CLAIM

Viral video of Indian man popping Muslim child’s balloon bouquet

RATING JUSTIFICATIONS

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search and a keyword search to trace the original source.

Multiple accounts on social media platform X were sharing a video since January 25, 2026, claiming that it showed an Indian man popping a Muslim child’s balloon bouquet. However, the video is from Bangladesh and is scripted.

More than 1,318 incidents of hate speech against non-Hindu citizens, particularly Muslims, were documented in India in 2025, with 88 per cent of the incidents reported in states and territories where the Bharatiya Janata Party is in power, according to a report by India Hate Lab and Centre for Study of Organised Hate.

The biggest spike came after the April Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir, wherein over 20 people were slain by gunmen. “April recorded the highest monthly spike, with 158 hate speech events coinciding with Ram Navami processions and hate rallies organised in response to the Pahalgam terror attack,” the report said.

HOW IT STARTED

On Jan 25, an X user, who appears to be an Indian based on his bio, shared a video showing a man popping a young child’s balloon bouquet with the caption: “We must hold the trembling hands and strengthen them, not … We must not show our strength to the helpless!”

The post gained 252,000 views.

The same clip was shared by another user who appears to be pro-military based on his cover photo, with the caption: “A Hindutva extremist pops a Muslim child balloon seller’s balloons as the boy helplessly cries and pleads. I mean, why?”

His post gained over 201,000 views.

Similarly, a Bangladeshi user also shared the same clip with a slightly different caption. “Republic Day in India: A so-called proud Hindu humiliating an innocent Muslim child who earns his livelihood via selling balloons. India continues to escape punishments for so many violations — the world is blind and deaf!” it read.

The post accumulated around 10,000 views.

The same video was shared by several other X users, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, and here; collectively gaining more than 69,400 views. Some of them alleged that the video was from India’s Kolkata.

It was also shared on other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, as seen here, here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the matter.

A reverse image search yielded a longer version of the video dated Jan 14, 2026. It was shared by a Bangladeshi content creator on his YouTube account.

“Is this appropriate with a 12 year old child,” the caption of the video reads.

The same video was also shared by the content creator on Facebook with a similar caption.

As per the auto-translation of the video, the man in the clip asks the child about his daily earnings and work timings. At the end of the clip, he gives the child 1,000 taka for all the balloons he popped and urges him to take the day off and enjoy.

Separately, a keyword search yielded an X post by Indian journalist Muhammad Zubair, dated Jan 28.

“A video of a man bursting balloons of a child vendor is being falsely shared as an act of hate. In reality, the clip is from Bangladesh and part of a longer video. The man later pays the child and asks him to go home and play,” it said.

A journalist associated with BBC Bangla also confirmed to iVerify Pakistan that the man in the video asked the child about his earnings and paid him for all the balloons.

He added that the clip was scripted, which proves that the claims regarding the video were incorrect.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows an Indian man popping a kid’s balloon bouquet is false.

The video is originally from Bangladesh and is scripted.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES

Jan 12, 2026, Facebook video:
https://archive.md/xgw2V

Jan 14, 2026, YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uQJMhJZ02vw