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This girl from the farmers’ protest is not Amulya Leona who chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans last year - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 9, 2021
A collage with a couple of images is being shared on social media claiming that the girl who chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans at Asaduddin Owaisi’s meeting last year participated in the ongoing farmers’ protests in Delhi. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Amulya Leona, who chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans at Asaduddin Owaisi’s meeting participated in the ongoing farmers’ protests in Delhi.
Fact:  The first photo in the post shows Amulya Leona, the girl who chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans at an anti-CAA meeting held by AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi last year. But, the girl in the second photo is not Amulya Leona, but Valarmathi, a student activist from Tamil Nadu. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
This post shares two photos. Let’s find the details of each photo one by one.
Photo 1:
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo is found in several news articles published in 2020. The girl in the photo mentioned as Amulya Leona Nanoha, a student activist from Karnataka. In an article published by BBC, it is reported that Amulya Leona chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans at an anti-CAA meeting held at Bengaluru, Karnataka. News articles reporting this incident can be seen here, here, and here.
Photo 2:
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, we could not find many details about the photo. A user posted the same photo with a similar claim in the Tamil language. Responding to this tweet, another user mentioned that the girl in the second photo as Valarmathi, a native of Tamil Nadu.
When we searched for the details of Valarmathi, we found that she is a student activist from Tamil Nadu. Valarmathi posted the same photo on her Facebook page on 26 January 2021.
Valarmathi shared photos and videos of her participation in Delhi farmers’ protest on her Facebook page. They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, this girl from the farmers’ protests is not Amulya Leona, who chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans at Owaisi’s meeting last year.

created: February 9, 2021


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This Gold plated motorcycle was not gifted to Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 9, 2023
A social media post with a video of a sports bike is being shared on social media, with a claim that it is made of 22 Carat Gold. It also claims that the bike was gifted to Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. Let’s verify this claim through this article.
Claim: The motorcycle in the video is made of 22 Carat Gold and was gifted to Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.
Fact: This motorcycle belongs to a person named Faisal Abu Sara, who hails from Saudi Arabia. According to him, this motorcycle, which is named ‘The Storm’, has original Gold plating on it but is not completely made with metal Gold. There are no news reports to prove this was gifted to Cristiano Ronaldo. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
Firstly, we performed a keyword search on the internet to check if the motorcycle shown in the video was gifted to Cristiano Ronaldo. It did not lead us to any credible news reports proving that such an event happened in Saudi Arabia. Cristiano Ronaldo is a very popular Football player, things related to him would generally be covered by the media. Since there aren’t any in this case, we can conclude that he was not gifted such a motorcycle and that the information is inaccurate.
However, to learn if the motorcycle was made of 22 Carat Gold, we did further research. While watching the footage, we observed a green cloth behind the motorcycle with an Instagram logo and ‘ faisal_abu_sara’ written on it.
Based on this, we looked for posts related to the motorcycle shown in the video and found plenty of posts with the same motorcycle on Faisal’s Instagram timeline. The bike which is seen in the viral video and this bike are the same. Both of these motorcycles have the same design and ‘ The Storm ‘ (here) written on their pillion, and the number plates also match.
Based on a post by Faisal, in which he revealed this motorcycle on his Instagram, we understand that he hails from Saudi Arabia. When someone in the comments of a post asked him if the Gold on the motorcycle is just colour or if he used real Gold, he said it was coated with real Gold, which means that the metallic parts of the motorcycle’s body are not made of the metal Gold but they just contain a Gold coating.
This contradicts the claim made in the post, which says that the motorcycle is made using 22 Carat Gold. With this evidence, it is clear that the viral post concocts a random story by relating both this motorcycle and Cristiano Ronaldo to spread misinformation. Faisal was interviewed by a channel named Roya Sports, which featured his motorcycle ‘ The Storm’. One can watch the interview here and here. One can see this motorcycle behind him in the screengrab of the interview, which we attached below.
We also contacted Faisal to know if 22 Carat Gold (coating) was used to make this motorcycle and are awaiting a response from his side. This article will be updated once we receive a response.
To sum up, the motorcycle seen in the video just contains original goal coating, is not completely made of gold, and was not gifted to Cristiano Ronaldo.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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This graphic which claims that India is banning Instagram is Fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 19, 2023
A viral breaking news graphic on social media claims that India is banning Instagram, citing overuse by teenagers under the age of 18 as the reason. Through this fact-checking article, let’s verify this claim.
Claim: Indian Government has decided to ban Instagram.
Fact: No news reports validate the claim regarding the ban. The viral news graphic is a breaking news template of ‘1st India News’, and they have clarified that the graphic is morphed & fake. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Firstly, we searched the internet to check the claim’s veracity. We did not find any credible news reports to support the claim that India is banning Instagram. We also could not find any official information from the government on any of its websites.
Also, to see if there is any supporting evidence for the claim, we looked at Meta’s website, which is the parent company of Instagram. There too, we did not find any credible information to support the claim regarding the ban of Instagram in India.
Furthermore, we observed that the viral graphic contained the logo for 1st India News. Taking this as a hint, we searched the internet to find the original social media post or web article published by ‘1st India News’, which contained this graphic. However, such a search did not lead us to any such new articles or social media posts.
However, during the research, we found that, on 16 June 2023, 1st India News took to Twitter and clarified that their Breaking News template had been edited to create this graphic and that their legal team is investigating this matter. Moreover, as of today, Instagram is still accessible in India.
फर्स्ट इंडिया डिजिटल की ब्रेकिंग न्यूज प्लेट का स्क्रीन शॉट किया जा रहा है वायरल, वायरल हो रही ब्रेकिंग न्यूज प्लेट में साफ़ समझ आ रहा कि इसे एडिट किया गया है…#Fake #FakeNews #Viral #FirstIndiaNews @instagram @facebook pic.twitter.com/nVrf4hxMfY
To sum up, the message claiming that the Indian Government has decided to block Instagram is fake.


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This Hotstar billboard referring to power cuts was placed in Madhya Pradesh before Ravi Kishan became the MP from Gorakhpur - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 25, 2022
A photo of a Hotstar advertisement billboard featuring BJP MP and actor Ravi Kishan is being shared on social media claiming that the BJP leader has acknowledged the power cuts in his state for earning money through the advertisement. A few social media users have shared this photo explicitly mentioning it as a hoarding placed in Uttar Pradesh. They can be seen here and here. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: BJP MP Ravi Kishan featured Hotstar advertisement billboard in Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The Hotstar advertisement hoarding picture shared in the post was taken in 2019 and was placed near Holkar college in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. This photo was taken before Ravi Kishan was officially declared as the Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur in the 2019 General Elections. The billboard has nothing to do with Uttar Pradesh. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched for this photo using relevant keywords, we found that several social media users have posted the same photo on their Facebook pages in May 2019. A few of those posts can be seen here and here. A user posted this picture on 13 May 2019 and described it as a hoarding placed at Ramachandra Nagar in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
BJP candidate Ravi Kishan was officially declared as the Member of Parliament of Gorakhpur after the announcement of the 2019 General Election results on 23 May 2019. So, it can be confirmed that this Hotstar advertisement hoarding was displayed before Ravi Kishan was declared the Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur.
The ‘Bhopal Samachar’ news website published the same photo in their article published on 14 May 2019. Sharing the photo, this article reported that in Indore, even companies are taking advantage of frequent power cuts for their business. According to the article, the hoarding was located near Holkar college in Indore.
To sum it up, this Hotstar billboard referring to power cuts was placed in Madhya Pradesh before Ravi Kishan became the MP from Gorakhpur, and has nothing to do with Uttar Pradesh.


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This image depicting crowd watching Babar Azam live at the Lal Chowk is digitally morphed - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 1, 2023
An image circulating on social media platforms alleges to depict the public gathered to watch Pakistan cricketer Babar Azam on a large screen in Lal Chowk, Kashmir. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image depicting crowd in Lal Chowk, Kashmir watching Pakistan cricketer Babar Azam live
Fact: This is a digitally morphed image, whereas the original image depicts crowd watching the Chandrayaan-3 landing at the Lal Chowk in Srinagar of Jammu & Kashmir. Further, there are no reports related to live streaming of Pakistan cricket match at the Lal Chowk. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral image depicting people watching Babar Azam is being circulated against the backdrop of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. However, there are no reports of live streaming of Pakistan cricket matches at the Lal Chowk.
Our research revealed that this is a digitally morphed image, whereas the original image depicts people watching live streaming of the Chandrayaan-3 landing on the lunar surface of the moon. A reverse image search of the viral photo led us to a tweet by the Srinagar police, which shared the original image, wherein people watching the Chandrayaan-3 landing.
People at Lal chowk Srinagar today witnessed Live coverage of Chandrayaan-3 Landing on big screen at 'lal chowk square'. @isro #Chandrayaan3 pic.twitter.com/4nWRmJ4ZrI
Srinagar Police shared the image with an accompanying caption that reads “People at Lal Chowk Srinagar today witnessed Live coverage of Chandrayaan-3 Landing on a big screen at Lal Chowk square.”
Multiple news agencies have reported the live streaming of the Chandrayaan-3 landing at the Lal Chowk (here & here). Local news reports that reported the live streaming of the landing can be viewed here. Thus, all these establish that the viral image is digitally morphed to show people watching Babar Azam.
#WATCH | J&K: Giant screen put up at Srinagar's Lal Chowk, telecasting Chandrayaan-3 landing event pic.twitter.com/EwkLU7chlZ
To sum it up, the image depicting crowd watching the live streaming of Chandrayaan-3 at Lal Chowk is digitally altered to make it appear as though the crowd is watching Babar Azam.

created: September 1, 2023


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This image depicting the projection of Lord Ram on Burj Khalifa is digitally altered - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 23, 2024
Update (23 January 2024):
Another photograph showcasing the projection of Lord Ram on the Burj Khalifa has garnered attention on social media, coinciding with the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on 22 January 2024.
However, similar to the previous image, this image is also digitally manipulated by overlaying the image of Lord Ram onto a photograph of the Burj Khalifa. A reverse image search of the widely circulated photo directed us to a travel blog where an identical image of the Burj Khalifa was featured. The blog shared the image back in October 2019, accompanying a caption that reads ‘Burj Khalifa at night’.
A side-by-side comparison of both images exposes matching lighting patterns on the building and its surroundings, indicating that the depiction of Lord Ram has been digitally superimposed onto it.
Published on (22 January 2024):
A widely circulated image shows a projection of Lord Ram on the Burj Khalifa building. The image is being shared claiming that it occurred recently in the wake of the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. In this article, we fact-check the authenticity of the viral image.
Claim: Image depicting projection of Lord Ram on the Burj Khalifa building in light of the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Fact: Burj Khalifa has not been illuminated with a projection of Lord Ram in view of the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The viral image is created digitally by superimposing an image of Lord Ram onto a stock photo of the Burj Khalifa. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
No official reports indicate that the Burj Khalifa has been illuminated with a projection of Lord Ram in connection with the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The viral image has been digitally created by superimposing an image of Lord Ram onto a stock photo of the Burj Khalifa.
A reverse image search on the viral photo directed us to a stock image of the Burj Khalifa resembling the viral one. A comparison of both images reveals identical lighting patterns on the building and surrounding structures. Nevertheless, the stock photo does not feature any projection of Lord Ram.
On specific occasions when the Burj Khalifa is illuminated, related visuals are typically shared on its official social media platforms such as Facebook & Instagram. Despite searching through these accounts, we did not come across any posts featuring the projection of Lord Ram on the Burj Khalifa.  In April 2023, the identical image went viral with a similar assertion, Factly debunked the image, clarifying that it had been digitally manipulated.
To sum it up, this image depicting the projection of Lord Ram on Burj Khalifa is digitally altered.

created: January 23, 2024


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This image does not show Pagoda flowers; Pagoda flowers bloom every year in the period between mid-Summer and Autumn - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 12, 2023
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it is a picture of the Pagoda or Maha Molu flower that blooms once every 400 years in the Himalayas of Tibet. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of Pagoda or Maha Molu flower that blooms once every 400 years in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet.
Fact: The image shared in the post does not show Clerodendrum paniculatum, the Pagoda flower, which blooms predominantly in India and other Southeast Asian countries every year in the period from mid-summer to autumn. There is no plant with the name Maha Molu. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found published by a social media user on 02 April 2023. This user published the image as part of an album named “Beautiful Fairy Tales”. The album was full of digitally created images of landscapes, flowers, animals, buildings and others. But in the description of the photo, it is nowhere mentioned that the image is created using AI or any other digital technology.
Many such digitally created pictures of trees were shared on Pinterest in an album named ‘Beautiful Trees’. A few pictures of AI-generated trees can be seen here.
Clerodendrum paniculatum is the scientific name of the Pagoda flower which predominantly grows in the regions of India and Southeast China. Pagoda flowers usually bloom every year during the period from mid-summer to autumn.
Though we could not confirm whether the image shared in the post was AI generated or from any other digitally technology, on comparing the images of Pagoda flowers and that of the tree shared in the post, it can be concluded that the image shared in the post does not show the pictures of Pagoda flowers. During the search process, no information was found about the existence of ‘Maha Molu’ flowers in the Himalayas.
Earlier, when images of different flowers were shared as the picture of rare Pagoda flowers spotted in the Himalayas, Factly published fact-checks  debunking those claims. They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, an unrelated image is shared as the picture of Pagoda flowers found in the Himalayas.


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This image does not show the 2024 Lok Sabha election schedule - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 26, 2024
An image circulating widely on social media purports to depict the official schedule of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Let’s verify its authenticity through this article.
Claim: Official schedule of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Fact: The Election Commission of India clarified that it is a fake message. As of 26 February  2024, the ECI has yet to announce the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Initially, we scrutinized the official website and social media platforms of the Election Commission of India (ECI) but didn’t find notices or press releases regarding the 2024 Lok Sabha election schedule.
Further investigation revealed a post shared by the ECI on X, clarifying that a viral message circulating on WhatsApp regarding the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is baseless and fake. The post featured the same viral image and stated that the dates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have not been announced by the ECI yet.
A fake message is being shared on Whats app regarding schedule for #LokSabhaElections2024#FactCheck: The message is #Fake. No dates have been announced so far by #ECI.
Election Schedule is announced by the Commission through a press conference. #VerifyBeforeYouAmplify pic.twitter.com/KYFcBmaozE
Previously, FACTLY also debunked a viral message that falsely presented the 2019 election schedule as the 2024 Lok Sabha election schedule.
To sum it up, a fabricated schedule is being shared on social media falsely claiming as 2024 Lok Sabha election schedule.

created: February 26, 2024


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This image doesn’t show Tej Pratap Yadav receiving a doctorate - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 30, 2020
A post with an image of Tej Pratap Yadav (son of Lalu Prasad Yadav) in a convocation ceremony is being widely shared on social media with the claim that Tej Pratap who did not even pass tenth standard was awarded a doctorate from Takshashila University, Bihar. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of Tej Pratap Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad Yadav receiving a doctorate from Takshashila University.
Fact: The image actually shows Tej Pratap Yadav awarding degrees to the students of IGIMS back in 2017 when he was the Health Minister of Bihar. Tej Pratap shared the same image on his Twitter account. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a 2017 tweet by Tej Pratap Yadav which shared the same image as in the post. The description of the images reads “Today attended the third convocation ceremony of IGIMS and gave all the passed students the DG Certificate and Gold Medal”.
Taking a cue from the tweet, Google search with relevant keywords led us to a news article which reported the event. According to the article, Tej Pratap Yadav, then Health Minister of Bihar awarded the degrees to the medical students in IGIMS (Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences). Further through YouTube search, we found the video of the event. With all this, we can confirm that the image in the post shows Tej Pratap Yadav just awarding certificates to the students in IGIMS. He is not receiving a doctorate.
When the same claim went viral couple of years back, few fact-checkers have debunked it, these fact-checking stories can be read here and here.
In the light of the ongoing Bihar elections, posts like these are being shared on social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up,  the images of Tej Pratap Yadav awarding degrees to the students are falsely shared as him receiving doctorate from Takshashila University.

created: October 30, 2020


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This image is of a rally in protest of a Judge who removed Ambedkar’s portrait in the Republic Day program - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 25, 2022
A photo through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that a massive rally had been organised by Dalit organisations in Bangalore, to support the Hijab cause. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of Dalit organisations’ Muslim solidarity rally in Bangalore for the Hijab cause.
Fact: The photo is from a protest rally in Bangalore by Dalit organisations against a Judge who allegedly asked Ambedkar’s portrait to be removed in the Republic Day program. In Raichur district, on 26 January 2022, the portrait of Ambedkar which was placed next to the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi was allegedly said to be removed by the principal district and sessions judge Justice Mallikarjuna Gowda. The Judge was later transferred. Accepting the demands of Dalit organisations, Karnataka High Court resolved through a circular to keep Ambedkar’s portrait in all official functions of the courts. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the photo, the same photo was found in a couple of YouTube videos. Those videos can be seen here and here. According to the videos, Dalit organisations have protested against a Judge who allegedly directed Ambedkar’s portrait to be removed in the Republic Day program.
During the Republic Day celebrations in Raichur, the principal district and sessions judge Justice Mallikarjuna Gowda allegedly asked his staff to remove a portrait of Ambedkar. According to the news reports published about the incident, the photo shows people holding blue flags of ‘Karnataka Dalit Sangharsh’ in protest against the Judge’s actions. Massive protests were held, and many gathered at the Freedom Park, and opposite the city railway station in Bangalore.
In Raichur district, on 26 January 2022, the portrait of Ambedkar which was placed next to the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi was allegedly said to be removed on Justice Mallikarjuna Gowda’s direction. “He allegedly directed his subordinates to remove the photo before the tricolour was unfurled.” The Judge claimed that the portrait of Ambedkar was not removed and that there was false propaganda against him. He was transferred to the Karnataka State Transport Appellate Tribunal in Bangalore recently. Accepting the demands of Dalit organisations, Karnataka High Court resolved through a circular to keep Ambedkar’s portrait in all official functions of the courts.
To sum it up, this photo is from a protest rally in Bangalore by Dalit organisations against a Judge who asked Ambedkar’s portrait to be removed in the Republic Day program.

created: February 25, 2022


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This image of a bus, resembling the Vande Bharat train is digitally created - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 16, 2024
A widely circulated image on social media features a bus with a front portion resembling that of the Vande Bharat train. This image is being linked to a satirical assertion that it represents the inaugural Vande Bharat journey from Banaras to Ghazipur. In this article, we fact-check the credibility of both the image and the associated claim.
Claim: Image of the inaugural Vande Bharat bus from Banaras to Ghazipur
Fact: The Vande Bharat bus service between Banaras and Ghazipur has not been launched by either the Indian government or the Uttar Pradesh state government. The widely circulated image is a product of digital manipulation, where the front part of the Vande Bharat train has been digitally added to a bus. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Firstly, neither the government of India nor Uttar Pradesh’s state government has initiated a Vande Bharat bus service. We could not find any reports of such bus service between Banaras and Ghazipur, suggesting the news to be false.
As for the image, it appears to have been digitally manipulated. Upon conducting a reverse image search, we identified a stock image of the Vande Bharat train, where the front portion closely resembles that of the alleged Vande Bharat bus. Over the years the same image has been used in reports related to the Vande Bharat train (here & here).
Upon careful examination of the images, we can identify commonalities such as the reflection of wires on glass, lights, and the positioning of wipers. This implies that the portion of the Vande Bharat train image featured in the news report has likely been digitally inserted into an image of a bus.
Moreover, the identical bus image is being circulated with attributions to various locations across the country (here & here). When this image was shared with a similar claim linking it to Khagaria, Bihar, PTI clarified that there is no such bus service initiated in Khagaria and confirmed that the image had been digitally manipulated.
To sum it up, this image of a bus, resembling the Vande Bharat train is digitally created.

created: January 16, 2024


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This image of a child marriage is from Pakistan, not India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 15, 2020
A post with an image of a young girl seated beside a man is being widely shared on social media platforms with the claim that the 10-year-old young Indian girl Anitha is getting married to her paternal uncle Shivnath Chaturvedi who is 40 years old. Through this article let’s verify the claim made in the post.
10-year-old young Indian girl Anitha is getting married to her paternal uncle Shivnath Chaturvedi who is 40 years old.
Fact: According to an article in a Pakistan news agency,  police had foiled an attempt of child marriage in Ahmadpur, Pakistan. And the man seen in the image is identified as Tariq. Hence the incident has nothing to do with India.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the photo led us to a Pakistani news article dated 20 August 2020, in which the same image is reported. According to the news report, the image is from Ram Kali area in Punjab Province, Pakistan where a young girl was forced to marry a middle-aged man. Eventually, the marriage attempt was foiled by the police. Another news article reporting of this incident can be read here.
Video reporting of the same incident can be seen here. According to the video, the man is who tried to marry the young girl is identified as Tariq. With this, we can say that the man in the image is most likely a Muslim and the incident has nothing to do with India.
To sum it up, this incident of child marriage took place in Pakistan,

created: September 15, 2020


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This image of a package with a funny customer address as ‘Charminar, Hyderabad’ is photoshopped - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 14, 2020
An image of a Flipkart delivery package is widely shared on social media. It has the customer address as ‘XXXX(Customer name) 12-24/Z, Pasha bhai ki dukhan kan aake puchlo, Salim Lala kidhar rehte, seedha ghar tak lake chodte. Charminar- 500002 Hyderabad’. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Photo of a Flipkart delivery package with a funny customer address as ‘Charminar Hyderabad’.
Fact: The photo is not original. It is an edited one. In the original photo, the delivery package has the customer address as- ‘XXXX(Customer name) 448 Chaoth mata mandir, mandir ke samne aate hi phone laaga lena mein aa jaunga, Shivpura.. Kota-324010 Rajasthan’. So, the package has the address of ‘Kota, Rajasthan’ not ‘Charminar, Hyderabad’.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on Google with keywords, an article of ‘India Today’ was obtained in the search results. The article had a tweet by a Twitter user with a similar photo of the Flipkart package. When we observed both the photos, all the details on the package (like product code, return address, amount of package, date) are the same except for the ‘customer address’. In the photo posted in the tweet, the address is hilarious too and is as follows – ‘XXXX(Customer name) 448 Chaoth mata mandir, mandir ke samne aate hi phone laaga lena mein aa jaunga, Shivpura. Kota-324010 Rajasthan’. The photo with the same address as ‘Kota, Rajasthan’ can also be seen in other news articles which can be read here, here and here.  So, the package has the customer address as ‘Kota, Rajasthan’ not ‘Charminar, Hyderabad’. Hence the posted photo is an edited one.
The same photo with the customer address as ‘Kota, Rajasthan’ was also posted by ‘Flipkart’ on Twitter.
Taking ‘Ghar ek mandir hai’ to a whole new level! pic.twitter.com/uuDoIYLyId
To sum it up, the image of a package with a funny customer address as ‘Charminar, Hyderabad’ is photoshopped.
Did you watch our new video?


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This image of a textbook lesson promoting Islam has nothing to do with CBSE/NCERT - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 14, 2021
A post accompanying an image that appears to be a school textbook lesson is being widely shared across social media platforms with a claim that the image is of a CBSE/NCERT book in Kerala which promotes Islam. As per the image, the moral of the story reads ‘Believe in God who is the only one’, whereas the ‘To Remember’ section reads ‘God Allah is great; There is no other God than Allah- Prophet Mohammad’ insinuating that when both the sections read together it appears to be promoting of Islam. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of CBSE/NCERT textbook lesson in Kerala promoting Islam.
Fact: None of the textbooks of NCERT/ CBSE has any lesson with the moral of the story and to remember sections promoting Islam similar to the one in the post. Also, NCERT/CBSE textbooks and syllabus are the same throughout the country irrespective of the state. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The NCERT/CBSE textbooks and syllabus are same throughout the country irrespective of the state. Textbook editions do not differ from state to state. However, none of NCERT and CBSE textbooks available on their respective websites has published any lesson where the moral of the story and to remember sections promote Islam similar to the one in the post.
This image of the textbook might be from a private publication, though we could not independently verify it. However, the image has nothing to do with CBSE or NCERT textbooks.
To sum it up, this image of a textbook lesson promoting Islam has nothing to do with CBSE/NCERT.


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This image of a toddler standing amidst an explosion is AI-generated - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 11, 2023
In the context of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, an image depicting a toddler standing in a house destroyed by an explosion has been extensively shared on social media. This image is claimed to be a real-life depiction of a Palestinian child. While some users have posted it as a representative image, others in the comment section are questioning its authenticity. Therefore, let’s attempt to verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of a Palestinian child amidst an explosion.
Fact: This is an AI-Generated image and does not depict any real-life incident.
Upon conducting a reverse image search of the viral photo, we discovered that it was uploaded by gdh News (archived), a media outlet based in Turkey, on 11 October 2023. However, the image description clarifies that the image represents life in Gaza as visualized by Artificial Intelligence (AI), indicating that it’s not a real-life photograph.
Furthermore, by using the generative AI software, Stable Diffusion, and giving appropriate prompts, we managed to generate similar images.
Hence, it becomes clear that the widely circulated image of a toddler standing in front of an explosion is generated by Artificial Intelligence and not an actual photograph.

created: October 11, 2023


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This image of a woman wearing a placard with the message about EVM ban is photoshopped - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 30, 2020
An image of a woman with a placard is being widely shared on social media. The message on the placard is in Hindi and its English translation is as follows– ‘The GOVERNMENT says Triple Talaq is banned in 21 countries, but it does not say that EVM is banned in the whole world’. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Image of a woman wearing a placard with the message– ‘The GOVERNMENT says ‘Triple Talaq’ is banned in 21 countries, but it does not say that EVM is banned in the whole world’.
Fact: The image in the post is not original but edited one. In the original image, the message seen on the placard is– ‘The GOVERNMENT says ‘Triple Talaq’ is banned in 21 countries, but it does not say that RESERVATION is banned in the whole world’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we subjected the image to reverse image search technique, many posts and tweets with a similar image were obtained. But the message seen on the placard worn by the woman is different from the message seen on the posted image. The message on the placard in these images is as follows– ‘The GOVERNMENT says ‘Triple Talaq’ is banned in 21 countries, but it does not say that RESERVATION is banned in the whole world’. And the images have the words ‘GOVERNMENT’ (सरकार) and ‘RESERVATION’ (आरक्षण) in the same colour (orange) and are of same ‘font’ size. But in the posted image, the words ‘GOVERNMENT’ (सरकार) and ‘EVM’ are of different colour and of varying font suggesting the image to be edited.
When we checked if Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are banned in the entire world, it was found that many countries across the world still use the EVMs either nationwide or in some parts of their country. Further information about it can be read here and here.
To sum it up, this image of a woman wearing a placard with the message about the ban of EVMs across the world is photoshopped.
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This image of a younger Mamata Banerjee has been altered - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 4, 2022
A photo collage of two images of Mamata Banerjee is being compared in a post that has gone viral on social media, claiming to compare an older and younger Mamata Banerjee. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo collage comparing an older and younger Mamata Banerjee.
Fact: The image of Mamata Banerjee on the left is from the early 1970s and has been altered to make it look like in the viral image. The second image on the right is from 2015 when Mamata Banerjee was seen dragging the Lord Jagannath chariot alongside actor Koel Mallick during a Rathyatra. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
A comparable image was found in an article when a reverse image search was performed on the first image (left). The image in the article, however, is not the same as the viral image. The article featured several photos of Mamata Banerjee taken throughout her political career, including this one from the early 1970s (when she was younger).
The image of Mamata Banerjee in the article is close to the viral image, except it lacks the same brightness and lipstick. An original image of Mamata Banerjee had been altered and made viral, as can be seen.
The second image (on the right) was taken in 2015 during a Rathyatra in Kolkata, when Mamata Banerjee was pulling the Lord Jagannath chariot, along with the actor Koel Mallick.
To sum it up, this image of a younger Mamata Banerjee has been altered.


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This image of BBC displaying a distorted map of India is not related to the recent controversial documentary - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 31, 2023
Amidst the ongoing controversy over BBC’s documentary on Modi, a social media post accompanying a screenshot of a BBC report in which the Indian map is displayed without Kashmir is being shared widely claiming it as a recent report. Through this article, let’s fact-check the veracity of the BBC report shared in the post.
Claim: BBC removes Kashmir from the Indian map.
Fact: BBC did not publish any distorted map of India, following the release of the controversial documentary on Modi. The viral image is old and dates back to 2015, when BBC in its report covering Modi’s foreign visit displayed a distorted India map, without Jammu Kashmir. Even after that incident, BBC, on multiple occasions misrepresented the Indian map. In fact, in 2021, BBC apologized after a report related to US elections carried a distorted map of India. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Earlier this month, BBC released a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots. Following the release, protests erupted in India and other parts of the world, alleging that the documentary portrayed Modi in a bad light. It is in this context, the viral image of the BBC report misrepresenting the Indian map is being shared on social media platforms. However, amidst the ongoing controversy, BBC did not carry this distorted the Indian map in any of its reports. The viral image is from an old BBC report in which it displayed an incomplete & distorted Indian map. This image of BBC misrepresenting India has resurfaced after Anil K Antony, son of former minister and Congress leader AK Antony, shared these images, criticizing BBC for its controversial documentary
Some past shenanigans of BBC , repeat offenders questioning India’s 🇮🇳 territorial integrity, publishing truncated maps without Kashmir. Independent media without vested interests indeed, and perfect allies for the current @INCIndia and partners. @Jairam_Ramesh @SupriyaShrinate pic.twitter.com/p7M73uB9xh
BBC’s misrepresentation of the Indian map:
In the past, not just once but multiple times, BBC has misrepresented the Indian map. Earlier in 2015, in its report covering Modi’s foreign visits, BBC displayed an incomplete map of India that did not include Jammu & Kashmir. The image shared in the viral post is most likely from this report.
Later in 2021, in one of its reports related to US elections, BBC once again displayed a distorted map of India that is without Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir. However, following outrage over the issue, BBC responded with an apology and updated the online broadcast with a map of India reflecting the correct boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir.
News articles reported a BBC spokesperson saying “From London, we mistakenly published a map of India online which contained inaccuracies and is not the standard map used by BBC News. It has now been corrected. We apologize for any offence caused”.
Even after multiple misrepresentations and apologies, once again in June 2021, in a report covering the delta variant, BBC displayed a distorted image of the Indian map and later updated the report by replacing the Indian map with the Indian tricolour.
As mentioned earlier, though BBC has published a distorted map of India on multiple occasions earlier, BBC did not publish any distorted map of India after the controversy over its documentary on Narendra Modi. These old images are being shared linking them to the current context.
To sum it up, old images of BBC displaying a distorted map of India are being shared in light of the release of the controversial documentary on Narendra Modi.

created: January 31, 2023


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This image of cloud formations behind the Portland Headlight is artwork, not real - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 11, 2023
A photo of a lighthouse with a massive cloud formation in the sky is being shared widely on social media. The post claims that the lighthouse seen in the image is the Portland Headlight in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Photo of the Portland Headlight captured during a heavy cloud formation in the sky.
Fact: This image is created by an Artist named Brent Shavnore by using photo editing software. Shavnore uploads his artwork on Instagram, most of which is related to massive thunderous cloud formation. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
To verify the claim made in the post, we searched the internet for pictures of the Portland Headlight during storms or cyclones. This search did not lead us to any news articles or credible sources that contained the viral photo.
Further, performing a reverse image search of the viral photo on Google led us to an Instagram account that uploaded the same photo on 19 January 2023. This account belongs to an artist named Brent Shavnore.
A post shared by Bʀᴇɴᴛ Sʜᴀᴠɴᴏʀᴇ (@shavnore)
Brent Shavnore uploads artwork made using editing softwate on his Instagram. Most of his photos contain massive cloud formations in the sky. Shavnore even uploaded tutorials of photo editing tools like Photoshop and Lightroom on his website.
Also while performing the reverse image search, we found an image on the Adobe Stock website that could mostly be the source image of Shavnore’s artwork.
To sum up, a digitally altered photo of the Portland Headlight is being shared as a real photo captured during heavy cloud formation.


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This image of footballer Lionel Messi depicting him as holding the Israeli flag is edited - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 2, 2023
A photo of renowned football player Lionel Messi holding the Israeli national flag is circulating widely on social media, with users suggesting that he has shown support for the country.
Claim: Lionel Messi is photographed holding the Israeli national flag as a gesture of his support for the country.
Fact: The image is morphed with an Israel flag in the place of a placard of “icons.com”, an online store specializing in autographed football memorabilia from renowned players around the world. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On conducting a reverse image search of the viral picture, we discovered a similar image featuring Messi holding a placard reading “icons.com.” posted on the Facebook page of icons.com on 3 October 2023, with a caption, ‘@leomessi with icons.com, the exclusive home of official Messi signed merchandise.’
We also located the photo of Messi with the “icons.com” placard and also a video of him signing sporting goods on the store’s Instagram page. Further investigation led us to the Icons Memorabilia website, which is an online store specializing in autographed football memorabilia from renowned players around the world. Similar images were found on the website as well. On the other hand, we did not come across the image of Messi holding the Israel flag on his social media profiles. You can find the comparison between the real and edited images below.
To sum up, this image of footballer Lionel Messi depicting him as holding the Israeli flag is edited.

created: November 2, 2023


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This image of Indian soldiers carrying a Chinese PoW is related to the Korean war (1950-1953) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 6, 2020
An image is being widely shared on social media with the text – ‘1967 Nathula! Chinese soldiers fearing punishment from PLA don’t want to go back. Indian troops returned him after China lost the conflict and went back into its territory’. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Image of Indian troops returning Chinese soldier after China lost the 1967 Nathu La conflict to India.
Fact: The image is not related to the 1967 Nathu La conflict between India and China. It shows Indian soldiers carrying a Chinese prisoner-of-war to the exchange point in Panmunjom, North Korea, for return to the Communists, after the Korean War (1950-1953). So, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the image is subjected to reverse image search technique, it was found in the Getty Images library. The image had the following description with it- ‘Two Indian soldiers carrying a weeping Chinese prisoner-of-war to the exchange point in Panmunjom, North Korea, for return to the Communists after the Korean War, 5th October 1953. He was among 65 Chinese soldiers who asked to be repatriated to their homeland’. So, it is quite clear that the image shows Indian soldiers carrying a Chinese prisoner-of-war after the end of Korean war in 1953.
India’s role in the Korean war:
As part of India’s first UN peacekeeping mission, India sent 60th Field Ambulance, a paramedical unit, to render assistance to those injured in the war. The unit consisted of 346 personnel and served in the Korean theater for three and a half years. It provided assistance to 200,000 wounded and carried out 2,300 field surgeries. Later, as fighting was subsiding in 1953, India sent 6,000 soldiers to form the Custodian Force India (CFI), which was tasked with looking after prisoners of war (POWs) and resolving the issue of their repatriation.
Nathu La conflict 1967:
The Nathu La and Cho La clashes (11 -14 September 1967 for Nathu La; 1 October 1967 for Cho La) were a series of clashes between India and China along the Sikkim border. India wanted to construct an iron fence at Nathu La pass in Sikkim to put an end to Chinese incursions but to the Chinese, it seemed like arrogant aggression. During the two incidents, 88 Indian Army personnel were killed and China had lost 340 soldiers. India eventually gained an upper hand in the conflict.
To sum it up, the viral image of Indian soldiers carrying a Chinese prisoner-of-war is related to the Korean war (1950-1953), not to the 1967 Nathu La conflict.
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This image of PM Modi holding photo frame of Sidhu Moose Wala is a morphed one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 8, 2022
An image of PM Narendra Modi holding the photo frame with the picture of late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: PM Modi holding the photo frame of late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala.
Fact: As per the PM’s Official Website, the original image shows PM Modi holding the specimen of various Indian Gold Coins, and not Sidhu Moose Wala’s photo. This event of launching several gold related schemes was held at New Delhi on 05 November 2015, whereas Sidhu Moose Wala died in 2022. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon reverse image search of the viral image, we came across the original image posted on the official website of Prime minister of India on 05 November 2015. The image also shows the then Finance Minister of India Arun Jaitley and Nirmala Sitharaman along with PM Modi. Reportedly, at this event held on 05 November 2015 at New Delhi, where the Government launched several Gold related schemes.
The same image was shared by Modi on Twitter on the same day stating “A moment of pride… launch of Indian Gold coins, bearing the Ashok Chakra”. The live streamed video of this event can be seen here
A moment of pride… launch of India Gold Coins, bearing the Ashok Chakra. pic.twitter.com/vlY9bErzaU
A closer look at the frame reveals that it shows various Indian Gold Coins. Moreover, Sidhu Moose Wala died on 29 May 2022, while this picture of Modi was taken in 2015.
To sum it up, a morphed image of PM Modi holding the photo frame of Sidhu Moose Wala is shared as real one.

created: November 8, 2022


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This image of PM Modi waving hands while standing on a staircase is an edited one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 13, 2023
An image capturing PM Modi standing on the staircase of an under-construction building and waving hands is being widely shared on social media. Let’s verify the authenticity of the image shared in the post.
Claim: Image of PM Modi standing on the staircase of an under-construction building and waving hands.
Fact: This is an edited image. The real image shows PM Modi bowing and waving hands at a public meeting in Karnataka’s Tumukur in May 2023. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Conducting a reverse image search on the viral image revealed several images of PM Modi, among which we discovered a matching instance during his recent Karnataka election campaign in Tumkur in May 2023. In that event, Modi was seen wearing the saffron-coloured jacket depicted in the viral picture.
Taking a cue from this, we proceeded to search for videos of various events attended by Modi in Tumkur. Our search yielded a particular footage (here & here) wherein he can be observed entering the dais and expressing his respect to the public through a waving gesture.
Upon comparison of these visuals with the viral image, it becomes apparent that the image from this event was edited to give the impression of PM Modi standing on the staircase of an under-construction building.
To sum it up, an edited image of PM Modi, wherein he is seen waving his hands while standing on the staircase of an under-construction building, is being circulated as an authentic image.


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This image of PM Modi with a tonsured head is a morphed one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 3, 2023
Following the demise of PM Narendra Modi’s mother Heeraben Modi on 30 December 2022, an image of PM Modi with a tonsured head and clean shave is being widely shared on social media claiming that Modi has gone bald following the Hindu customs. Let’s verify the claim made in this post.
Claim: Image of PM Modi with tonsured head and clean shave after his mother’s death on 30 December 2022.
Fact: As per the latest visuals on 03 January 2023, PM Modi has not shaved his head and beard. Viral image of Modi with bald head has been viral since January 2021 as a meme. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
First, we searched for the latest visuals of PM Modi on the internet and found a live streamed video on the Official YouTube channel of Narendra Modi. This video shows PM Modi with regular beard and hair addressing 108 Indian Science Congress on 03 January 2023 at 10:30 AM via video conferencing.
Similarly, other videos and photos of Modi in public meetings since 30 December 2022 also do not show him with shaved head and beard. They can be seen here.
Delighted to meet Air Marshal PV Iyer (Retd) today. His zest for life is remarkable and so is his passion towards staying fit and healthy. Glad to get a copy of his book. pic.twitter.com/Tkpxu8wP3c
Coming to the viral image, we found that the same image has been viral at least since January 2021 as a meme. The original image was taken in December 2017 during the Parliament winter session.
To sum it up, as of 03 January 2023, PM Modi did not shave his head after his mother’s death; the viral image is a morphed one.

created: January 3, 2023


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This image of sandals featuring Lord Ganesha is old; they were withdrawn from the market 20 years ago - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 15, 2023
An image of a pair of sandals with images of Lord Ganesha on them is being shared on social media calling for widespread sharing of this photo until the company that designed these sandals gets closed. This article aims to discover the facts behind this claim and verify its veracity.
Claim: A picture of sandals printed with Lord Ganesha’s images, and a call for the closure of the company responsible for designing these sandals.
Fact: The sandals in question were designed and released in the American market almost two decades ago by American Eagle Outfitters. However, due to severe backlash from the Hindu community in the USA, the company decided to withdraw the sale of these sandals from the market. Therefore, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
The image of sandals featuring Lord Ganesha that is currently circulating is not a recent occurrence. These sandals were designed and released by American Eagle Outfitters almost two decades ago. However, following significant backlash from the Hindu community, the company withdrew them from the market and issued an apology.
We conducted a reverse image search to delve deeper into the details surrounding this photo, leading us to a closed petition on Change.org. The petition, filed eight years ago, called for the recall of these sandals and stated that American Eagle Outfitters had indeed withdrawn them from the market in 2003, accompanied by an apology.
Further research on the internet led us to an article published by Harvard University in 2003, titled “Hindus Protest over Sande(a)ls with Ganesha Images.” This article documented American Eagle Outfitters’ apology to an organization called American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) for their use of Lord Ganesha on Flip-Flops.
Moreover, several forums (here and here) and websites discussed the withdrawal of these Lord Ganesha sandals by American Eagle in 2003. The journal for the study of Hinduism, Nidan, even featured the public apology issued by Neil Bulman, Vice President and General Counsel for American Eagle Outfitters, which can be read here.
To sum up, the claim made in this social media post urging the closure of the company for printing sandals with Lord Ganesha’s images is based on outdated information, and the concerned company apologized in 2003.


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This image of Smriti Irani holding a fish was taken before Chaitra Navratri - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2024
On 12 April 2024, speaking at an election rally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a veiled attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, RJD supremo Lalu Yadav, and Tejaswi Yadav, accusing them of consuming non-vegetarian food during the Sawan and Navratri festivals. In this context, a collage of two pictures of Union Minister Smriti Irani is going viral (here, here, here, & here). In one picture, she can be seen holding a fish, and in the other, she is holding a portrait of Goddess Durga. The claim accompanying the post suggests that the picture was taken recently when Smriti Irani was holding a fish during the holy festival of Navaratri. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo showing Union minister Smriti Irani holding a fish was taken during the holy festival of Navratri.
Fact: The viral image was taken on 06 April 2024, when Smriti Irani received a large fish as a gift from a local fisherman during her campaign for RC Paul Kanagaraj, the BJP candidate for North Chennai. This year, Chaitra Navaratri began on 09 April 2024, and ends on 17 April 2024. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
To learn more about these viral images, we conducted a Google reverse image search on them.
Image-1:
Upon conducting a reverse image search of the picture featuring Smriti Irani holding a fish, we found this image on the Instagram page of Hindustan Times (archived link). The accompanying text read, “On 06 April 2024, BJP candidate Smriti Irani during an election campaign rally in Chennai North constituency.”
Taking this as a cue, we conducted a relevant keyword search on the internet to learn more about this image and the election rally. This search led us to several news reports (here, & here) featuring similar images of Smriti Irani holding a fish. According to these reports, on 06 April 2024, Smriti Irani received a big fish as a gift from a local fisherman during the campaign for RC Paul Kanagaraj, the BJP candidate for North Chennai in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
Image-2:
We found the picture of Smriti Irani holding the portrait of Goddess Durga in a post (archived link), along with a collage of pictures posted on Smriti Irani’s official X(Twitter) handle on 06 April 2024. The caption of this post highlighted her participation in the election campaign in Chennai North alongside BJP Chennai North MP candidate Kanagaraj, and her interactions with the women of the Tamil Nadu Pravasi Mahila Sangathan.
Joined the energetic crowd alongside @RCPK_Official in North Chennai and @ponbalabjp in Tiruvallur today. Also, engaged with the women of Tamil Nadu Pravasi Mahila Sangathan, committed to contributing towards India’s growth story.
With people’s unwavering support, the Modi Govt… pic.twitter.com/zsjWxoPb3n
Upon searching, we found that Chaitra Navratri (here, here) began on 09 April 2024 and will conclude on 17 April with Ram Navami celebrations. From this information, it is clear that both of these pictures were taken before Chaitra Navratri, which commenced on 09 April 2024.
To sum up, this image of Smriti Irani holding a fish was taken on 06 April 2024 before Chaitra Navratri, which commenced on 09 April 2024.


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This image of Smriti Irani with a glass of alcohol and Rahul Gandhi on her laptop screen is morphed - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 12, 2021
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of Union Minister Smriti Irani drinking alcohol and preparing counter tweets to Rahul Gandhi. This photo shows Smriti Irani sitting in a garden with a laptop and a glass of alcohol beside her. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of Union Minister Smriti Irani drinking alcohol and preparing counter tweets to Rahul Gandhi.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is a morphed one. The original image shows Smriti Irani interacting with her co-workers through a video conference. Also, the glass placed beside Smriti Irani was filled with water, not alcohol. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for this image on Union Minister Smriti Irani’s official social media handles, we found this image to be published on Smriti Irani’s Instagram handle on 09 December 2020. Smriti Irani shared this image with a caption, ‘Pandemic mornings’. But the original image did not show Smriti Irani watching Rahul Gandhi on her laptop. In the original photo, Smriti Irani was seen interacting in a video meeting on her laptop.
Also, the glass placed beside Smriti Irani in the photo was filled with water, not alcohol.
Sharing the original photo, several news websites published articles in December 2020. They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, a morphed photo is falsely shared as the visuals of Smriti Irani watching Rahul Gandhi’s speeches to prepare counter tweets.

created: October 12, 2021


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This image of Tamil Nadu's tableau proposal for RD Parade is edited - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 21, 2022
An image is being shared on social media claiming that the tableau proposal by Tamil Nadu government for the Republic Day Parade- 2022 has former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s statue. Let’s verify the claim in the post.
Claim: Tableau proposal by the Tamil Nadu government for the Republic Day Parade- 2022 has former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s statue
Fact: The image being shared on social media is edited. The actual image of the tableau has statues of freedom fighters, including VO Chidambaranar, Subramania Bharathi, Rani Velu Nachiyar, Maruthu brothers, Poolithevan, Veerapandia Kattabomman. It does not have the statue of M. Karunanidhi. Hence, the claim the FALSE.
On the posted photo, one can see a watermark – ‘Niranjan’. So, when we searched about the photo on the internet with that word, a tweet by the journalist Niranjan Kumar is found.
Exclusive:
குடியரசு தின விழாவில் கலந்துகொள்ள நிராகரிக்கப்பட்ட கப்பலோட்டிய தமிழன்,மகாகவி பாரதி,குதிரையில் இருக்கும் வீரமங்கை வேலுநாச்சியார், வீரவாளுடன் நிற்கும் மருதுசகோதரர்கள் ஆகியோரின் உருவங்கள் அடங்கிய தமிழக அரசின் அலங்கார ஊர்தியின் மாதிரி#தமிழ்நாடு pic.twitter.com/SlxaubyoSi
On comparing the photo actually tweeted by Niranjan and the photo in the post, one can see the difference. There is no statue of M. Karunanidhi in the original photo of the tableau. It has the statues of freedom fighters, including VO Chidambaranar, Subramania Bharathi, Rani Velu Nachiyar, Maruthu brothers, Poolithevan, Veerapandia Kattabomman.
The details of the tableau can be also found in the letter addressed to PM by the Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin. Neither in the CM M.K. Stalin’s letter nor in the response given by the Defence Minister to him on the issue, there is mention of M. Karunanidhi. The news reports regarding the issue can be read here and here. As the tableau found no place in the Union government’s list of tableaus to be showcased at the Republic Day parade in the National Capital, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to showcase the tableau model at the State’s Republic Day Celebration.
To sum it up, the posted photo is an edited one. There is no statue of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s in the tableau proposed by the Tamil Nadu government.

created: January 21, 2022


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This image of terraced hills landscape is from Vietnam, not Himachal Pradesh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 2, 2021
A post accompanying an image of a lush green terraced hill is being shared with a claim that the image shows a landscape in Nauradhar village in Himachal Pradesh. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of terraced hill landscape from Nauradhar village in Himachal Pradesh.
Fact: The image actually shows a terraced rice field in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam. Multiple blogs and stock image repositories identify the landscape as from Vietnam. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the photo led us to a blog which identified the landscape as from Vietnam. Further search yielded multiple travel blogs which shared a similar image identifying the landscape as a terraced rice field in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam. These blogs can be seen here, here.
Taking a cue from these blogs, a search for stock images with relevant keywords yielded an image on Getty images which is almost similar to the one shared in the post. As per the description, the image shows rice fields in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam. Few more similar stock images can be seen here, here & here.
Although there are terraced hills in Nohradhar of Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh, Google search did not yield any image similar to the viral image. All these establish the landscape is indeed in Vietnam but not in Himachal Pradesh.
To sum it up, this image of terraced hills is from Vietnam, not Himachal Pradesh.

created: September 2, 2021


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This image of the Giza Pyramid lit with the Palestine flag is a morphed one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 25, 2021
In view of the recent escalation of tensions between Israel and Palestine which ended temporarily with a ceasefire, a social media post accompanying an image of the Egypt Pyramid is being widely shared with a claim that the Pyramids are lit up with colours of the Palestinian flag as an act of solidarity. This is in the context of Egypt mediating for the ceasefire. The image in the post shows Egypt’s Pyramid lit up with the Palestine flag. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Egypt’s Pyramids are lit up with colours of Palestine flag.
Fact: The Giza Pyramids were not lit up with Palestinian flag colours. There are no such recent reports about Giza Pyramids being lit up with the Palestinian flag colours.  This image is actually a digitally edited version of an image of Giza Pyramid which is available on Wikimedia and Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities website. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Firstly, there are no media reports or any other information stating that Egyptian Pyramids were lighted with the Palestine flag.
Further reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to the same image of Egyptian Pyramids, but without the Palestine flag on Wikimedia commons that has a close resemblance to the image in the post. By juxtaposing this image with one in the post, we can spot many striking similarities between these two images.
According to Wikimedia, this image is clicked on 18 August 2014 and the image is credited to Ayah Ahmed. Even the EXIF info related to this image says that the image was clicked on 18 August 2014, which is almost 7 years ago and has nothing to do with current tensions prevailing between Israel and Palestine.
Further, the same image is also featured on Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities official website. With this, we can infer that either of these sources of this particular image of the Giza Pyramids could be the source image used to digitally edit so as to look like it is lit up with colours of the Palestinian flag.
Earlier, there have been instances of the Giza Pyramid being lit up showcasing a particular message. However, there are no recent reports of such an occurrence in the wake of Israel- Palestine tensions.
To sum it up, this image of the Giza Pyramid lit with the Palestine flag is a morphed one.


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This image of two soldiers sitting on a branch of a tree is a morphed one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 7, 2020
A photo in which two soldiers are seen sitting on a branch of a tree as a part of their duty is doing rounds on social media. Through this article let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Soldiers of Indian army doing their duty sitting on a branch of a tree in Kashmir valley.
Fact: Separate images of two soldiers and a tree are photoshopped so as to make it look like the soldiers are sitting on a tree. The image in the post is a morphed one. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
By cropping the image in the post and subjecting the image of only the tree to Yandex reverse image search we found the original image.  In the original image, we can see no soldiers. Also, by cropping the image in the post and subjecting the image of only the soldiers to reverse image search we found a similar image of soldiers sitting on the ground. Both these separate images are edited and put together as a single image and is being shared falsely.
To sum it up, separate image of two soldiers and a tree are photoshopped so as to look like the soldiers are sitting on a tree. The image in the post is doctored one.
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created: August 7, 2020


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This image of various opinion polls predicting Congress victory in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections is not published by NDTV - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 4, 2023
A screenshot with a list of opinion poll predictions purportedly published by ‘NDTV’ is being shared widely claiming that major surveys have unanimously predicted a humongous victory to Congress in the upcoming Karnataka Elections 2023. The post claims that even internal surveys conducted by the RSS and the State Intelligence Bureau have predicted Congress securing majority seats over BJP in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: A screenshot with a list of opinion poll predictions is published by ‘NDTV’, and all these predict Congress winning majority seats in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections.
Fact: This purported screenshot is fake and not published by NDTV. NDTV through a tweet clarified that the viral screenshot is fake and informed that NDTV’s ‘Poll of Exit Polls’ will be announced after the completion of Elections on 10 May 2023. While most of the opinion polls mentioned in the screenshot have predicted Congress securing more than 100 seats in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections, there is no evidence to confirm that RSS and State Intelligence Bureau conducted internal surveys and predicted Congress victory in Karnataka. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched to check whether NDTV published any such list in the wake of upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections scheduled to be held on 10 May 2023, we could not find any on NDTV’s official Twitter and other social media handles. NDTV in the latest article reported that the NDTV Lokniti-CSDS Survey found 40 percent of the people in state preferring Siddaramaiah to be the next Chief Minister of Karnataka and 22 percent of people wish to see Basavaraj Bommai back in the Chief Minister’s position.
After the screenshot went viral on social media, NDTV published a tweet stating-“False posts on NDTV Poll of Poll tracker for Karnataka, being widely circulated, are misleading.” NDTV in the tweet clarified that real ‘Poll of Exit Polls’ will be announced on 10 May 2023 evening after the completion of elections in Karnataka.
Fake Tweet Alert | False posts on NDTV Poll of Poll tracker for Karnataka, being widely circulated, are misleading.
Watch this space for the real #PollOfExitPolls on May 10th evening pic.twitter.com/0TvfP7SuFW
While opinion polls published by ‘ABP-CVoter’, ‘Eedina’, ‘TV9 Kannada’, ‘C-Daily Tracker’ and ‘Lok Pol’ have projected Congress securing more than 100 seats and forming government in Karnataka, there is no evidence to confirm that RSS and State Intelligence Bureau had conducted internal surveys and they too predicted a Congress victory in the Karnataka Elections 2023.
To sum it up, this screenshot with a list of opinion poll predictions for the upcoming Karnataka Elections 2023 is not published by NDTV.


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This image shows bullet train maintenance centre in China, not Gujarat - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 11, 2022
An image of halted bullet trains is being widely shared on social media with a claim that it shows bullet trains in Gujarat. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of halted bullet trains in Gujarat.
Fact: The image shows bullet trains halted at China’s Wuhan. According to New China TV, Wuhan bullet train maintenance centre is the largest of its kind in central China. It covers an area of 1.4 million square metres. More than 100 bullet trains can be parked here at the same time. Moreover, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the first phase of India’s bullet train project is likely to be operational by 2026. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We ran a reverse image search using the viral image and came across a tweet made by a user “Carl Zha” on 28 August 2018 sharing the same image. However, the tweet says, “Bullet trains. Wuhan, China”
Bullet Trains. Wuhan, China. pic.twitter.com/slYznVxT44
Taking a cue from this, we searched about this facility in Wuhan and found a YouTube video with the title “Stunning aerial view of bullet train maintenance centre in Wuhan, China”. This video is uploaded on ‘New China TV’ YouTube channel on 20 January 2019. Other videos of this maintenance centre can be seen here and here.
According to New China TV, Wuhan bullet train maintenance centre is the largest of its kind in central China. It covers an area of 1.4 million square metres. More than 100 bullet trains can be parked here at the same time. Stock images of this maintenance centre can be seen here and here
The status of India’s first bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is shared by Ministry of Railways on 16 August 2022. According to Business Standard, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the first phase of this project is likely to be operational by 2026.
Bullet train Progress Report :
Land Acquisition Status-
1) Gujarat: 98.8%
2) DNH: 100%
3) Maharashtra: 75.25%
Progress of Works-
1) 162 km of Piling work completed
2) 79.2 km Pier work completed
3) Passenger Terminal Hub at Sabarmati is nearing completion. pic.twitter.com/4Ezh3lRkHy
To sum it up, visuals of bullet trains at a maintenance centre in China are falsely linked to India’s Gujarat.

created: October 11, 2022


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This image shows punishment for lock down violations in Colombia, not Thailand - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 27, 2021
As many states have imposed lockdown in order to curb the spread of COVID-19,  an image showing legs of men and women clamped to a plank is being shared across social media platforms with a claim suggesting that the image is from Thailand. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image showing police clamping lockdown violators legs to a wooden plank in Thailand.
Fact: This image actually shows the police clamping lockdown violators’ legs to a wooden plank back in 2020 in Colombia. Many news agencies have reported this incident. The image has nothing to do with Thailand. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
This image of people clamped to a plank is actually from Colombia where the police locked people to deter them from entering the streets during the lockdown back in 2020. Reverse image search of this photo in the post led us to the same photo on Wikimedia commons. Metadata of this image on wiki confirms that the image is from Colombia and dates back to 11 April 2020.
Taking a cue from Wikimedia, further search with relevant keywords yielded multiple 2020 Brazilian news articles suggesting that this image is from Colombia. According to these articles, police in Tuchín, Córdoba, Colombia, punished residents for violating the restrictions by clamping them to wooden planks. These news articles can be read here, here, and here.
Few more images of similar punishments in Colombia can be seen here. All these suggest that this image has nothing to do with Thailand.
To sum it up, this image shows punishment for lock down violations in Colombia, not Thailand.


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This image shows Rahul Gandhi with Britain’s Labour party leader, not with BBC producer - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 27, 2023
In light of recent BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and the subsequent blocking of this documentary by the Indian government by using emergency powers under the IT rules, 2021, a social media post accompanying an image of Rahul Gandhi claiming that he had met with BBC producer six months ago is being widely shared. The post alludes that Rahul Gandhi met with the producer of the controversial BBC documentary. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the viral post.
Claim: Image of Rahul Gandhi with producer of BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’
Fact: The person with Rahul Gandhi in the picture is Britain’s Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and not the producer of BBC documentary on Gujarat riots. The image was taken in May 2022 when Rahul Gandhi called on Corbyn in London. Whereas, according to BBC, Richard Cookson is the series Producer and Mike Radford is the Executive Producer of the controversial documentary series. Further, there are no reports linking Jeremy Corbyn to the documentary. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The man seen with Rahul Gandhi in the viral picture is not the producer of the controversial documentary, but Britain’s Labour party member and former opposition party leader Jeremy Corbyn. A reverse image search of the viral photo yielded multiple news reports that published the same image (here, here & here). These reports date back to May 2022, when Rahul Gandhi along with Sam Pitroda met him in London. Back then, the meeting caused quite a stir, as ‘the ruling BJP party has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of endorsing UK Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn’s views against India.’
Earlier in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Jeremy Corbyn on his visit to the UK. News reports related to this meeting can be viewed here and here.
As far as the production of the controversial documentary ‘The Modi Question’ is concerned, according to BBC, Richard Cookson is the series Producer and Mike Radford is the Executive Producer. And, we could not find any reports linking Jeremy Corbyn or the Labour party to the documentary.
Further, BBC is a public corporation of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport which is regulated by its executive board and UK’s government-approved regulatory authority Ofcom.
To sum it up, it’s not BBC producer but Jeremy Corbyn whom Rahul Gandhi can be seen posing with.

created: January 27, 2023


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This image with trees depicting the face of PM Modi is AI-generated. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 25, 2023
A picture showing a small island against the background of the sky filled with rays of a setting sun and coconut trees forming the outline of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s face, claimed to be clicked by a French tourist near Gokarna is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: A French photographer in Gokarna clicks a picture resembling PM Modi’s face.
Fact: The image is made using AI-powered tools by an artist, Madhav Kohli. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, we found articles published by Mint and Hindustan Times talking about the same image. The picture was generated using AI tools by Madhav Kohli and was shared on ‘X’
Subsequent research based on the above information led to the page of the creator Madhav Kohli on ‘X’ where the image was found with the caption ‘Do you see him too?’ Also, the artist mentioned in the comments that the image was created using the AI platform called ‘stable diffusion.’
Do you see him too? pic.twitter.com/QjJzO4fBbF
More AI-generated images published on the page can be seen here and here.
To sum up, an image with trees depicting the face of PM Modi is AI-generated.

created: September 25, 2023


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This incident of a child being swept into the air by a kite took place in Taiwan, not Gujarat - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 19, 2021
A post accompanying a video showing a child getting lifted into the air by a giant kite is being shared on social media platforms with a claim that the incident took place in Gujarat. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing a child getting lifted up high into the air by a giant kite in Gujarat.
Fact: This incident took place in Taiwan back in August 2020 during a kite festival. Multiple news agencies have reported this incident. This incident did not take place in Gujarat. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with relevant keywords yielded us multiple old news articles and news videos that reported the incident. According to one such news article by CNN dated 31 August 2020, the incident took place at a kite festival in Taiwan. As per the article, the child only suffered minor injuries.
The Guardian also reported that the incident happened in Taiwan back in August 2020. Few more news videos which reported the incident can be seen here and here. With all this, we can conclude that the incident did not take place in Gujarat.
To sum it up, this incident of a child being swept into air by a kite took place in Taiwan, not Gujarat.

created: January 19, 2021


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This incident of students getting hospitalized after vaccination is old and not related to COVID-19 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 18, 2021
A Twitter user posted a newspaper clipping and claimed that 40 students were hospitalized soon after their inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccine in India. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Newspaper clipping with a report of 40 students getting hospitalized after the COVID-19 vaccination in India.
Fact: It is an old article reported in 2018 with respect to the Measles-Rubella vaccine. The incident has no connection with the recent COVID-19 vaccination in the country. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On doing Google Reverse Image Search, the same newspaper clipping photo was found to be on the internet at least since December 2018. When we searched on the internet with the title of the article, the same article was found to be published by the ‘Hindustan Times’ in November 2018. The article can be read on the ‘PressReader’ website. In the article, it can be also read that the children were administered the Measles-Rubella vaccine. So, it can be concluded that the incident has no connection with the recent COVID-19 vaccination in the country.
In the initial phases, the COVID-19 vaccine will be given to healthcare workers in public and private sectors, front-line workers, prioritized age groups (consisting of those aged above 50 years and the people aged less than 50 years having comorbidities); not school children. On 17 January 2021, the ‘Press Information Bureau (PIB)’ reported – ‘Total of 447 AEFIs (Adverse Event Following Immunization) have been reported on 16th Jan & 17th Jan’21. Out of these, three required hospitalization. Of these, one has been discharged from Northern Railway Hospital Delhi within 24 hours; one has been discharged from AIIMS Delhi; and one is under observation in AIIMS Rishikesh and is being monitored.”
Also, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) tweeted clarifying that the posted newspaper clipping is old and not related to the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive in India.
A tweet referring to a news article is claiming that 40 students have been hospitalised after being administered with COVID19 vaccine#PIBFactCheck: This claim is #Fake. The news article exhibited is old and has no correlation with the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive in India pic.twitter.com/2z3fZprDDs
To sum it up, the incident of 40 students getting hospitalized after vaccination is old and not related to COVID-19.

created: January 18, 2021


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This incident of two men narrowly escaping the tree fall did not take place in Bengaluru - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 15, 2024
A video of two men narrowly escaping a tree fall in the rain is circulating on social media (here, here, and here), claiming that the incident occurred in Bengaluru. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of two bike riders narrowly escaping the tree fall in Bengaluru.
Fact: The incident occurred on 23 April 2024, in Tangshan, Hebei Province, China, not in Bengaluru. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Performing a reverse image search using the keyframes of the viral video led us to a news report by the weather channel on 14 May  2024. The article stated that the incident occurred in China.
Using this clue, we searched for the incident’s location using relevant keywords and language. Our search revealed that Chinese media (here and here) reported the incident in April 2024. According to these reports, on 23 April 2024, in Tangshan, Hebei Province, a surveillance camera recorded two food delivery workers as they narrowly escaped a falling tree on a rainy day.
To sum up, the incident of two men narrowly escaping the tree fall did not take place in Bengaluru.


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This Indian soldier, Kamlesh Kumar Singh, was martyred on duty in 2019, not recently - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 10, 2022
A collage of two photos is being shared on social media with a claim that the person in the collage, Kamlesh, sacrificed his life for the country this day (the picture was posted on 09 November 2022). Let’s fact-check the claim made in this post.
Claim: Kamlesh, a 19-year-old Indian Army man, sacrificed himself for the country on 09 November 2022.
Fact: According to news reports, Indian Army soldier Kamlesh Kumar Singh lost his life in the shelling of Pakistan. He was martyred in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir in September 2019. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We searched the internet using relevant keywords to know the veracity of the post’s claim and were led to a few news reports (here and here) that featured the picture of Kamlesh, similar to the one in the viral post. Reportedly, Kamlesh Kumar Singh, a resident of Lakhanpura village, Bakhtiyarpur, Bihar, was martyred in the shelling of Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara. This incident happened in September 2019.
According to ETV Bharath, Kamlesh joined Indian Army just 14 months before this incident; his first posting was in Kupwara. News reports regarding soldier Kamlesh’s last rites can be read here and here. Kamlesh was 19 years old when he lost his life on duty.
To sum up, Indian Army soldier Kamlesh was martyred in 2019, but the post falsely claims that he lost his life recently.

created: November 10, 2022


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This information about the financial status of Narendra Modi's family members and relatives is inaccurate - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 21, 2024
A lengthy viral message on social media outlines the financial status of Prime Minister Modi’s family members, claiming they made financial gains because of the Prime Minister’s position. The same message has been circulating repeatedly over the years (here, here, here & here). In this article, let’s fact-check the details presented in this viral post.
Claim: Details related to financial status of Modi’s family members.
Fact: According to news reports and journalists, Modi’s family resides in relative anonymity, distant from centers of power and influence. There are no reports linking any of Modi’s family members to significant financial standing. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A Google search using relevant keywords led us to a 2016 news article discussing Modi’s extended family. The article emphasizes that Modi’s family lives in obscurity, distant from the centers of power and influence. Now, let’s examine each claim about Modi’s family individually below.
Somabhai Modi is the chairman of the recruitment board in Gujarat
Somabhai Modi is Prime Minister Modi’s eldest brother. However, internet searches did not yield any reports identifying Somabhai Modi as the chairman of any recruitment or government boards in the state. Typically, information about chairpersons is accessible on the websites of relevant departments. However, searches on various Gujarat department websites did not reveal any information identifying Somabhai Modi as a chairman.
As per the India Today article mentioned earlier, it is known that Somabhai Modi was managing an elderly care center in Vadnagar. The video featuring Somabhai Modi’s interview with Zee News from 2019 is available for viewing here. Additionally, in 2021, Tejaswi Surya visited the Damodar Das Modi Ashram, which is overseen by Modi and shared photos of the visit on Twitter.
Damodardas Modi Ashram, an old age home in Vadnagar named after Sri @NarendraModi’s father, is managed by Modiji's brother Shri Sombhai Modi. It provides much-needed comfort & care for seniors.
The short visit here further strengthened our commitment to Seva#HappyBdayModiji pic.twitter.com/WP22ozbl07
Amrutbhai Modi is the largest real estate businessman in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar
Amrutbhai Modi is Prime Minister Modi’s elder brother. Media reports indicate that Amrutbhai Modi, who previously worked as a fitter in a private company, is currently enjoying retirement with his family in a four-room home in Ahmedabad’s Ghatlodia area (here & here). No reports linking Amrutbhai Modi to any real estate business in Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar are available.
Prahladbhai Modi has Hyundai, Maruti and Honda showrooms in Ahmedabad and Vadodara
Prahladbhai Modi is the younger brother of the Prime Minister. As per the report, Prahlad Modi owns a ration shop and holds the position of vice president at the All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Association (AIFPSDF). Notably, in 2022, Prahlad Modi organized a protest at Jantar Mantar, advocating for the demands of fair-price shop dealers associated with the organization.
Pankajbhai Modi is with Somabhai as the Vice President in recruitment board
According to TV9 news, Pankaj Modi, the younger brother of Narendra Modi, has retired from the Department of Information and now resides in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It is reported that Narendra Modi’s mother, Heeraben Modi, currently resides at Pankaj Modi’s residence.
Moreover, as previously noted, since Somabhai is not serving as the president of any board, there is no possibility of Pankajbhai Modi being his deputy.
Bhogilalbhai Modi is an owner of Reliance Mall in Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara
Bhogilalbhai is a cousin of PM Modi. According to an India Today report, Bhogilal Modi owns a grocery shop in Vadnagar. Additionally, Reliance Mall is a sub-brand of Reliance Retail, which does not operate on a franchise system. Therefore, it is impossible for outsiders like Bhogilalbhai Modi or anyone else to own a Reliance Mall.
Arvindbhai Modi is a contractor of steel to real estate and major construction companies.
In an interview with India Today, Arvind Bhai Modi mentioned that he earns Rs 9,000 per month by collecting used oil cans, boxes, and other waste materials door-to-door and selling them to dealers.
Bharatbhai Modi owns Agiaras Petrol Pump in Ahmedabad; Ashokbhai Modi is a partner with Bhogilalbhai in Reliance
India Today’s article stated that another relative of Narendra Modi, Bharat Bhai Modi, is employed as a petrol station assistant at a gas station in Lalawada village near Vadnagar. Additionally, it’s reported that Ashok Modi, another relative of Narendra Modi, runs a shop selling kites, crackers, biscuits, and snacks at Ghikanta Bazaar in Vadnagar. Given the information provided above, Ashokbhai Modi cannot be linked to Reliance.
Numerous journalists and news outlets have explicitly debunked the assertions presented in these posts as false. Therefore, it is evident that the information regarding Narendra Modi’s family members and relatives provided in the post is inaccurate.
I maintain dignity of my Constitutional post but I retain right to defend my stories of the past if challenged. @radhacharandas your tweet about PM @narendramodi ‘s relatives amassing millions is totally false. I stand by my 2016 @IndiaToday story belowhttps://t.co/zdCFxaUPXj https://t.co/xz27ZH62IP
To sum it up, this information about the alleged financial status of Narendra Modi’s family members and relatives is inaccurate.


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This is a 2016 video shared with the false narrative ‘Chinese Engineer in Karachi beating a Pakistani driver’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 2, 2020
A video is doing the rounds on social media claiming that it shows a Chinese Engineer in Karachi beating a Pakistani driver for submitting a fake petrol bill. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Video of a Chinese Engineer in Karachi beating a Pakistani driver for submitting a fake petrol bill.
Fact: The tweet with the above claim was made recently from a satirical account. The video was found to be on the internet at least since 2016. News reports indicated that the video is related to an incident in Malaysia. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on social media with the text given in the post (‘Chinese Engineer in Karachi caught on video beating Pakistani driver for submitting fake petrol bill’), the video was found to be first posted on Twitter. The user ‘@TheZaiduLeaks’ posted the video on ‘28 June 2020’. The description in the profile of that account states that all the tweets from it are for ‘fun and 100% fake’.
Graphic Content : Chinese Engineer in Karachi caught on video beating Pakistani driver for submitting fake petrol bill.
Engineer from PowerChina Gansu Energy Co came to Pakistan under CPEC.
My Dear Pakistani brothers & sisters we must raise our voice against this this behaviour pic.twitter.com/SuJK72C1TS
The video was later shared by many social media users with the same claim and those posts can be seen here and here.
To know the exact context of the video, we ran the screenshots of the video through reverse image search and found many reports from Malaysian news websites that were published in November 2016. Those news reports can be seen here and here. In the video, the logo seen on the ‘Yellow’ t-shirt worn by a man is used in the ‘BERSIH 5’ rally held in 2016 by BERSIH2.0. The rally was held demanding institutional reforms for a New Malaysia. So, it can be concluded that the incident took place in Malaysia.
To sum it up, a 2016 video from Malaysia is shared with the false narrative ‘Chinese Engineer in Karachi beating a Pakistani driver for submitting fake petrol bill’.
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This is a fake man-made Rudraksha; not a genuine natural one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 20, 2022
An image of rudraksh containing  Trishul and Shankh symbols is being widely shared on social media with a claim that it formed naturally and is very rare. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of a rare natural rudraksh containing trishul and shankh symbols.
Fact: This is a fake man-made rudraksh that can be created using several substances like wood, lead, plastic, glue, etc. The symbols are carved on them using moulds. These type of fake rudrakhas are sold at exorbitant prices to the devotees. Several people and companies warn people to be aware of such fake ones. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We did a reverse image search and found that the same image has been going viral for a long time with the same claim. When Bollywood actress Esha Deol shared this post on twitter in 2018, several people commented saying it is fake and such rudrakshas are abundantly available in Rishikesh. Moreover, the official Twitter handle of CPI(M) Puducherry warned users that these are fake ones and should be avoided.
Don’t fool yourself and don’t troll fake news pic.twitter.com/fRKTzf6gQl
According to The Wire, Rudraksha are the dried seeds of the Elaeocarpus ganitrus tree. Also, in a series of videos, Dr. Tanay, founder of Rudralife Seetha exposes several fake rudrakshas available in the market which are being sold at exorbitant prices. These fake rudrakshas are made using various materials like plastic, lead, wood etc. and the required shapes are carved on it.
To sum it up, an image of a fake rudraksha with trishul and shankh is falsely shared as a real one.

created: October 20, 2022


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This is a photoshopped image of a Petrol Bunk bill - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post with an image of the bill purportedly issued by Sai Balaji Petroleum in Mumbai. The lower part of the bill receipt has the text “If you want to reduce petrol price don’t vote Modi again. Thank you visit again!”. Let’s try to verify the authenticity of the receipt put in the post.
Sai Balaji Petroleum in Mumbai has issued their petrol bill receipts to their customers with the text “If you want to reduce petrol price don’t vote Modi again”.
Fact: The sample bill of a company ‘Goldimine Electrosystems Pvt Ltd’ has been photoshopped and is circulated by a few to gain political mileage in the ongoing General Elections-2019. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
When the image is searched using Google Reverse Image search in the name of Sai Balaji Petroleum, there were many results. While analyzing each of it, the original bill was found in the sample bill display section present on the left side of ‘Goldimine Electrosystems Pvt Ltd’ company’s website. The bill is edited and the text “If you want to reduce petrol price don’t vote Modi again. Thank you visit again!” is added to it. If one observes the bill in the post, they can clearly see the changes in the font size in it.
Finally, image of the sample bill of a private company has been photoshopped and is being circulated in social media.


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This is an old sculpture of Hindu God Hanuman, not American Monkey God - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 11, 2021
A post accompanying an image that resembles Hindu God Hanuman is being widely shared across social media platforms with a claim that the image shows a statue of an ancient American God known as ‘Monkey God’ in the Denver Art Museum. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image showing statue of an ancient American God known as ‘Monkey God’.
Fact: According to Denver Art Museum, the sculpture was carved by an unknown artist during the 1800s in Southern India and the sculpture shows Hanuman, the Hindu monkey-god. As per the information the sculpture was purchased by the museum in 1991. This is not a sculpture of American ‘Monkey God’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to Denver Art Museum website which provides information related to the sculpture. According to the details provided on the website, ‘this wooden sculpture was carved by an unknown artist during the 1800s in Southern India (perhaps in the regions of Tamil Nadu or Kerala). This sculpture shows Hanuman, the Hindu monkey-god, kneeling in devotion to the god Rama’. Also, as per the information the sculpture was purchased by the museum in 1991. This establishes the fact that the sculpture is of Hindu God Hanuman but not American ‘Monkey God’.
The same image is being shared in other languages with a claim that the sculpture was excavated during the time of Obama’s Presidency and thus he is an ardent devotee of Lord Hanuman. Further, the posts recommend a book titled ‘The Lost City of The Monkey God’ to get more insights about the excavation. However, our research found that the sculpture has nothing to do with Obama as it was purchased by the museum much before Obama’s Presidential years. In an interview, Obama said that he carries a small statuette of Hindu God Hanuman which he received from a woman. However,  there is no credible evidence to prove that Obama is an ardent devotee of Lord Hanuman.
Further, the book recommended in the post is actually a book written by Douglas Preston about series of expeditions starting from the 1920s to the latest one using LIDAR in 2012 in which it is revealed that there is indeed a hidden city under the pristine forests of Honduras. The hidden city is also known as ‘City of Monkey God’ as it is believed by indigenous people that there is a huge statue of Monkey God under the forest. An article written by Douglas Preston about the expeditions much before he penning the book can be read here. However, the book has nothing to do with the sculpture shown in the post.
To sum it up, this is an old sculpture of Hindu God Hanuman, not American Monkey God.

created: January 11, 2021