated to the crackdown. It in fact shows a mock drill by the Nepal army in February 2026, ahead of the country’s first elections since youth-led protests led to the dissolution of its government the previous year.
“On the Bangladesh border, those attempting to disrupt fencing work received a clear warning from the Border Security Force (BSF): The first bullet will hit below the knee. The next one might pierce the chest,” says a Hindi-language X post shared on June 3, 2026.
The attached video, which was shared more than 2,500 times, appears to show troops pointing their weapons at a rowdy crowd in a dusty field.
“If Bangladesh cannot control its people, then India knows how to protect its borders and maintain order,” the post continues.
The West Bengal government, under its new Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has begun transferring land over to the BSF to set up outposts and fencing along its border with Bangladesh (archived link).
The new BJP-led administration swept to power in the eastern state in May, the first time since the country’s independence in 1947, and has since started a crackdown on undocumented Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in the state (archived link).
The state called for local authorities to set up “holding centres” for “apprehended foreigners” awaiting deportation, and the order prompted hundreds of Bangladeshis to gather at an India-Bangladesh border post hoping to cross back (archived link).
Screenshot of the false post captured on June 5, 2026, with a red X added by AFP
The clip also appeared in similar Facebook, Threads and X posts.
“We are moving in the right direction. This became possible because of Modi,” reads a comment on one of the posts.
Another says: “Elimination is the only solution. I love the armed forces, thank you BSF.”
But the video is unrelated to the recent crackdown in West Bengal.
A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to footage published on Facebook on February 11 — months before the BJP won power in the eastern state (archived link).
The Nepali-language caption says, “The Nepal Army is ready to go to any extent to protect polling stations and ballot boxes in the upcoming House of Representatives elections.”
Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (L) and the footage posted in February 2026
Similar photos were also shared on the official Facebook page of the Tanahu District Police Office in central Nepal on February 9, in a post about a mock security exercise ahead of Nepal’s 2026 elections (archived link).
Nepal held its first elections on March 5 after a period of political upheaval triggered by youth-led anti-corruption protests the previous September that toppled the government (archived link).
Screenshot of the official Facebook page of Tanahu District Police Office in Nepal
The police’s Facebook post stated the drills took place at the Patan Playground.
Elements in the video, such as a water tower in the background, can be seen in Google Street View imagery of the playground (archived link).
Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (L) and Google Street View imagery, with corresponding elements highlighted by AFP
AFP has previously debunked other false claims related to the crackdown in West Bengal.
