Alleged journalist Rana Ayyub is back at doing what she does best – spread fake news.
This time she was caught spreading misinformation after she shared a viral video on X claiming it showed anti-NEET protests in Nashik, Maharashtra. A verification of the footage establishes that the claim is false. The video is actually from the Jamboo Savari procession during the annual Mysuru Dasara festival in Karnataka.
Ayyub posted the video with the caption “Nasik protests,” falsely suggesting that massive crowds had gathered in Maharashtra to protest against the Modi government over the NEET paper leak controversy. However, the footage has no connection whatsoever to Nashik or the ongoing protests.
Nasik protests pic.twitter.com/GzD2ypmsfq
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) July 23, 2026
Edited Video Concealed The Truth
The viral clip shared by Ayyub was not the original video.
The version first circulated by the X handle @Cockroachisback had been edited to remove the final few seconds. Those missing frames clearly show three caparisoned elephants taking part in a ceremonial procession – an unmistakable hallmark of Mysuru’s world-famous Jamboo Savari.
The central elephant carries the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari in the 750-kg Golden Howdah, the defining feature of the Vijayadashami procession. This centuries-old tradition has been observed every year since 1610, during the reign of Raja Wadiyar I.
Landmarks Confirm Mysuru Location
The claim also falls apart under geolocation analysis.
Multiple permanent landmarks visible in the footage including Sharada Medical & Optical Store, New Bombay Tiffanys, the decorative arches, surrounding buildings, and the road layout match Google Street View imagery of the Jamboo Savari route in Mysuru.
Her own video had this elephant procession, and she still could not discern fake from truth.
Publicly available videos of Mysuru Dasara elephant rehearsals also show the same procession route and identical surroundings, conclusively establishing that the footage was filmed in Karnataka, not Maharashtra and certainly not the protests.
False Protest Narrative Amplified
Despite these verifiable details, Rana Ayyub shared the edited clip as evidence of anti-NEET protests in Nashik, helping amplify a false narrative to her large social media following.
Several political activists and social media handles also circulated the same misleading video before it was exposed as footage from the Mysuru Dasara celebrations.
Despite so many people calling out the fake video, Rana still has not deleted the said post, indicating how keen she is to push a certain narrative.
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