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Visuals of abscess draining in a Bovine shared as dairy industry milking a cow by cutting its skin - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 4, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it shows how dairy industries are milking cattle by cutting its skin. This post claims that dairy industry, during the last stage of a cattle, cut its skin, recover each drop of milk and send the cow to the slaughterhouse where it would be killed mercilessly and supplied to retail meat stores. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of dairy industry workers milking a cow by cutting its skin.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows the draining process of an abscess from a bovine’s body. An abscess is an accumulation of pus, usually caused by a bacterial infection in human beings, cattle and other animals. NCBI and several other medical research studies have clearly stated that a sharp incision of a scalpel blade or hoof-knife into the abscess-infected portion is one of the primary methods of draining the abscess from cattle bodies. The video does not show a cow milking method. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found published by a Facebook page named Veterinarian. This user published the video describing it is the draining process of an abscess in a Holstein cow. Several other users have also shared the same video describing it is the visuals of draining abscess.
An abscess is an accumulation of pus, usually caused by a bacterial infection in human beings, cattle and other animals. There are several videos available on the internet showing similar visuals of the draining process of abscesses from cattle bodies. They can be seen here, here and here.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and other medical research studies have published articles related to this method of draining abscesses from cattle bodies. They can be seen here, here and here. All these research studies noted ventral incision as one of the primary principles of abscess management. According to these research studies, a sharp scalpel blade or hoof-knife incision at the abscess-infected region was determined as one of the primary methods of draining abscesses from cattle. A video narrating the detailed process of abscess drainage in cattle can be seen here.
To sum it up, the video shared in the post shows the draining process of an abscess from a bovine, not a milking method followed by the dairy industries..

created: November 4, 2022


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Visuals of an elephant running amok are being shared with a fabricated tale - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 13, 2023
A social media post accompanying a video, which shows an elephant running amok, stopping immediately after seeing a man, is being widely shared. The video is being shared associating it to a story, stating that the elephant, ran into the village in search of food, without the mahout, and on its way back, spots the mahout and explains him that it is hungry in sign language. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of an elephant explaining the mahout that it is hungry.
Fact: These visuals show an elephant running amok, as it couldn’t bear the heat and honks of the bikers. The viral narrative, attributed to the incident, is fabricated. Multiple news agencies reported the incident. None of these reports mentioned about this viral narrative. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The visuals shared in the viral post indeed show an elephant running amok, however, the narrative associated is not true.
The visuals show an incident that happened in Kerala’s Mannarkkad, earlier in February 2023. Google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple Malayalam news articles, which reported this video (here, here, here & here).
As per these reports, in Mannarkkad, an elephant which was supposed to fetch wood, ran amok, as it got panicked, due to heat and honking sound of the bikers. Reportedly, the elephant ran for about 12  kilometers and eventually stopped at the MES college and was watered.
Multiple news agencies have reported the incident. These reports can be viewed here & here. A lengthier video of the incident can be viewed here. From this footage, it is clear that after stopping in front of a man, the elephant chews something and was later directed into a farm.
However, in the viral post, this part of elephant chewing is misconstrued as it trying to tell the mahout that it is hungry. However, none of the above-mentioned reports attributed any such narrative as claimed in the viral post.
To sum it up, visuals of an elephant running amok are being shared with a fabricated tale.

source: news-factly

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Visuals of Argentina football fans celebrating Copa America cup victory is linked to Cuba protests - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 16, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of Cuban citizens demonstrating in a protest against the ruling Communist party government in Cuba. On 11 July 2021, thousands of Cubans took to the streets to protest the Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the grave economic crisis in the country. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of thousands of Cubans demonstrating in a protest against the ruling Communist party government in Cuba.
Fact: This video shows Argentina football fans celebrating Copa America final victory in Buenos Aires. Thousands of Argentinan football fans gathered at Obelisco landmark in Beunos Aires and celebrated Copa America championship victory. This video has nothing to do with the ongoing anti-government protests in Cuba. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a similar video was found in a tweet made on 12 July 2021. This user described it as Cuban citizens’ protest against their ruling Communist party Government. But, several users in the response section have clarified that the visuals show Argentinan football fans celebrating the Copa America final victory in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Those tweets can be seen here and here. ‘Tuitealo’ news channel has shared a similar video on their YouTube channel by mentioning it as the massive celebrations at Obelisk in Buenos Aires.
Manipulación burda  y baja en este Twitter, (y de este cretino) que intenta mostrar una masiva protesta nocturna en Cuba contra la Revolución, utilizando un video de la celebración la noche del sábado en Buenos Aires del triunfo de Argentina en la Copa América. https://t.co/FDr1PX0MR0
When we searched for more sources regarding this video, similar visuals were found in a video published by ‘Guardian Football’ YouTube channel on 11 July 2021. The description of the video states, ‘Argentinians celebrate Copa America victory in Buenos Aires’. This video reported that thousands of Argentinan citizens had celebrated the Copa America final victory at Obelisco landmark in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Reporting the same, several other news websites have shared similar videos on their YouTube channels. They can be seen here and here.
Obelisco, the national historical monument of Argentina is located in Argentina’s capital city, Buenos Aires. The ‘Google Maps’ images of Obelisco monument in Buenos Aires can be seen here and here. These visuals look similar to the landmark visible in the video. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is related to Argentina’s Copa America victory celebrations.
To sum it up, a video of Argentinan football fans celebrating the Copa America victory is being linked to the Cuba protests.


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Visuals of BJP leader getting beaten over a local dispute in Noida falsely linked to Manipur issue - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 1, 2023
A video of a man being chased by a mob and beaten with sticks is viral on social media with a claim that the man getting beaten is a BJP leader named Rohit Pandit. He was allegedly beaten as he was discussing the Manipur issue. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: A BJP leader in Greater Noida was beaten by a mob for discussing about the Manipur issue.
Fact: This incident occurred on 25 July 2023 in Ladpura village, Gautham Buddha Nagar. According to the FIR filed by police, the fight seen in the video happened over a land dispute between the locals. Reportedly, BJP District Vice President Rahul Pandit was also present in this dispute which has nothing to do with the Manipur Issue. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
To learn more about the viral clip, we performed a reverse image search on a few of its keyframes online. This search led us to a tweet that contained the same video and described it as visuals of a BJP leader of Greater Noida getting thrashed for discussion on the Manipur issue. In response to this tweet, police commissioner Gautham Buddha Nagar clarified that this video is related to a mutual dispute between two parties and that action was being taken by registering charges against both parties.
उक्त वायरल वीडियो दो पक्षों के बीच गांव में हुए आपसी विवाद के संबंध में है।
पुलिस द्वारा दोनों पक्षों के विरुद्ध गंभीर धाराओं में अभियोग पंजीकृत कर प्रभावी एवं निष्पक्ष कार्रवाई की जा रही है।
To learn further about this incident, we took the police statement as a hint and searched the internet with relevant keywords leading us to a few news reports (here, here, and here) on this incident.
According to Dainik Bhaskar, this incident occurred on 25 July 2023 in Ladpura village of Greater Noida. Reportedly, two village factions clashed over disputed land in which a BJP leader was chased and beaten. His name is Rahul Pandit; and is the district vice president of Gautham Buddha Nagar. We also found the FIR filed on this incident in the Kasna Police Station Greater Noida (Gautham Buddha Nagar), which can be seen here.
Neither the news reports nor the FIR related to this incident linked it to the Manipur issue, as claimed in the viral post. This evidence makes it clear that the viral video and the claim associated with it misquotes this video as a BJP leader beaten up for discussing the Manipur issue.
To sum up, visuals of a BJP leader getting beaten over a local dispute in Noida falsely linked to the Manipur issue.

created: August 1, 2023


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Visuals of buildings demolished in China are falsely shared as Israeli Attack on Gaza - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 19, 2023
A video showing the collapse of multiple skyscrapers is making the rounds on social media, with claims that it shows an Israeli attack on Gaza. In this article, we will fact-check this claim and unearth the truth.
Claim: The video shows Israel’s attack on Gaza.
Fact: The video in question predates the recent Israel-Palestine conflict (7 October 2023). It has been found on platforms such as Reddit and YouTube, identified as the demolition of 15 unfinished buildings in Kunming, China. Reports from August 2021 confirm the blasting and demolition of these buildings in Kunming. Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
On running a reverse image search of the video, we came across the same clip on Reddit and YouTube, where it was identified as the demolition of 15 unfinished buildings in Kunming, China.
To further verify this, we performed a keyword search online, leading us to a few news reports (here and here) from August 2021. These reports stated that 15 unfinished buildings in Kunming were destroyed in a controlled implosion.
There is a clear gap between the time this video was available on the internet and the recent conflict between Israel and Palestine, which began on 7 October 2023. Thus, the clip cannot possibly depict an event from that conflict.
To sum up, the video in question does not depict an Israeli attack on Gaza, but rather shows a series of controlled demolitions in Kunming, China, in August 2021.

created: October 19, 2023


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Visuals of colourful AI-generated birds are being shared as real birds. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 13, 2024
A video containing multiple clips of colourful birds is widely circulated on social media platforms claiming that these are real birds. “The mind becomes happy just by seeing what beautiful colours God has given to the birds, with the hope that your mind always remains happy and cheerful, says the text with the claim.  Through this fact-checking article, we check the veracity of this claim.
Claim: The colourful birds shown in a viral video are real.
Fact: The birds shown in the viral video are not real but were artificially generated using AI technology by an artist named Kelly Boesch. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
We performed a reverse image search on several keyframes from the viral video to investigate the claim. This search led us to the same video uploaded on YouTube on 5 Feb 2024. The video description indicated that the birds were AI-generated.
Further, we searched for more related videos. We found the same video uploaded by a social media user named Kelly Boesch on TikTok and ‘X’. The birds in Kelly’s video appear in the same sequence as in the viral video, along with identical music and sound effects. The original video carries a watermark – ‘@kelly_boesch_ai_art’, which is absent in the viral video.
I’m at 1.5M views on this #ai video on TikTok in only 6 hrs. Not sure why this particular video of all of my videos is getting so many views but I’ll take it. #aivideo #aiart #ainature pic.twitter.com/BdpzS71fIX
In her Twitter post, Kelly mentioned how her #ai video garnered 1.5M views on TikTok in just six hours. Kelly describes herself as an AI artist, creator, designer, and more on her X bio.
To sum up, the colourful birds shown in the viral video have not been bestowed by nature but are the work of an AI artist.

created: February 13, 2024


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Visuals of crocodile chasing a buck in Botswana shared as that filmed in Kabini backwaters, Karnataka - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 14, 2023
A video of a buck/deer escaping from a chasing crocodile in a waterbody is being shared as an incident from the Kabini backwater. Kabini backwaters safari is located in Karnataka, India. Let’s find out the truth behind this claim through this article.
Claim: Visuals of a buck escaping a chasing crocodile in Kabini backwaters.
Fact: The viral video was filmed in Chobe River, Botswana. A family shot this visual of a crocodile chasing a buck in the Chobe River while on a boat cruise. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
We observed a logo which reads ‘Latest Sightings‘ and performed a keyword search on the internet. This search led us to the same video uploaded on the YouTube channel, ‘ Latest Sightings.’ This video is titled ‘Buck Swims for its Life from Crocodile‘ and is uploaded on 31 January 2023. According to its description, this video was filmed in the Chobe River, Botswana.
‘Latest Sightings‘ wrote on their website that ‘Caitlyn Earwaker, a 24-year-old veterinary nurse, and her family were on a boat cruise when they witnessed this incredible sighting.’ She also wrote about her experience filming this clip through an Instagram post.
A post shared by Caitlyn Earwaker (@caitswildlifephotog)
To sum up, visuals of a crocodile chasing a buck in Botswana is shared as a video filmed in Kabini backwaters, Karnataka.

created: February 14, 2023


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Visuals of destruction caused by an earthquake in Turkey falsely linked to the Israel-Palestine conflict - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 6, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming that it shows devastating visuals of buildings demolished by Israeli forces in Palestine. Amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, the video is going viral on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: A recent video showing the buildings demolished by Israeli forces in Palestine.
Fact: The video shared in the post has been circulating on social media at least since February 2023. Many journalists and social media influencers reported it as the visuals of massive destruction caused by the earthquake in Turkey in February 2023. The video is old and has nothing to do with the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, the same video was found published by a journalist, Tanushree Pandey, on 12 February 2023.  The journalist posted the video on Instagram, with the description, “Turkey after the Earthquake.” She credited the video to Fared Al Mahlool, a journalist from Syria.
Several news sites and social media influencers published the same video in February 2023 and stated that the visuals portray the aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey. Those videos and news reports can be seen here, here, here, and here. More drone footage visuals of the massive destruction caused by the February 2023 earthquake in Turkey can be seen here, here, and here.
To sum it up, an unrelated old video from Turkey is shared as the devastating visuals from Palestine amid its ongoing war with Israel.

created: November 6, 2023


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Visuals of detaching coaches from accident-bound Falaknuma express are being shared with a misleading claim - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 12, 2023
The video depicting police personnel, army jawans, railway staff, and passengers collectively pushing to move a train has gained significant traction on various social media platforms. It is being shared alongside a political assertion, targeting the government, stating that this represents a novel method of initiating train movement. In this article, let’s investigate the veracity of the video and shed light on the truth behind its contents.
Claim: Visuals of Police personnel, army jawans, railway staff, and passengers collectively pushing to move a train.
Fact: The visuals are related to the recent train accident, wherein, a portion of Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express caught fire causing damage to a few coaches. Responding immediately, the police, army and the passengers detached the adjacent coaches physically, to control the spread of fire to other coaches. South Central Railway and the concerned authorities have clarified the same. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
While the video indeed depicts police, army, and passengers collectively exerting force to move the train, it is important to note that contrary to the claim, the effort is not to physically start the train but to detach the coaches from others which caught fire, following a train accident.
Google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple news reports that reported the news. As per these reports, the visuals are from the recent fire accident that took place on Falaknuma Express early morning on 07 July 2023.
On 07 July 2023, a portion of the Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express caught fire causing damage to a few coaches. To reduce the impact of the damage, the rear coaches were isolated to prevent the fire from spreading to other coaches. It was manually removed by railway staff and local police. The viral visuals shared in the post depict the collective efforts by the police, army, and passengers. News agencies that reported the incident can be read here and here.
However, these visuals went viral on social media with different claims similar to the one in the viral post. Dismissing such claims, the Railway spokesperson and the South-central railway denied the claims and clarified that the visuals show a conscious decision by Railway Personnel & Local Police to detach the rear coaches to avoid the further spread of fire. Thus, it is evident that visuals are being shared with a political claim attributing to the current government while in reality, they do not show an attempt to start the train.
Clarification:
This relates to Tr No 12703 (HWH-SC) fire incident on 07.07.23
The video is about conscious decision by Rly Personnel & Local Police to detach the rear coaches to avoid further spread of fire.
It was an emergency action taken without waiting for help from engine https://t.co/vvH3FAWgDP
To sum it up, visuals of detaching coaches from accident-bound Falaknuma express are being shared with a misleading claim.


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Visuals of empty chairs at a program held by BJP in 2018 are falsely linked to West Bengal election rally - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 26, 2021
A collage with a couple of images is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of empty chairs at a BJP election rally in West Bengal. These photos show BJP Leaders Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath, and a set of empty chairs. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of the empty chairs at a BJP election meeting in West Bengal.
Fact: The photos shared in the post are related to the 2018 BJP ‘Yuva Udgosh’ program in Varanasi city, Uttar Pradesh. These photos have nothing to do with the ongoing BJP election meetings for the West Bengal Assembly Elections. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photos shared in the post, a similar photo of the empty chairs is found in an article published by ‘Hindustan news’ website on 20 January 2018. The image is reported as the visuals of empty chairs at the BJP ‘Yuva Udgosh’ program, held at Varanasi city in Uttar Pradesh. Reporting the same, a few other news websites published similar photos of the empty chairs at the BJP rally in Varanasi. They can be seen here and here.
The Live Video of this meeting was found published on the official YouTube channel of ‘Bharatiya Janata Party’(BJP). In the video, we could see a similar visual of Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath.
Amit Shah tweeted the photos of Varanasi ‘Yuva Udgosh’ program on 20 January 2018. They can be seen here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the images shared in the post are old and not related to the ongoing BJP election meetings in West Bengal.
बाबा विश्वनाथ की नगरी काशी पूरे हिंदुस्तान की ऊर्जा का अक्षय स्रोत और आध्यात्मिक केंद्र है। इसके गौरव को एक इंच भी कम किये बगैर प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी और श्री @myogiadityanath जी के नेतृत्व में हम यहाँ के विकास के लिए कटिबद्ध हैं। pic.twitter.com/QXNEgEvwZU
To sum it up, 2018 photos from a BJP program in Uttar Pradesh are shared as recent visuals of empty chairs at a BJP election meeting in West Bengal.


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Visuals of Kaaba door opened for a Muslim leader is falsely shared as a miracle - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 30, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that a miracle had happened at Kaaba, where the door of Kaaba was opened and the prayers were performed by some unknown entities. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Miracle in Kaaba where the door was opened, and prayers were performed by unseen figures.
Fact: The video is from Ramadan when the door of Kaaba was opened for a Muslim leader visiting the Haram. The video shows workers preparing the entrance (opening the door) to the Kaaba for a political delegation during prayers. The door of Kaaba is usually opened for leaders, influential personalities from all around the world, to perform ‘Umrah’. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, a Facebook post with similar image of people holding cameras near Kaaba was found. The Facebook post by a Facebook group named, ‘Will of Allah’ said, ‘video circulating on social media regarding ‘paranormal activities’ in the Kaaba are false.’ It says that the video was from Ramadan when the door of Kaaba was opened for a Muslim leader visiting the Haram.
A media outlet from Saudi Arabia had fact-checked the same video that was going viral on social media and confirmed that the claim was false. The video was captured during Ramadan. The video shows workers preparing the entrance (opening the door) to the Kaaba for a political delegation during Tahajjud (night) prayers. The door of Kaaba is usually opened for leaders, influential personalities from all around the world, to perform ‘Umrah’.
To sum it up, visuals of Kaaba door opened for a Muslim leader is falsely shared as a miracle.


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Visuals of locals resting in a mall due to power outages in Kolkata are being shared with a communal spin. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 21, 2023
Update (21 April 2023):
As the video went viral on social media and WhatsApp, the management of the mall also issued a clarification refuting the viral narrative associated with the video, and terming it as blatantly false. The management had posted a clarification on their social media handles (here & here).
A post shared by @questmall
According to news reports, Sanjeev Mehra, vice-president of the mall clarified that it is due to the power cut in the neighborhood, the local youth entered the mall around 11:30 pm and an hour and a half later they were escorted out. As far as the viral video is concerned, “We would like to state that the mall did not face any such demand, nor was there any lack of cooperation from police when we had to finally shut the mall. The message is being falsely represented to stoke fear and hatred”, Mehra said.
Earlier, the detective chief of Kolkata police told media that their investigation revealed that the youth entered the mall to take rest under the AC, as the neighbourhood is reeling under power cuts. And the youth left after a while and there is no deterioration of law and order.
Published (19 April 2023):
A video showing a group of men sitting/sleeping on the floors of a mall is being widely circulated. The video is being circulated associating it with a claim that visuals show people from certain communities barging into Quest Mall in Kolkata, demanding free food & gifts for Eid. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals showing people belonging to the Muslim community barging into a mall, demanding free food and gifts for Eid.
Fact: The visuals show locals of Radha Gobindo Saha Lane and Dilkhusha Street in Kolkata taking respite in the nearby Quest mall, as the area is reeling under heat and long duration of power outages. News agencies reported locals protesting the prolonged outage of electricity in pockets of Kolkata. However, there are no reports associating the visuals to the viral claim. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Although the visuals show people taking shelter in a mall in Kolkata, they however, did not do so for free food and gifts, but as respite from heat and electricity outages.
A reverse image search of the screenshots of the viral video yielded a news report which carried the same image. As per the news report, the visuals show residents of Radha Gobindo Saha Lane and Dilkhusha Street in Kolkata, taking rest in the nearby Quest Mall, as the area is reeling under heat and long-duration of power outages.
As per the report, police forced out the locals who entered the mall. The report further added that the area is facing frequent power outages and even people from the Jadavpur area hurled stones at CESC office, which supplies electricity in the area. Further, there is no mention of locals demanding gifts or free food.
There are other news reports, saying that power cuts caused by the tripping of distribution boxes, transformers, and cable faults have triggered protests in pockets of Kolkata. These reports can be viewed here & here. Further, there are no reports supporting the viral claim.
CESC has said that faults had been caused due to excess power demand and requested the consumers for judicious use of electric appliances to avoid overloading of the electric network.
All these establish that the visuals show residents entering the mall to get respite from power outages and not any specific community demanding gifts for Eid.
To sum it up, visuals of locals taking respite in a mall due to a power outage in Kolkata are being shared with communal spin.


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Visuals of mob vandalizing EVMs in Karnataka are falsely attributed to BJP - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 12, 2023
Update (06 May 2024): In light of the 2024 General elections, the same video has been going viral, claiming to depict people destroying EVMs found in BJP leaders’ cars. However, as demonstrated below, the visuals are from the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, showing villagers of Masabinala in Vijayapura district vandalizing electoral materials due to rumors that officials are tampering with EVMs. There is no mention of any political party in the press note released by the Election Commission.
In light of the recently held Karnataka elections, a video of a mob vandalizing EVM and VVPAT machines is being shared on social media platforms with a claim that these EVMs are found in a BJP leader’s car. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of people destroying EVMs found in BJP leaders’ car, during Karnataka elections.
Fact: These visuals are from the recently held elections in Karnataka. Influenced by rumors that officials were tampering with the EVMs, villagers of Masabinala in Vijayapura district vandalized the electoral material, being carried by the election officials in duty bound vehicles. There is no mention of any political party in the press note released by the Election commission. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In Karnataka, elections to the state assembly were held on 10 May 2023. According to the primary estimates given by the Election Commission of the state, 72.67% of polling was recorded. There were instances of EVM malfunctioning and violent incidents in some places.
The viral video in question is related to the recently held Karnataka elections. However, these EVMs were not being transported by BJP leaders as claimed in the post. Internet search with relevant keywords yielded news reports that reported the same visuals (here & here).
As per these reports, the visuals are from Masabinala village in Vijayapura district. Influenced by rumors that officials were tampering with the EVMs, villagers vandalized the reserved EVMs being transported in a duty-bound vehicle, and even assaulted an officer.
The State Election Commission released a press note briefing about the polling and the violence reported. According to the Election Commission’s statement, the transportation of the reserved Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the Assembly elections was stopped by 100-150 people, while they were being carried in a vehicle by a section officer, from Basavana Begawadi strong room towards Masabinal.
These people attacked the election officials and damaged the election material. Further, the press notes state that 24 accused persons were arrested, and cases were booked under relevant sections. However, there is no mention of any political party in the note.
To sum it up, visuals of mob vandalizing EVMs in Karnataka are falsely attributed to BJP.


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Visuals of murder in Gurugram are passed as from Uttarakhand, linking a false love jihad angle - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 11, 2023
A disturbing video of a woman’s dead body lying in a pool of blood is being circulated with a claim that in Uttarakhand, a Muslim man killed a Hindu girl who refused to marry him. In the video, one can see a middle-aged woman beating a young man. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals related to an incident wherein a Muslim man in Uttarakhand Killed a Hindu woman, for refusing to marry him.
Fact: The visuals are from Gurugram, Haryana, wherein a 23-year-old Ram Kumar stabbed his former fiancée to death following the termination of their engagement and her refusal to marry him. Police arrested the accused and registered an FIR. Both the victim and accused family belong to the same religion and thus there is no love jihad angle to the incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Although the visuals depict a young woman who is fatally stabbed, it is important to note that the incident did not occur in Uttarakhand as claimed. Additionally, there is no alleged ‘love jihad’ aspect in this incident.
Performing a reverse image search on the screenshots from the widely circulated video resulted in numerous news reports that corroborated the same visuals. According to these reports, the incident allegedly took place in Gurugram, Haryana. It is reported that a young man stabbed his former fiancée to death following the termination of their engagement and her refusal to marry him. The article identified the victim’s mother as Mithilesh and the father as Rakesh.
The incident occurred during daylight hours, and the Palam Vihar police apprehended the accused, a 23-year-old named Ram Kumar who hails from Badaun, Uttar Pradesh. An FIR has also been registered. A few other news articles that reported the incident can be read here and here.
Gurugram’s Assistant Commissioner of Police, Varun Dahiya, addressed the media and identified the accused as Ram Kumar, the son of Suraj Pal. However, the police do not suspect any communal motive or connection related to the incident.
चाकू से वार करके 19 वर्षीय युवती की हत्या करने वाला आरोपी रामकुमार (उम्र 23 वर्ष) को #गुरुग्राम_पुलिस के पुलिस थाना पालम विहार की टीम ने तत्परता से कार्यवाही करते हुए कुछ ही समय में किया गिरफ्तार।
आरोपी के कब्जा से वारदात में प्रयोग चाकू भी बरामद।@police_haryana @DGPHaryana pic.twitter.com/wNvTXkufDv
The FIR also mentioned the same names of the accused, the victim, and their respective parents, as mentioned above. Further, the FIR also mentioned that both the victim and accused were residents of Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun district but lived on rent in Molaheda village in Gurugram. Therefore, all these establish that the incident took place in Gurugram and there is no communal angle associated with the incident.
To sum it up, visuals of a murder in Gurugram are passed as from Uttarakhand, linking a false love jihad angle.


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Visuals of Pakistani cleric's funeral are passed off as those from Kisan Mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 24, 2021
A post accompanying aerial footage of a large gathering of people is being shared with a claim that the visuals show Muzaffarnagar Mahapanchayat which was organised by the farmers protesting the new farm laws. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of large crowd gathering at the Muzaffarnagar Mahapanchayat organised by the protesting farmers.
Fact: These visuals actually show large crowd attending the funeral procession of Pakistani cleric Khadim Rizvi back in 2020. Multiple news agencies published similar visuals attributing them to the cleric’s funeral. Though the kisan Mahapanchayat saw the participation of a large number of people, the visuals of the viral video have nothing to do with this panchayat. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video led us to a similar video on YouTube. As per the description, these are the drone visuals of Pakistani cleric Khadim Rizvi’s funeral.
Taking a cue from the YouTube video, further search with relevant keywords led us to Pakistan-based news agencies reports which published the visuals of Khadim Rizvi’s funeral procession. In this video from the 7:18 timestamp, the visuals are exactly similar to the viral video. From this, we can infer that the viral video is extracted from this news report.
Further Google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple news articles (here, here, and here) which published images similar to the visuals of the video. As per one such news article,  the image shows ‘activists and supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) gathering for the funeral prayer of Khadim Hussain Rizvi, founder of TLP, in Lahore on November 21, 2020’.
Earlier this month, farmers organizations protesting against the three farm laws organised a Kisan Mahapanchayat in Uttar Pradesh’ Muzaffarnagar. Although people from different parts of the country attended the panchayat, the viral video in the post is not related to this panchayat organised by the protesting farmers.
To sum it up, drone visuals of Pakistani cleric Khadim Rizvi’s funeral are passed off as those from Kisan Mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar.

created: September 24, 2021


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Visuals of Pakistan's Ahmadiyya mosques being vandalised shared as Pakistanis destroying mosques to sell iron and bricks - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 6, 2023
A video of a few men hammering blows to the minarets of a structure that looks like a Mosque is being shared on social media alleging that the people of Karachi damaged a mosque for iron and bricks, so that they can sell the same for money. The recent economic crisis in Pakistan is being claimed as the reason behind people taking such extreme steps. Let’s verify the claim being made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of the people of Pakistan vandalising a mosque in Karachi for its iron and bricks.
Fact: The visuals of the viral post are from an incident that took place in Karachi, Pakistan. A few suspected members of the Pakistani group Tehreek-e-Labbaik vandalised an Ahmadi mosque in Saddar, Karachi. The mosque belongs to the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan, who are considered heretics. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
To learn more about the viral video, we performed a keyword search on the internet, which led us to a few recent news articles (here, here and here) that contained the same visuals as the viral video. These news articles reported that a few suspected members of the Pakistani group Tehreek-e-Labbaik vandalised a Mosque in Karachi’s Saddar.
The mosques belong to a religious sect known as Ahmadiyyas, who face persecution in Pakistan. Reportedly, the community is considered heretics by the ‘hardline Muslim clerics.‘ Indian Express reported that there are around 2-5 Million Ahmadis in Pakistan. The viral post concocts a fake story around the video attributing the economic crisis of Pakistan as the cause for people vandalising the mosque.
To sum up, visuals of Pakistan’s Ahmadiyya mosques being vandalised are shared as Pakistanis destroying mosques for iron and bricks in the midst of an economic crisis.

created: February 6, 2023


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Visuals of people dancing in this video were not shot in Turkey before the earthquake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 3, 2023
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows the scenes from Turkey before and after the recent earthquake. In one clip, people can be seen dancing joyfully days before the earthquake. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows scenes from Turkey before and after the recent earthquake. It shows people dancing joyfully in Turkey days before the earthquake.
Fact: The visuals of people dancing in the posted video were not shot in Turkey. Both the clips were posted by “Çılgın Dondurmacı” (the person in the video) on his Instagram account. The dancing video is from ZouZou Restaurant in Dubai (UAE). The bottom video was posted by “Çılgın Dondurmacı” recently after the earthquake. Hence the claim that the dancing video was shot in Turkey is FALSE.
On seeing the video, one can observe that there is a restaurant board – “ZouZou” in the dancing clip. So, when we searched with some keywords, we found a similar video on the official social media handle of “ZouZou Restaurant”. A person with the name – “Çılgın Dondurmacı” is tagged in that post.
The exact dancing video clip can be found to be posted on his Instagram account on 18 December 2022. Also, the “ZouZou Restaurant” has posted that “Çılgın Dondurmacı” will be at ZouZou Restaurant in JBR Dubai from 16 to 18 December 2022. The hotel location also matches the visuals in the video clip. In his YouTube video, he clearly mentioned that it is from Dubai. So, the dancing video was not shot in Turkey, it is from ZouZou Restaurant in Dubai (UAE).
The bottom video in the viral post was posted by “Çılgın Dondurmacı” recently after the earthquake. The locations in the before and after videos are not the same. In a recent live video on his Facebook account, “Çılgın Dondurmacı” can be seen showing his new shop. More details about him can be found on his website.
To sum it up, the visuals of people dancing in the posted video were not shot in Turkey before the earthquake.


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Visuals of protesters burning the Indian flag in Pakistan are being shared as if they took place in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 14, 2022
Muslims in India and many other countries have been protesting against BJP spokesperson’s  remarks on Prophet Muhammed. In this context, a social media post showing visuals of hijab clad women burning the Indian flag is being shared widely with a claim attributing the visuals to the recent events, and India. Another post which shows Muslim men setting fire to the Indian tricolour claiming to be from India is also being widely shared. Through this article let’s fact-check the veracity of these visuals.
Claim: Visuals of Muslims setting fire to Indian tricolour in the context of Prophet Muhammad row.
Fact: The video of woman setting fire to the Indian tricolour is at least two years old and is not related to the recent events. It is YouTuber Sajida Ahmad who burnt the tricolour and she did it during a demonstration regarding the Kashmir issue, whereas the image showing Muslim men desecrating the Indian tricolour is related to the recent event. However, the image shows Pakistan Muslims and it has nothing to do with India. Religious organisations in Lahore burnt the Indian flag during a demonstration against BJP spokesperson’s comments on Prophet Muhammad. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Video:
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the viral video led us to a YouTube video which carried similar visuals. This video is uploaded on 02 February 2020 and the description of the video reads ‘Sajida Ahmad & Mansoor Baloch Burning Indian Flag’.
From the video, it is evident that the protest is related to the Kashmir issue, as the woman who has set fire to the tricolour can be heard speaking about Kashmir and the protesters can be seen holding banners related to human rights.
In another video shared on the same channel and on the same day, we can see Sajida desecrating the Indian flag from another angle. In this video, we can also find banners similar to the one in the viral video and the video is associated with #KashmirDay, #Mutri and #Pakistan hashtags.
Through Google search, it is known that the woman seen in the viral video is Sajida Ahmad, a popular YouTuber Known for India bashing.
However, a 2019 Indian YouTube video roasting Sajida Ahmed for desecrating the Indian flag also carried visuals similar to the viral video. Hence, though the exact date and location of the incident are not known, as per the available information, it is evident the video is old and had nothing to do with the recent events and is definitely not from India.
Image:
Reverse image search of the photo yielded multiple news articles which published the same image (here, here & here). As per these articles, supporters of religious groups burnt Indian flag during a demonstration in Lahore against the recent remarks of BJP spokesperson on Prophet Muhammad.
Another visual desecrating Indian flag from the same demonstration can be viewed on stock image website alamy. The description accompanying the image reads ‘Lahore, Pakistan. 09th June 2022. Activists of Majlis Ulma-e-Nizamia Pakistan shouting slogans during a demonstration against former India’s Bharatiya Janata Party spokeswoman Nupur Sharma over her blasphemous remarks for Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Lahore’
Thus, from all these, it is evident that although the image shows Muslims desecrating Indian flag, the visuals are not from India but Pakistan.
To sum it up, visuals of protesters burning the Indian flag in Pakistan are being shared with misleading claims.


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Visuals of Rajasthan unemployed youth staging protest outside Lucknow Congress office is falsely linked to UPTET exam - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 30, 2021
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of UPTET aspirants sleeping under an open sky overnight near the examination centres in Uttar Pradesh. Following the UPTET examination paper leak, the Uttar Pradesh Government cancelled the UPTET examination scheduled on 28 November 2021. The UP Government re-scheduled the UPTET exam date to 26 December 2021. In the wake of the Uttar Pradesh Government’s decision to cancel the UPTET examination, this photo is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of students sleeping under open sky overnight to attempt the UPTET examination which was cancelled on 28 November 2021 following a paper leak.
Fact: The photo shared in the post shows a group of protestors from Rajasthan, sleeping outside the Congress office in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Recently, the unemployed youth from Rajasthan staged a dharna outside the Lucknow Congress office, demanding a meeting with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. This photo has nothing to do with the re-scheduled UPTET examination. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, similar visuals were found in the photos and videos published recently by a few users on social media. They can be seen here, here and here. These users mentioned it as visuals of unemployed youth from Rajasthan, staging a dharna outside the Congress party office in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Upen Yadav, the president of Rajasthan Berojgar Ekikrat Mahasangh had shared a video with similar visuals on his Facebook page, on 27 November 2021. He mentioned it as visuals of unemployed youth from Rajasthan, sleeping the whole night without a mattress outside the Lucknow Congress party office.
On searching for more sources using these keywords,  a video with similar visuals is found in an article published by the ‘Dhainik Bhaskar’ news website. Sharing the video, the ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ reported that several unemployed youth from Rajasthan got sick after they staged a dharna th entire night sleeping without a mattress. These unemployed youth from Rajasthan have been protesting outside the Lucknow Congress office, demanding a meeting with Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Several news websites published articles reporting this protest of Rajasthan unemployed youth outside the Congress office in Lucknow. They can be seen here and here.
When this photo went viral as the visuals of UPTET aspirants sleeping outside the examination halls in UP, the UP Police Fact Check team had issued a clarification mentioning that the visuals in the photo show a protest conducted by Rajasthan unemployed youth in Lucknow. Also, the UP Police arrested the key person who first spread this rumour on UPTET aspirants. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the photo shared in the post shows unemployed youth from Rajasthan sleeping outside the Lucknow Congress office.
#UPTET परीक्षा के संबंध में फेसबुक अकाउंट 'आपन देवरिया' से भ्रामक फोटो/तथ्य पोस्ट किए जाने पर @deoriapolice द्वारा अभियोग पंजीकृत करते हुए अभियुक्त प्रिंस यादव को गिरफ्तार कर नियमानुसार विधिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है।
कृपया भ्रामक पोस्ट कर अफवाह न फैलाएं।#UPPViralCheck#UPPolice https://t.co/eCDmwc5UEG pic.twitter.com/7kYX3T7cFR
To sum it up, visuals of Rajasthan unemployed youth staging protest outside the Lucknow Congress office is falsely linked to the re-scheduled UPTET exam.

created: November 30, 2021


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Visuals of Russian and Ukrainian troops are shared as war scenes from Israel and Palestine - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 6, 2023
A video containing multiple visuals with war equipment is being shared as it shows war scenes in Israel and Palestine. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The visuals of the video show war scenes in Israel and Palestine.
Fact: Multiple visuals and images in the video have been reported in various news articles, with these images being identified as depicting Russian and Ukrainian troops. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On conducting a reverse image search using the keyframes of the video, we came across a Twitter post featuring a crossed-out thumbnail of the video, which explicitly states that the video is unrelated to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Instead, it allegedly depicts scenes from Ukraine involving Russian soldiers. The post says that the presence of a “Z” on the rocket launcher is indicative of Russian involvement during the invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, it suggests that the individuals in the video can be heard speaking Russian in the later part of the footage.
On further investigation, we found multiple visuals and images in the video are published in various news articles. One of the keyframe extracts was found in an article published by the News directory3 with the caption “Russian soldier in Ukraine: our people were slaughtered.”
Another image was released by a Russian news report, featuring a photograph of a Russian serviceman engaged in combat operations aimed at destroying Ukrainian Armed Forces targets in the Kupyansky direction.
One more picture was located in a different Russian news report, bearing the headline “Russian forces successfully defended against ten assaults launched by the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kupyansk area.”
Upon further investigation, we came across a video featured on a news website suggesting that Russia is deploying soldiers who are heavily under the influence of narcotics for combat purposes.
To sum up, visuals, originally depicting Russian and Ukrainian troops, are shared as they show soldiers from Israel and Palestine.


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Visuals of school girls attacking a molester are being shared with a false communal claim - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 26, 2023
A video of young school-going girls thrashing a person in public is going viral on social media platforms. The video is being shared with a claim attributing communal angle to the incident, saying “Ahmedabad ki Sherni this is called strength of Hindu daughter of Maa Bharti, Jehadi Abdul molested Hindu lioness girl going to school in public, all Maa Durga Avatari daughters gathered and reminded Jehadi Abdul of his forefathers”. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals showing Hindu girls teaching a lesson to a Muslim molester.
Fact: These visuals indeed show young school going girls thrashing a molester. However, there is no communal aspect to the incident, as both the victim and the accused are from the same community. FIR has been registered at the Kagadapith police station and the accused is identified as Vijay Natwarbhai, a Hindu. The police have also confirmed that the accused is not a Muslim. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Although the viral visuals clearly depict a group of schoolgirls confronting a boy who was harassing them, it is important to note that there is no religious or communal angle to the incident, as both the victim and the accused are from the same community.
A keyword search yielded multiple news articles which reported the same visuals (here, here, here & here). As per these articles, on the morning of 22 June 2023, at Bhulabhai Park Bus Stand, a 17-year-old girl was cycling to school when she was approached by Vijay Sarkate, a stalker. He forcefully grabbed her hand, tried to give her a gift, and proceeded to forcefully kiss her.
To teach the stalker a lesson, the girl shared the distressing experience with her mother. As anticipated, the stalker reappeared the next day and confronted the girl. Fortunately, her older sister, who was nearby, intervened and confronted the stalker, Vijay Sarkate. Both the sisters along with other students attacked the stalker. In the meantime, the girls’ parents who came there called the police control room and filed a complaint against Sarkate.
An FIR has been filed at the Kagadapith police station and according to the inspector of Kagadapith G J Ravat, the accused Sarkate is booked for molestation and stalking under the Indian Penal Code along with charges under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
While a few articles wrongly reported the name of the accused as ‘Vijay Sarkate’, few news outlets and the FIR identified the accused as ‘Vijay Natwarbhai’.  Kagadapith police station SHO GJ Rawat told Aaj Tak that the man arrested for molesting a minor is not a Muslim. Thus, these details indicate that contrary to the viral claim there is no communal touch to the incident.
To sum it up, visuals of school-going girls attacking a molester are being shared with a false communal spin.


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Visuals of stone pelting from Madhya Pradesh are being attributed to the recent Kanpur violence - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 10, 2022
Lately, Kanpur has witnessed violence and stone pelting incidents following BJP spokesperson’s remarks over Prophet Muhammad. In this backdrop, a social media post accompanying a video showing a group of men pelting stones from the terrace of a building is being widely shared attributing it to Uttar Pradesh. Through this article let’s fact-check the veracity of the video shared in the post.
Claim: Visuals of stone pelting in Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The visuals are related to violence and stone pelting incidents that took place in Khargone city of Madhya Pradesh earlier in April 2022 during the Ram Navami celebrations. Independent journalists have confirmed that the visuals are indeed from Khargone. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
It is true that Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur has witnessed incidents of violence and stone pelting over the BJP spokesperson’s remarks on Prophet Muhammed. However, the visuals shared in the post are not from Uttar Pradesh but from Madhya Pradesh.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the visuals led us to a tweet by a journalist that shared the same visuals in April 2022. The journalist shared the video claiming that visuals show Hindus pelting stones at Muslims in Taudi Mohalla in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh.
#WATCH Video From #Khargone
Hindutva Extremists Pelting Stone on Muslim population Taudi Mohalla near Mata Chowk. But they're not arrested yet, and bulldozer is not used to demolish their Houses.@RanaAyyub @RahulGandhi @asadowaisi @milligazette @digvijaya_28 @AdityaMenon22 pic.twitter.com/2mj1Gshgd7
In fact, the date & time mentioned in the viral video reads, 10 April 2022 & 18: 13, which implies the video could not be related to any recent events.
Further, through Google search we found news reports (here & here) of violence and stone pelting in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone city during Ram Navami celebration in the month of April 2022. This further corroborates the claim that  the viral visuals could actually be related to these incidents.
Further, News checker, a fact-checking agency contacted a local journalist from Khargone and confirmed that the video is indeed from Khargone and related to the violence which took place in April 2022. The journalist confirmed the location of the building from which stones were pelted. All these confirm that the viral video is not related to the Uttar Pradesh violence.
To sum it up, visuals of stone pelting from Madhya Pradesh are being shared attributing to the recent Kanpur violence.


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Visuals of Tamil Nadu farmers welcoming the Cauvery river is shared as miraculous river that flows only for a month - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 7, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of people welcoming a miraculous river in South India. This post claims that the river in the video flows only for a month between the new moon day of ‘pitru paksha’ to the new moon day of Deepawali every year. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a miraculous river that appears only for a month every year.
Fact: This video shows Mayiladuthurai people welcoming Cauvery water in Tamil Nadu. This video was shot in September 2017, while Mettur Dam in Tamil Nadu released Cauvery water for the ‘Cauvery Mahapushkaram 2017’ event that was held in Mayiladuthurai. The ‘Cauvery Mahapushkaram’ is celebrated for 12 days once in every 12 years. While it is true that farmers in most parts of Tamil Nadu treat Cauvery as goddess, there is no miraculous history behind the flow of the Cauvery river in this video. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, videos with similar visuals were found published on social media at least since 2017. They can be seen here and here. These users mentioned it as the visuals of Cauvery water entering the Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu. When we searched for more details using relevant keywords, we found the details of this video through a tweet made by the ‘One India Tamil’ news website on 19 September 2017. ‘One India Tamil’ reported it as the visuals of Mayiladuthurai people welcoming Cauvery water in Tamil Nadu.
VIDEO : வந்துருச்சு காவிரி- நடுஆற்றில் நெடுஞ்சாண் கிடையாக விழுந்து கும்பிட்ட விவசாயிகள் – வைரல் வீடியோ https://t.co/bLKtVobxKj #Cauvery
Reporting the complete details of this video, ‘One India Tamil’ news website published an article. According to the article, the Mettur Dam in Tamil Nadu released Cauvery water for the ‘Cauvery Mahapushkaram 2017’ event that was held beside the banks of Cauvery in Tamil Nadu. This ‘Cauvery Mahapushkaram’ event reportedly took place between 12 and 24 September 2017. The ‘Cauvery Mahapushkaram’ event organizers and farmers bowed and welcomed Cauvery while it was entering Mayiladuthurai. After suffering 144 years of drought in Cauvery, Mayiladuthurai farmers reportedly fell on the Cauvery waterway and worshipped her as a goddess. Reporting the complete details of this Cauvery Mahapushkaram event, several other news websites published articles in 2017. They can be read here and here.
According to a report by the ‘India.com’ news website, the ‘Cauvery Mahapushkaram’ is celebrated for 12 days once every 12 years. In 2019, ‘Milaap’ crowdfunding platform published a similar video, where a young farmer described the struggle of Tamil Nadu farmers due to the lack of Cauvery water. He mentioned in the video that for the last three years, the Cauvery river was not flowing in most of the villages in Tamil Nadu. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is old and there is no miracle in the flow of this river.
To sum it up, an old video of Tamil Nadu farmers welcoming the Cauvery river is falsely shared as a miraculous river that flows for only a month every year.

created: October 7, 2021


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Visuals of the Ramayana Cultural Center located in Koradi, Nagpur, falsely shared as the inside view of Ayodhya Ram temple - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 15, 2023
A video of a traditional building with a fancy interiors is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows the interior of the Ayodhya Ram temple, which is under construction. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: This video shows the interior view of Ayodhya Ram temple.
Fact: The visuals actually show the interior of the Ramayana Cultural Center located in Koradi, Nagpur. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
After observing that the viral video carries a watermark that reads “Nagpur Experience”, we performed a keyword search on the internet to find the original source for the video. This search led us to the same video uploaded on the YouTube shorts tab of a channel named “Nagpur Experience.” This video was uploaded on 8 July 2023 and, according to the title of the video, shows “Shree Ram Dham, Koradi Mandir.”
A further search on the internet to find more details about the place revealed (here and here) that this video shows the Ramayana Cultural Center, which is located in Koradi, Nagpur, and hosts a Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Devi temple. Reportedly, President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated this Center (Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan’s Sanskritik Kendra) in July 2023 (here and here).
Additionally, based on the news reports, the Ayodhya Ram temple will be inaugurated in January 2024.
To sum up, this video does not show the interior view of Ayodhya Ram temple.

created: September 15, 2023


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Visuals of two different individuals shared as before-and-after images of a man who sustained burns while rescuing his girlfriend - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 22, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it shows visuals of the transformation of a man who purportedly rescued his girlfriend from a burning building. Initially, the footage displays a half-burnt man, with stone-like skin, followed by visuals of a handsome person. The post claims that the visuals represent the same individual, portraying it as a before-and-after sequence of the man rescuing his girlfriend from a fire. The post further alleges that, despite risking his life for the rescue, the man was later abandoned by his girlfriend due to dissatisfaction with his skin colour and tone. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Before-and-after visuals of a man who sustained burns and lost his skin layers while rescuing his girlfriend from a burning building.
Fact: The video shows the visuals of two different individuals. The man (without burn injuries) seen in the video is Huo FanFan from Shanghai, China. Through a Facebook post, Huo FanFan clarified that his photo was misused and shared with a false narrative on social media. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, we could not find any reliable sources related to the individuals seen in the video. A few users in the comment section stated that the narrative of the video was fake and shared the Instagram handle of the person without burn injuries seen in the video.
The Instagram handle these users shared was of Huo FanFan. Huo FanFan is an employee at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) in Shanghai, China. Huo FanFan shared the photo seen in the video on 02 September 2021. A few latest pictures posted by Huo FanFan on his Instagram handle can be seen here, here, and here. In these pictures, Huo FanFan was seen with his usual skin tone and colour, and without any burn injuries.
Huo FanFan through a Facebook post clarified that his photo was misused and shared with a false narrative on social media. Huo FanFan shared a viral TikTok post alleging that the user had misused his photo to create a fake video. The viral video was created by a TikTok handle named “gilbert_ed1tz”.
On searching for the details of the person with alleged burn injuries seen in the video, we found an extended version of this individual’s video on a TikTok handle. This TikTok user shared the image of another man and claimed it as before-and-after visuals of the man before sustaining burns. This user had shared multiple videos of physically disabled individuals on his TikTok handle. We could not find any further details of this person. But from all the above evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows the visuals of two different individuals.
To sum it up, visuals of two different individuals were falsely portrayed as before-and-after images of a man who rescued his girlfriend from a burning building.

created: November 22, 2023


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Visuals related to anti-vax protests outside BBC office are passed off linking them to the documentary on Narendra Modi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 30, 2023
In light of the BBC documentary on Narendra Modi & 2002 Gujarat riots, a social post accompanying a video of a massive crowd gathering is being shared as a protest in front of the BBC office in London against their controversial documentary. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of people protesting in front of BBC office in London, against their documentary.
Fact: These visuals are related to anti-vax protests carried outside the BBC headquarters in London, earlier this month. News agencies have reported these protests. Live streamed footage of this protest is available on YouTube. While it is true that Indian diaspora has protested outside BBC against the controversial documentary on PM Modi,  the viral visuals are not related to these protests.  Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
It is true that the Indian diaspora staged protests at the BBC headquarters in London, against their controversial documentary on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Protesters demanded an apology from BBC for showing Modi in a bad light. Multiple news agencies have reported these protests, a few of which can be viewed here & here.
However, the visuals shared in the viral post are not related to these protests. These visuals actually show recent anti-vaxxers protest carried outside the BBC headquarters in London. Upon careful observation of the viral video, we can spot a watermark, which reads ‘ORACLE FILMS’. Taking a cue from this, an internet search with relevant keywords led us to a Twitter handle with the name ‘ORACLE FILMS’. This account, along with a few other visuals, shared the exact same viral video on 23 January 2023. According to these tweets, the visuals show protests by anti-vaxxers (COVID-19) ‘in recognition of the vaccine injured and bereaved’.
"SHAME ON YOU" – British public to the BBC
Truth be Told London, a demonstration outside BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London on 21st Jan 2023.
Watch in high quality here (https://t.co/aYmbcO7Whs). pic.twitter.com/u8zOo3OjfG
Further, Conservative Party MP Andrew Bridgen also participated in these protests and spoke out for the victims of the vaccines. A few more visuals from these protests can be viewed here & here. The protest was live-streamed on YouTube. Footage of it can be seen here. Further search yielded news reports about the anti-vax protests outside the BBC (here & here). One such report by The Independent reported these protests on 21 January 2023. The visuals shared in this report show the same location as in the viral video.
All these establish the fact that the viral visuals are from recently held anti-vax protests outside the BBC office in London and are not related to the BBC’s controversial documentary on Modi.
To sum it up, visuals related to anti-vax protests outside BBC office are passed off linking them to the documentary on Modi.

created: January 30, 2023


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Visuals related to the Independence Day parade of Mexico are being shared attributing them to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 17, 2023
In the midst of the continuing Israel-Palestine conflict, a video depicting soldiers parading with army helicopters and weapons is circulating, linking the visuals to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. The video is being claimed to be displaying Palestinian artillery. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Palestinian soldiers parading and displaying their artillery during the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
Fact: The visuals show Mexican army parade, showcasing their artillery during the Independence Day. Further, there are no reports of Mexico providing any military support to Palestine or Hamas. Regarding the ongoing conflict, the Mexican government issued a statement condemning attacks against civilians. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral footage depicts a military parade showcasing artillery. However, it is not the Palestinian military or Hamas; rather, it is the Mexican army. The visuals clearly display ‘Reserva Estrategica Santa Lucia’ on one of the vehicles.
Taking a cue from this, we conducted an online search using specific keywords. This search revealed that the Santa Lucía Strategic Reserve is a military unit established to defend the central region of Mexico. Further search led us to a news report that aired the military parade of the Mexican army on Mexican Independence Day, celebrated on 16 September 2023.
During this parade, the Mexican army showcased the same artillery as seen in the viral video. By comparing these visuals to those in the viral video, it becomes evident that the viral footage shows Mexican artillery, and not that of the Palestinian or Hamas forces.
Furthermore, we did not come across any reports indicating that Mexico has provided military support to Palestine or Hamas. Regarding the ongoing conflict, the Mexican government issued a statement condemning attacks against civilians. The statement further reads ‘Mexico recognizes Israel’s right to legitimate self-defense, which must be governed by the conditions established in international law, while condemning the use of force, regardless of which side uses it, especially when the targets are civilians, in clear violation of international humanitarian law.’
To sum it up, visuals related to the Independence Day parade of Mexico are being shared attributing them to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

created: October 17, 2023


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Visuals Show a 4-Year-Old Incident from Delhi Zoo: The Man Was Rescued Unhurt - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 3, 2023
A video of a man inside an enclosure with a lion is being widely shared on social media, with a claim that it shows the latest incident of a man falling into a lion’s cage at Delhi Zoo and that the lion took the man’s life. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a recent incident at Delhi Zoo, where a man fell into a lion’s cage and the lion took his life.
Fact: This incident happened at Delhi Zoo on 17 October 2019. A 28-year-old man, who was reportedly in an inebriated state, climbed into the lion’s enclosure. However, the Zoo staff promptly rescued him, and he remained unhurt. The police said he is mentally unstable. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
An internet search using relevant keywords led us to news reports by Hindustan Times, India Today, and Indian Express, all featuring the same video. According to these reports, on 17 October 2019, a 28-year-old man climbed into a lion enclosure at the National Zoological Park in Delhi. Visuals show the man sitting, squatting, and then tumbling in front of the lion. Fortunately, the prompt action of the visitors alerted the Zoo staff, who quickly rescued the man by tranquillizing the lion. Zoo officials said that the lion did not hurt the man.
Local police stated that the man, a native of Bihar, was initially in an inebriated state and appeared to be mentally unstable. He was subsequently sent for a medical examination.
To sum it up, the visuals show a 4-year-old incident at Delhi Zoo where an inebriated man climbed into the lion’s enclosure. The man was later rescued and remained unhurt.

created: August 3, 2023


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Visuals show a cow attacking a girl child in Chennai, not Haryana - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 14, 2023
A video depicting a cow brutally attacking a school-going child is being widely shared on social media. The post claims that the incident took place in the Saitpura area of Faridabad, Haryana. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a cow attacking a child in Faridabad, Haryana.
Fact: This incident took place in the Arumbakkam area of Chennai on 09 August 2023. The girl is currently in stable condition. The owner of the cow has been arrested, and the cattle have been impounded. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
By conducting an internet search using relevant keywords, we discovered numerous news reports published by Indian Express, The Hindu, and The Times of India regarding this incident. According to these reports, a nine-year-old girl identified as J. Ayesha, a Class IV student from Gandhi Nagar in Choolaimedu, Chennai, sustained grievous injuries on 09 August 2023 when a cow gored her and threw her into the air while she was returning from school with her mother and her five-year-old brother on a narrow lane in MMDA Colony, Arumbakkam, Chennai.
The cow repeatedly attacked the girl and stopped only after onlookers chased it away. The injured girl was subsequently taken to a hospital. The owner of the cow, S. Vicky, 26, from Arumbakkam, was arrested on charges of endangering the lives of the public through negligent conduct. The cattle, including the calf that had attacked the child, have been impounded by authorities and tested for diseases.
The cattle with the calf that attacked a child is impounded and tested for diseases.
ACS/ #GCC Commissioner Dr @RAKRI1 inspects to check the steps taken by the health officials of #GCC. 👇#ChennaiCorporation#HeretoServe pic.twitter.com/qQcHh4I0sr
Later in the evening, Health Minister Ma Subramanian visited the girl, who is currently admitted to a private hospital in Aminjikarai. Subramanian stated that the doctors are providing the best possible treatment and that the girl’s condition is stable.
To sum it up, the incident of a cow attacking a school-going girl occurred in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and not in Faridabad, Haryana.


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These visuals show ‘art form’ of a snake in China’s Zoo Park, not a real snake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 3, 2023
Visuals of a giant snake like object that coiled a van are being widely shared online with a claim that it shows a real snake. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a giant snake wrapped around a van.
Fact: Visuals do not show a real snake. It is an art form created by the ‘Zhongnan Baicao Garden’ amusement zoo park in China. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
An internet search with relevant keywords revealed that the visuals are from an amusement zoo park in China named ‘Zhongnan Baicao Garden’. Visuals do not show a real snake, but a man-made artwork designed to attract visitors.
Social media handle of the park had previously shared the visuals of this snake’s artform along with other small toy snakes. They can be seen here and here
Also, several social media users posted videos of themselves roaming around these art forms. A few can be seen here, here, and here.
To sum it up, visuals of a snake art form in Chinese Zoo are shared as a real giant snake coiled around a van.

created: February 3, 2023


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Voluntary Disclosure of Black Money – Comparing 1997 & 2015 - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 7, 2015
The declarations under the Black Money act surprised many including the Government. At the end of the 90 day compliance period, only 638 declarations were made totaling an amount of 4147 crore rupees. This would result in 2488 crore rupees of tax revenue to the government. This amount was compared to a similar scheme (Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme) in 1997 where a much larger amount was declared.
There was considerable disappointment when the Government announced the Declarations received and amount declared under the compliance window under ‘The Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015’. According to the government, a total of 638 declarations have been received under the compliance window declaring undisclosed foreign assets amounting to Rs 3770 crore. This amount was later revised to Rs 4147 crore, while the number of declarations remained the same. The compliance window opened on 1st July, 2015 and was open till 30th of September 2015. For the declarations made, Tax at the rate of 30 percent and penalty at the rate of 30 percent is to be paid by 31st December 2015.
The Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme (VDIS) 1997
Many tax experts compared the current initiative with the Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme of 1997, an idea of then finance minister, P Chidambaram. In his Budget speech of 1997-98, the then Finance Minister in the United Front Government, P Chidambaram remarked that in a country of 90 crore people, it was absurd that only 1.2 crore people are assessed to income tax and that only 12000 of the assesses are in the tax bracket of income of above Rs 10 lakhs.
In this budget speech, he said that it was time to think of a scheme to harness `black money’ for productive purposes. He also believed that the time opportune to introduce a Voluntary Disclosure Scheme. The scheme was supposed to be very simple that irrespective of the year or the nature or the source of the funds, the amount disclosed, either as cash, securities or assets, whether held in India or abroad, would be charged at the revised highest rate of tax. Apart from these, Interest and penalty will be waived. Immunity shall also be granted from any action under the Income-tax, Wealth tax and the Foreign Exchange Regulation Acts.
Another feature of this scheme was that 77.5% of the funds collected through the scheme will be accrued to the State governments. This was seen as a step to seek active co-operation of the state governments.
The scheme was introduced in 1997 and the compliance period was 6 months. The tax payable on the declared amount was at the rate of 35% in the case of companies and firms and 30% in the case of others.
By the end of the scheme period, a total of 33,339 crore rupees was declared by 4,75,133 declarants. This resulted in a collection of 9584 crore rupees in taxes by the government. The highest amount was collected in Mumbai (2032 crore), followed by Delhi (1228 crore) & Ahmedabad (968 crore). As promised, 7594 crore rupees were transferred to the states.
Comparison
Why not another VDIS?
There are multiple reasons given by tax experts for the failure of the current scheme, the major one being the higher tax rate. The 1997 scheme was successful because of a lower tax rate of 30%, which was not very different from the normal tax rate. Even the rigorous imprisonment clause of three to ten years for willful attempt to evade tax did not help.
Another issue that went against the current NDA government is the affidavit filed by the previous Governments that there won’t be another amnesty scheme like the VDIS. The previous governments had to file this affidavit in response to a PIL filed by a private citizen in the Supreme Court that such schemes discourage honest tax payers and are unfair to them.

created: October 7, 2015


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‘Vote for MIM’ అని ఉన్న షర్టు ని షారుఖ్ ఖాన్ వేసుకోలేదు. అది ఫోటోషాప్ చేయబడింది - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 30, 2019
సినీనటుడు షారుఖ్ ఖాన్ ఎంఐఎం పార్టీకి మద్దతుగా షర్టు వేసుకున్నాడని ఒక ఫోటోతో కూడిన పోస్ట్ ని ఫేస్బుక్ లో కొందరు షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు. ఆ ఫోటోలో ఎంతవరకు నిజముందో విశ్లేషిద్ధాం.
‘Vote for MIM’ అని ఉన్న షర్టుని వేసుకున్న షారుఖ్ ఖాన్.
పోస్ట్ లోని ఫోటో ఫోటోషాప్ చేయబడింది. ఒరిజినల్ ఫోటోలో ‘Vote for MIM’ అని షారుఖ్ ఖాన్ షర్టు పై రాసి ఉండదు. కావున పోస్ట్ లో చెప్పింది అబద్ధం.
పోస్ట్ లోని ఫోటోని క్రాప్ చేసి యాన్డెక్స్ రివర్స్ ఇమేజ్ సెర్చ్ లో వెతకగా, పోస్ట్ లో ఉన్న ఫోటో లాంటి ఫోటోలే సెర్చ్ రిజల్ట్స్ లో చాలా వస్తాయి. కానీ, ఆ ఫోటోల్లో షారుఖ్ ఖాన్ వేసుకున్న షర్టు మీద ‘Vote for MIM’ అని రాసి ఉండదు. కావున ఫోటోషాప్ సాఫ్ట్ వేర్ సహాయంతో ఫోటోని ఎడిట్ చేసి ‘Vote for MIM’ అని షారుఖ్ ఖాన్ షర్టు మీద రాసారు.
అంతేకాదు, 2018 లో ‘హిందుస్తాన్ టైమ్స్’ వారు తప్పుడు వార్తలపై రాసిన ఒక ఆర్టికల్ లో పోస్ట్ లోని ఫోటో ఎడిట్ చేయబడినది అంటూ రాసారు.
చివరగా, ‘Vote for MIM’ అని ఉన్న షర్టు ని షారుఖ్ ఖాన్ వేసుకోలేదు. అది ఒక ఎడిటెడ్ ఫోటో.
ఏది ఫేక్, ఏది నిజం సిరీస్ లో మా వీడియోస్ మీరు చూసారా?


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Vote Wisely Delhi - Infographic - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 6, 2015
Vote wisely Delhi. Decide whether its a Sweep, Bloom or a Wave. A quick look at the promises made by the major parties here

created: February 6, 2015


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Voter Cheat Sheet for the Karnataka Election
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 25, 2018
To exercise the voting right judiciously and to be informed, voters need to be aware of various election related rules. Here is a compilation of all those rules & contacts a voter should know for  the upcoming elections in Karnataka.
Verify your name on the Voter List/Electoral Roll
First & foremost, check if your name is on the electoral roll or more popularly known as the voter list. You could search your name on the CEO Karnataka website or on the National Voters Service Portal (NVSP). Do not forget to check your polling station details either on the CEO Karnataka website or on the NVSP.
Know your Candidate
Any candidate contesting the Assembly or the Lok Sabha election has to submit a list of documents to the returning officer appointed by the election commission. The list includes a nomination paper in a specific format, an affidavit as per ECI guidelines, additional affidavit regarding dues to public institutions, Forms A & B etc. Check out story for details of these documents.
The affidavit is an important document to know about the candidate. It has details of pending criminal cases against the candidate if any, details of his/her movable/immovable property, details of liabilities, educational qualification and the source of income. All this information is submitted by the candidate himself/herself. The copy of the affidavit can be downloaded from the CEO Karnataka website or the ECI website. Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a non-profit working for electoral reforms also puts out a summary of the contesting candidates on the ‘My Neta‘ website.
Learn about Election rules & Report Violations
All contesting candidates & political parties have to abide by the model code of conduct rules & guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Violation of these rules can result in multiple electoral offences. Citizens/voters can report any such violation that comes to their notice. There are multiple ways to report violations.
Report to the CEO/DC/SP: If you come across any violation of the model code of conduct or any electoral offence, you can get in touch with the Chief Electoral Officer of the Karnataka state or the District Election Officers or the SP of your district.
Report to the Election Observers: The ECI also appoints central observers to oversee the election process. You could get in touch with these observers and report any violation of the electoral rules. You can report to the general observers or the police observers or the expenditure observer whose details are uploaded on the ECI website. The maximum allowed expenditure for Karnataka Assembly election is Rs 28 lakh per candidate. The   details of what all have to be counted in the expenditure of the candidate is explained in detail in the ECI’s press note.
Make a Complaint on the ECI Portal: One can also make a complaint on the CEO Karntaka website or the National Grievance Service of the ECI.


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Voter’s Right to Know– disclosure of candidate’s criminal antecedents
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 21, 2020
The Supreme Court recently directed political parties to disclose reasons for selection of candidates with pending criminal cases. However, like the previous directions of the Supreme court, these are not really making any difference. Here is why.
In a recent judgement passed by the Supreme Court (SC) on13 February 2020 in Public Interest Foundation vs Union
Of India, politicalparties have been directed to publish criminal antecedents of contestingcandidates along with reasons for fielding each one of these candidates,notwithstanding their ‘winnability’. The Election Commission of India (ECI) hasalso issued a directive to implement the apexcourt’s orders concerning criminal antecedents of candidates.
While the judgement is a step towards ensuring accountability andtransparency in politics, the SC has issued similar directions over the pastfew years. In this article, we take a stock of the major judgements deliveredby courts, important reports on electoral reforms and persistent challengesagainst the growing criminalisation of politics in India.
Data on Criminalisation of Politics
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), established in 1999, hasbeen conducting detailed analysis of the backgrounds of candidates contestingelections. ADR has conducted Election Watches for almost all state andparliament elections in collaboration with the National
Election Watch.In ADR’s report for Lok Sabha 2019 elections titled ‘Analysis of Criminal Background,
Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Winners’, the trend in winners with declaredcriminal cases has been recorded for 3 consecutive Lok Sabha elections.
Lok Sabha 2019: Out of the 539 winners analysed for Lok Sabha2019, 233 (43%) Winners have declared criminal cases against themselves. 159(29%) winners have declared serious criminal cases including cases related torape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc.
The chancesof winning for a candidate with criminal cases in the Lok Sabha 2019 elections were 15.5% whereas for acandidate with a clean record it is 4.7%.
Lok Sabha 2014: Out of the542 winners analysed during Lok Sabha 2014 elections, 185 (34%) winners have declared criminal cases againstthemselves. 112 (21%) winners have declared serious criminal cases includingcases related to murder, attempt to murder, communal disharmony, kidnapping,crimes against women etc.
The chancesof winning for a candidate with criminal cases in the Lok Sabha 2014 elections were 13% whereas for acandidate with a clean record it is 5%.
Lok Sabha 2009: Out of 521 winners analysed during Lok Sabha 2009elections, 158 (30%) winners had declared criminal cases against themselves. 77(15%) winners had declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
During thelast few decades, several committee reports have also pointed out the growingcriminalisation of Indian politics and its implications. Starting with Goswami Committee on Electoral
Reforms (1990) that addressed the need to curb the growing criminal forces in politics, thereport of Vohra Committee Report (1993) reveals several alarming and deeplydisturbing trends. It referred to several observations made by officialagencies, including the CBI, IB, R&AW, who unanimously expressed theiropinion on the criminal network which was virtually running a parallelgovernment. The Committee also took note of the criminal gangs who carried outtheir activities under the aegis of various political parties and governmentfunctionaries. The Committee further expressed great concern regarding the factthat over the past few years, several criminals had been elected to localbodies, State Assemblies and the Parliament.
On various occasions, the courts have also recognised that the nexusbetween politicians, bureaucrats and criminal elements in our society has beenon the rise, the adverse effects of which are increasingly being felt onvarious aspects of social life in India. In the 18th Report presented to the Rajya Sabha on 15March 2007, by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, PublicGrievances, Law and Justice on Electoral Reforms acknowledged the existence ofcriminal elements in the Indian polity which hit the roots .
Major Judgements on Voter’s Right to Know
What determines Electoral Disqualifications?
Section 8 of The Representation of People
Act, 1951(RPA) outlines criteria for disqualification of contesting candidatesfrom membership to Parliament and State Legislature. The sectionelaborates on the criteria for disqualification if the candidate is convictedfor certain offences such as corruption, rape, terrorism, etc.
In 1999, the 170th Law Commission Report on Electoral Reforms was the firstto suggest that a new Section 4A be added to the Representation of the People Act,
1951 mandating that a person shall be ineligible to contest elections unless theyfile an affidavit declaring their assets along with a declaration whethercharges had been framed against them by a criminal court.
In 2002, the Association of Democratic Reforms petitioned the Court tohave the above recommendation implemented, among others. In pursuance of the historicjudgment, the Election Commission issued directives to the effect that failureto file an affidavit containing the above details would result in thenomination paper being deemed incomplete within the meaning of Section 33(1) of the RPA and, therefore, lead tothe rejection of candidate’s nomination papers.
Later that same year, the RPA was amended to add Sections 33A and 33B. Togetherboth the section implied that the no candidate shall be liable to disclose anyinformation other than their criminal antecedents. In other words, directionsof the Supreme Court regarding further disclosure of assets and educationalqualifications stood reversed by this amendment. In 2003, Section 33B was struck down as
unconstitutional in PUCL v. Union of India as it imposed a blanket ban on the dissemination of information. Thecandidates now had to furnish information relating to all pending cases inwhich cognizance has been taken by a Court, his assets and liabilities, andeducational qualifications.
After the 2002 judgement made it mandatory to disclose all criminalantecedents, the practice of leaving blank spaces or filling incorrectinformation in affidavits and nomination papers became commonplace. In order toavoid perjury, candidates would not furnish any information on crucialquestions relating to criminal history or assets. This practice was challengedlater. As stated in the EC’s Report no. 244 on Electoral
Disqualifications, while the 2003 PUCL judgment clarified the obligations of a candidatewith respect to the furnishing of information, it was less clear on theconsequences if the information provided happened to be false. It held that aReturning Officer could not reject nomination papers on the ground thatcandidate information was false. As a result of this finding, the ElectionCommission ordered its earlier directive on the rejection of nomination papersnon-enforceable.
It instead directed that if a complaint is submitted regardingfurnishing of false information, the Returning Officer should initiate actionto prosecute the candidate under Section 125A of the RPA which provides penaltyfor filing false affidavits. However, Section 125A of the RPA has not beenincluded in the list of offences under Section 8 of the RPA – which outlinescriteria for disqualification of election candidates. There is no readilyavailable data on the count of candidates prosecuted for filing falseinformation, though there seem to be no reported conviction on this crime, thereport highlights.
Therefore, filing of false information, even if proved under Section125A, is not a ground for setting aside the election, or for furtherdisqualification. This matter was in question in several cases, such as Nand Ram Bagri v. Jai Kishan (7 May 2013, Delhi High Court), Arun Dattaray Sawant v. Kishan Shankar Rathore (9 May 2014, Bombay High Court), Krishnamoorthy v. Siva Kumar (5 February 2015, Supreme Court),among others. From these judgements, the report argues that one can concludethe following:
This undermines the value of candidate disclosures – due to the lack ofconsequences, candidates have little incentive to provide accurate information.It has been noted by the EC that candidates have repeatedlyfailed to furnish information, or grossly undervalued information such as thequantum of their assets.
Does the 2018 judgement propose any major
changes?
The 2018 judgment issued  the following five ‘directions’ to theElection Commission:
It is important to note that, in the 2018 judgement, the Court did notentertain the petitioner’s second request, which called for Section 125A to fall under the ambit of Section 8 of The Representation of
People Act.In other words, to automatically disqualify candidates who file falseaffidavits. The Court did not entertain the plea citing separation of powersand recommend the parliament to make a law that prevents candidates accused ofserious crimes from entering politics.
While candidates have been required to submit details of their criminalcases to the poll panel through an affidavit from the 2002 judgement onwards,the 2018 judgement expands the scope by making it necessary to publish thisinformation on party website, newspaper and television channel.
In the current 2020 judgement, the only new addition is that nowpolitical parties have to state reasons for fielding candidates with criminalbackground, other than ‘winnability’.
However, the judgement or the EC did not outline how the publication ofinformation will be monitored or ensured that it is followed rigorously. Theenforceability of such orders by the apex court has remained a complex matter dueto the lack of well-defined parameters to ensure compliance. Whether politicalparties will publish the criminal antecedents of their candidates on theirwebsites, local and national newspaper, and social media accounts is a mootpoint.
Generalistic explanations are the order of the
day
While the idea is to push for accountability from political parties, the2020 judgement adds little value to the existing pool of available informationand provides avenue for vague and generalistic explanations.  For instance, let’s take a look at recentpublication of mandated C-7 forms by different political parties. There is acommon thread in all the published forms – BJP’s publication of Amit Popatlal Shah’s form for Rajya Sabha elections,INC Rajasthan’s publication of K.C. Venugopal’s form for Rajya Sabha elections,INC Madhya Pradesh’s publication of Digvijaya Singh’s form for Rajya Sabha elections,and INC Jharkhand’s publication of Shahzada Anwar’s form for Rajya Sabha elections.All the publications have stated that the concerned candidate is experienced,suitable, and worthy of the given candidature owing to their experience andstature. On the question of why these candidates with criminal background were chosenover other candidates without criminal background, all the answers havehighlighted that the criminal charges are politically motivated.
The new information adds little value
These answers add little value to the existing pool of information availableon the criminal antecedents of contesting candidates. The most important issuesof submission of inaccurate and incomplete information by contesting candidatesis likely to improve with wider publication of candidate information on variousplatforms. While the recent judgement is the right step towards increasingaccountability and transparency, reduction in criminalisation of politics and thecontinued challenge of monitoring and compliance have not been addressed.


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Voting irregularity incident from Assam's 2021 assembly elections falsely linked to ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha polls - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 7, 2024
According to the 2024 general election schedule issued by the Election Commission of India, voting for a total of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam will be held in three phases. Voting took place for five seats in the first phase on 19 April 2024, and for five seats in the second phase on 26 April 2024. Voting for the remaining four seats in Assam will be held in the third phase on 07 May 2024. In this context, a post claiming that 171 votes were cast at a polling booth in Assam’s Dima Hasao district during the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, where only 90 voters were registered, is being widely shared across social media platforms (here, here, here, and here). The post further claimed that the Election Commission had suspended five officials in connection with the incident. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: In the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, 171 votes were cast at a polling booth in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, where there were only 90 voters.
Fact: The incident took place during the 2021 Assembly polls in Assam, held in April 2021, and is not related to the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Chief Electoral Officer of Assam clarified regarding this viral claim  through a X (formerly Twitter) post, clarifying that the incident occurred during the 2021 assembly elections and is not recent. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
To verify the accuracy of a viral claim, we conducted a relevant keyword search which led us to several news reports published in April 2021. According to a ‘Times of India’ news report dated 05 April 2021, 171 votes were cast in a booth in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, even though only 90 people were eligible to exercise their franchise. The booth was situated in the Haflong constituency, which went to the polls in the second phase of the Assam Assembly elections on 01 April 2021. Haflong witnessed a 74% polling turnout. After the incident came to light, the District Election Officer suspended five poll officials from the booth, set up at 107(A) Khotlir LP School, and proposed a repoll. An official stated, “The head of that village refused to accept the voters’ list and brought a list of his own. Then, the people of the village voted according to that list.” Additional news reports about this incident can be seen here and here.
According to the ‘India Today’ report dated 11 April 2021, the Election Commission of India has ordered re-polling at four polling stations in three assembly constituencies of Assam. The re-polling took place on 20 April 2021. One of these stations is 107A Khotlir LP School in the Haflong Assembly constituency. Despite having only 90 registered voters, the number of votes cast exceeded this figure. The District Election Officer of Dima Hasao stated that a group of voters from Mualdam Lower Primary School polling station mistakenly cast their votes at the Khotlir LP School polling station. This error was attributed to negligence on the part of polling officials, resulting in the suspension of five officials.
Furthermore, we came across a clarification post by the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the viral post. The post reads: “A false narrative has been circulated in the social media regarding 171 additional votes being polled in one of the polling station in Dima Hasao, district of Assam”.
Additionally, the thread post reads: “The incident mentioned in the said post refers to one that had taken place in the assembly election of 2021. Re-poll was conducted in that particular polling station and disciplinary proceedings against the concerned officers was taken”.
A false narrative has been circulated in the social media regarding 171 additional votes being polled in one of the  polling station in Dima Hasao, district of Assam. pic.twitter.com/7dxiKtKST1
Meanwhile, we noticed that Dima Hasao, which is part of the Autonomous District Lok Sabha constituency, went to polls in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on 26 April 2024. However, we did not come across any reports of election malpractice reported from the district.
To sum it up, the voting irregularity incident that took place during Assam’s 2021 assembly elections has been falsely linked to the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha polls.