text:
Old video of police dispersing crowds for violating COVID-19 guidelines is shared with a communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 17, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Hindutva radicalised cops were brutally assaulting an elderly Muslim man. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing Hindutva radicalised cops beating an elderly Muslim man.
Fact: The video is from April 2020 and is not a recent one. The police in the video were using force to disperse the crowd who were gathered unlawfully, violating the COVID-19 lockdown guidelines. The crowd attacked the cops who sustained injuries; several were booked by Bareilly police for allegedly attacking the policemen in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When a reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, the same video was found posted on Twitter. To the same tweet, Bareilly Police replied saying that the video was from 2020 when a complete lockdown was implemented because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The police say that mild force had been used to disperse the crowd as the people who gathered unlawfully tried to misbehave with the police.
Concerned vedio is from 2020 when complete lockdown was implemented.unlawful gathering tried to misbehave with police and police used mild force to disperse the crowd so that COVID infection would not spread.
When we searched online with relevant keywords, a video report with similar visuals was found. The YouTube video was uploaded on 07 April 2020 by OTV, a news channel in Odisha. The police in the video were using force because of some people who violated the COVID-19 lockdown guidelines and also ransacked a police station in UP. There was no mention in the report that there was a communal narrative to the incident. According to news reports, the crowd attacked the cops who sustained injuries. Several were booked by Bareilly police for allegedly attacking the policemen.
To sum it up, an old video of police dispersing the crowds for violating COVID-19 guidelines is shared with a communal narrative.


text:
Old video of police forcing men to sing national anthem during Delhi riots is attributed to Indian army in Kashmir - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 20, 2022
A social media post accompanying a video of police personnel forcing men to sing the National Anthem is being widely circulated with a claim that Indian army soldiers in Kashmir forced these men to sing for raising pro-Pakistan slogans. In the video, the police personnel can be seen manhandling a group of young men, as they were lying on the road with injuries. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing Indian soldiers in Kashmir forcing men sing the national anthem in response for their pro-Pakistan slogans.
Fact: The video actually shows Delhi police forcing a group of men to sing the national anthem during the Delhi riots which took place in early 2020. The video went viral on social media back then. As per the news reports, one of the men shown in the video succumbed to injuries. Recently, the High Court of Delhi questioned the delay in investigation. The video has nothing to do with Kashmir. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video yielded multiple 2020 news reports which reported the same visuals. As per one such news report, the video shows an incident wherein Delhi police personnel forced a group of men to sing the national anthem during the Delhi riots, in February 2020. As per the report, the video went viral on social media platforms back then. News articles that have reported the incident back then can be viewed here and here.
Further, according to the news report, one of the five men injured had succumbed to the injuries. And the victim’s mother ‘had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court to have the matter investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT)’.
The incident has been in the news once again, as the Delhi High Court on 12 January 2022 ‘questioned the delay in investigating an incident where a man, 23-year-old Faizan, was forced to sing the national anthem during the Delhi riots that erupted in the year 2020’.
Another news article that reported the latest development in the case can be read here. In the latest hearing of this case in Delhi High court on 11 January 2022, the police were directed to file a detailed comprehensive status report on the investigation till now on the death of the 23-year-old Faizan, in FIR No.75/2020.
Back in 2020 when the video went viral on social media, Alt News has independently verified the veracity of the location and context of the video by speaking to one of the victims, who confirmed that the incident happened during the Delhi riots in early 2020. From all this, it is evident that the video has nothing to do with Kashmir.
To sum it up, an old video of police forcing men to sing the national anthem during the Delhi riots passed off attributing it to the Indian army in Kashmir.

source: news-factly

created: January 20, 2022

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


text:
Old video of police in Pakistan digging out the grave of a fake ‘Peer’ is shared as from India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 20, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the visuals of police digging a grave of a ‘Peer’, are from India. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of police digging out a grave to arrest a ‘Peer’ is from India.
Fact: The video is from Pakistan and not India. In February 2020, a fake Peer in Sialkot, Punjab (Pakistan), was fooling people into paying huge amounts of money, apparently, to perform ‘black magic’. Sialkot is a city in Pakistan’s Punjab state. The person defrauded people saying that he would stay in the grave for 40 days, but he was rather living a life with all basic amenities, and various tunnels dug around the grave. The police in Pakistan dug out the person from the grave and arrested him. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video with relevant keywords, a similar video was found on YouTube. The YouTube video uploaded on 15 February 2020 is titled, ‘Jali Peer I Went into Grave I Sialkot I Fraud I 2020’. Sialkot is a city in Pakistan’s Punjab state. According to the description of the video, a fake peer was arrested at Sadar Police Station in Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan. There was no mention of India in the YouTube video. A Peer is a name given to a Sufi spiritual guide.
When searched on Google, Pakistani video reports and articles were found related to the same incident. The Peer in the video had been arrested by the Punjab police of Pakistan, not India. Even Pakistan has a state named Punjab. The Peer was fooling people into paying huge amounts of money, apparently, to perform ‘black magic’. According to reports, the person defrauded people by saying that he would stay in the grave for 40 days, but he was rather living a life with all basic amenities, and various tunnels dug around the grave.
To sum it up, an old video of police in Pakistan digging out the grave of a fake ‘Peer’ is shared as from India.


text:
Old video of police lathi charge at CAA protesters in Gorakhpur is shared as Indian army crackdown on Kashmiris - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 12, 2021
A social media post accompanying a video of people being beaten up by men in uniform is being shared with a claim that the video shows the Indian military crackdown on Kashmiris. The post further claims that the Indian government has announced military action on Kashmir and accordingly internet and communications were cut off from the region.  Let’s fact-check the claims made in the post.
Claim: Video showing Indian military crackdown on Kashmiris.
Fact: The video shows police lathi charge at protesters who resorted to pelting stones at police during the anti CAA protests at Nakhas Chowk area in Gorakhpur back in December 2019. Many news agencies have reported the incident. The video has nothing to do with Kashmir. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Search on Facebook with relevant keywords led us to a post that shared a high resolution and longer version of the same viral video. This post dates back to January 2020 and the description accompanying the video attributes the video to police lathi charge at CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh. Further search led yielded a YouTube video, which carried similar visuals. The video dates back to December 2019 and the description of the video claims that visuals show police action against CAA protests.
Taking a cue from the above-mentioned videos, further search with relevant keywords led us to a 2019 news video of police lathi charge at CAA protests in Gorakhpur. According to this report, police clamped down on protesters who resorted to pelting stones at police during the anti CAA protests at Nakhas Chowk area in Gorakhpur. This video captures the same police lathi charge from a different angle.
Upon juxtaposing few visuals of this news report with that of the Facebook video, which is a better version of the viral video, we can spot a few similarities in both these images, which proves that the viral video is related to CAA protests back in 2019 and has nothing to do with Kashmir.
Following the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament, protests opposing the bill have been reported in many parts of the country and in Uttar Pradesh back in 2019. News articles that reported protests in cities like Gorakhpur, Bulandshahr, and Muzaffarnagar can be read here, here, and here.
The second part of the video wherein an old person is seen giving an emotional speech has been available on the internet since September 2019. YouTube uploads of the longer version of the same video can be seen here and here. In this longer version, the person states that he had worked with the Indian Army and talks about the atrocities carried by the Indian Army against Kashmiri women. However, we could not independently verify the location and the context around the speech of the video,
To sum it up, the 2019 video of police lathi charge at CAA protesters in Gorakhpur is shared as Indian army crackdown on Kashmiris.

created: October 12, 2021


text:
Old video of police lathi-charge on anti-CAA protestors is shared as UP police lathi-charging people protesting irregularities in teacher recruitment - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 28, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that UP police are lathi-charging people protesting the irregularities in teacher recruitment. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of UP police lathi-charging people protesting the irregularities in teacher recruitment.
Fact: The video is from 2019 when police lathi-charged anti-CAA protestors who clashed with the police at Lucknow’s Parivartan Chowk. The Uttar Pradesh government, in 2019, held an examination to recruit 69,000 school teachers. The process had faced allegations of irregularities in quota allocation within the merit list. In December 2021, there was a clip showing a police lathi-charge on a group of people protesting the exam process, but the current viral video is not from that incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When a reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, the same video was found on YouTube. The YouTube video was uploaded on 19 December 2019. The police lathi-charged anti-CAA protestors who clashed with the police at Lucknow’s Parivartan Chowk. There are news reports (here and here) on these protests that had turned violent in Lucknow when protestors pelted stones and police had to resort to lathi-charge and tear gas.
A similar video clip went viral in 2019 claiming it to be from Gujarat but Ahmedabad Police clarified in a tweet that the video was from Lucknow and not from Gujarat.
આ ફેક વિડીયોને સોશિયલ મીડિયા પર શેર કરવામાં આવી રહ્યો છે.  તપાસ વિના ફેક વિડીયો અથવા ફોટો ફોરવર્ડ/શેર કરશો નહીં. અમે સતત સોશિયલ મીડિયા પર નજર રાખી રહ્યા છીએ. જે આ ફેક વિડીયો/ફોટો શેર કરશે, એમની સામે કાયદેસરની કાર્યવાહી કરવામાં આવશે. #AhmedabadPolice #FakeNews #FactCheck pic.twitter.com/9BZmcdupzh
The Uttar Pradesh government, in 2019, held an examination to recruit 69,000 school teachers. The process had faced allegations of irregularities in quota allocation within the merit list. In December 2021, there was a clip showing a police lathi-charge on a group of people protesting the exam process. However, the viral clip is not from the December 2021 incident..
To sum it up, an old video of a police lathi-charge on anti-CAA protestors is shared as UP police lathi-charging people protesting the irregularities in teacher recruitment.

created: January 28, 2022


text:
Old video of Prayagraj floods shared as that from the rain hit Delhi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 14, 2020
A post with a video of a couple having playful time in rain water is going viral on social media with a claim that the video depicts the situation of rain hit Delhi. Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of a couple playing in the floodwaters that entered into their home in Delhi.
Fact: The video is actually from Prayagraj, the incident took place in September 2019 when Prayagraj was hit by floods. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search led us to a news article which reported the same video. According to the article, the incident happened way back in September 2019 in Prayagraj, UP. Video reporting of this news can be seen here. With this, we can conclude that the video is old, and no way related to Delhi.
FACTLY has debunked the same video when it went viral with a false claim back in 2019, that the video is from Hyderabad. The article can be read here.
To sum it up, 2019 video of a couple playing in the floodwaters that entered their home in Prayagraj, is shared as that from recent rain hit Delhi.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Old video of protesting farmers in Haryana is shared as BJP workers vandalising Meerut rally venue in UP - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 7, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the recent visuals of BJP workers vandalising the Meerut rally venue protesting the denial of daily wage for attending the event. In the wake of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Elections, on 02 January 2022, PM Narendra Modi addressed a public meeting held in Meerut.  Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent visuals of BJP workers vandalising Meerut rally venue in Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows an old incident of protesting farmers vandalizing the venue of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat in Karnal, Haryana. This incident took place in January 2021. This video has nothing to do with the recent Meerut rally in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found published on the ‘TV9 Bharatvarsh’ YouTube channel on 10 January 2021. This video reported it as the visuals of protesting farmers vandalising the venue of Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar’s ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ event in Karnal, Haryana.
Sharing a video with similar visuals, the ‘India Today’ published an article on 10 January 2021. According to the ‘India Today’ article, on 10 January 2021, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was slated to hold the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ programme at Kaimla village in Haryana. Manohar Lal Khattar organized this event to address farmers about the benefits of the Centre’s three farm laws. Thousands of protesting farmers gathered at Kaimla village and vandalised the venue. Despite the Haryana Police officials’ efforts to stop protestors using water cannons and tear gas shells, protestors entered Kaimla village and ransacked the venue of the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ event.
Following the protestors’ attack on the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ venue in Kaimla, Manohar Lal Khattar called off the event. Reporting the complete details of the incident, several news websites published articles in January 2021. They can be seen here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows an old incident of farmers vandalising the venue of Manohar Lal Khattar’s ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ event in Haryana.
To sum it up, an old video of protesting farmers vandalising the venue of Manohar Lal Khattar’s ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ event in Haryana falsely linked to the recent Meerut rally in UP.

created: January 7, 2022


text:
Old video of protests is being shared linking it to Agnipath protests in Bihar - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 23, 2022
Following the announcement of Agnipath scheme, multiple states have witnessed protests against the scheme. Bihar also witnessed violent protests and incidents of protesters setting fire to public properties. In this context, a post accompanying the video of a protester demanding the government to take back the legislation is being widely circulated linking it to the Agnipath protests. In the video, the protester proclaims himself as Lalu supporter and he further avoids media questions when asked about the cause of the protest. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of protester avoiding media question during Agnipath protests in Bihar.
Fact: It is true that Bihar has witnessed some violent protests in wake of Agnipath scheme. However, the viral video is not related to these protests. The video is available on the internet much earlier than the announcement of Agnipath scheme and most likely is related to RRB NTPC exam protests which happened in Bihar, earlier in January 2022. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Along with many other states, Bihar has also witnessed incidents of violent protests following the announcement of the Agnipath scheme. However, the video shared in the viral post is not related to the Agnipath protests but related to another protest which happened much earlier than the announcement of Agnipath scheme.
Reverse image search of the screen shots of the viral video led us to a YouTube video which carried similar visuals. The video was uploaded on YouTube on 28 January 2022 and as per the title of the video, the visuals are related to RRB- NTPC exam.
This implies that the video is not related to Agnipath protests, as the central government announced the Agnipath scheme on 14 June 2022.
Further search yielded multiple news reports of student protests in Bihar, against the alleged discrepancy in the RRB NTPC 2021 exam (here, here & here). As per these reports, protests have taken place in the month of January 2022. Hence, most likely the viral video could be related to these protests.
To sum it up, old video of protests is being shared linking it to recent Agnipath protests in Bihar.


text:
Old video of Putin walking alone on the streets is passed off as a recent one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 3, 2022
In the light of the ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict, a video of Russian President Vladimir Putin avoiding his Presidential motorcade and walking alone is being shared with a claim that the incident happened recently after a press conference. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of Russian President Putin avoiding his Presidential motorcade and walking alone after a press conference.
Fact: These visuals show a 2013 incident, wherein the Russian President Vladimir Putin walked along the streets of St. Petersburg after attending his Judo coach Anatoly Rakhlin’s farewell ceremony. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
These visuals date back to 2013 and have nothing to do with the current situation. YouTube search with relevant keywords yielded a 2013 news report which reported the same visuals. As per this report, these visuals show Russian President Vladimir Putin walking along the streets of St. Petersburg after attending his Judo coach Anatoly Rakhlin’s farewell ceremony.
Although there are recent reports of Putin making televised statements (here and here) in view of the ongoing military attack on Ukraine, there are no reports of him walking alone in the streets.
To sum it up, old video of Putin walking alone on the streets is passed off as a recent one.


text:
Old video of Rahul Gandhi explaining the benefits of the NYAY scheme with a tractor-engine analogy is shared with misleading claims - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 18, 2022
A post is being shared on social media, which contains a video of Rahul Gandhi saying, ‘like how petrol is filled into a tractor or a truck to switch on the Engine, we are filling petrol in the Indian Economy…. .‘ Hindi text on the post translates to ‘After measuring Aata (wheat flour) in litres, now Rahul Gandhi (refers to him a Pappu) has come up with new technology.’ Let’s fact-check this video in this article.
Claim: Rahul Gandhi says like how petrol is filled into a tractor or a truck to switch on the Engine, we are filling petrol in the Indian Economy.
Fact: The viral post contains a small portion of Rahul Gandhi’s speech from April 2020, made during a public meeting in Chhattisgarh. In the full video, Rahul explains the benefits of the Congress party’s NYAY scheme. He says, ‘NYAY Yojana is a way to jumpstart the Indian Economy; like how petrol is filled into a tractor or truck to start the Engine; we are filling petrol in the Indian Economy; once the petrol goes inside, we will switch it on, the Engine starts at once.’ The post just uses the portion where he talks about filling fuel into the Indian economy to mock about his analogy. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We ran a reverse image search with a few screenshots from the viral video and found a video of  Rahul Gandhi’s speech on the official Twitter handle of the Congress party. In his address during a public meeting in Chhattisgarh, Rahul Gandhi spoke about the Indian economy and how NYAY Yojana will help jumpstart it. The viral video uses a cropped version of this video from 11:59 where he says, ‘like how petrol is filled into a tractor or truck to start the Engine; we are filling petrol in the Indian Economy; once the petrol goes inside, we will switch it on, and the Engine starts at once.’
LIVE: Congress President @RahulGandhi addresses public meeting in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. #CGbadlaDeshBadlo https://t.co/SXkTkAR0C8
The same speech is also on YouTube, which you can watch here. News reports related to this meeting can be here, here.
In the full video, Rahul Gandhi explains that people (poor and farmers) stopped purchasing goods like shirts, pants and shoes once Narendra Modi took money from their pockets (earlier in the speech, he spoke about Demonetisation and GST.) This led to factories in India halting the production of goods and eventually laying off the factory workers. He went onto say that the Indian youth became unemployed, and unemployment has risen very quickly. He further elaborates that NYAY Yojana will credit a yearly amount of Rs.72,000 to the bank accounts of the poor people of India. This will empower them to purchase various goods, and eventually, factories will start producing them and provide employment to the youth of this country
In his words, ‘ NYAY Yojana is not just (crediting) money in the accounts of the poor, it is a way to jumpstart the Indian Economy. Like how petrol is filled into a tractor or truck to start the Engine, we are filling petrol in the Indian Economy; once the petrol goes inside, we will switch it on, and the Engine starts at once. Lakhs of Indian (Chhattisghari) Youth will get jobs.’ Clearly, the video in the viral post has been cleverly edited to leave out the context of his speech mock him about the analogy.
To sum up, an old video of Rahul Gandhi explaining the benefits of the NYAY scheme with a tractor analogy is shared with misleading claims.

created: October 18, 2022


text:
Old video of Rajasthan citizens pledging to boycott Congress party is being linked to Karauli violence - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 14, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of Rajasthan citizens pledging not to vote for the Congress Party amid recent Karauli violence. In the wake of the recent communal violence at Rajasthan’s Karauli, this video is being widely shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of Rajasthan citizens pledging to boycott Congress party amid communal violence in Karauli.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows old visuals from a demonstration organised by the Rajasthan Unemployed Unified Federation in November 2020. As part of the demonstration, the unemployed youth present in the meeting took an oath not to vote for Congress Party in the upcoming Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti and Vidhan Sabha by-elections during that period. The video shared in the post is old and has nothing to do with the recent communal violence in Karauli. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, videos with similar visuals are found on social media from November 2020. They can be seen here and here. These social media users mentioned it as visuals of unemployed youth in Rajasthan taking an oath not to vote for the Congress Party in elections. On 17 November 2020, the ‘National Dunia’ news website published an article sharing a photo from the same meeting. This article reported that the Rajasthan Unemployed Unified Federation had organised a demonstration at Sikar Ramlila Maidan and made all the unemployed youth present at the meeting take oath to boycott the Congress party in all the upcoming elections.
Reporting the details of the meeting, a few news websites published articles in November 2020. They can be seen here and here. According to these articles, on 17 November 2020, the Rajasthan Unemployed Unified Federation organised a demonstration demanding the Rajasthan state government to complete the pending recruitment process and fulfill all other demands of the unemployed youth in the state. During the meeting, the Rajasthan Unemployed Unified Federation president Upen Yadav reportedly made all the unemployed youth present in the meeting take a pledge to boycott the Congress party in all upcoming Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, and Vidhan Sabha by-elections. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is old and not related to the recent communal violence in Rajasthan’s Karauli.
To sum it up, an old video of Rajasthan citizens pledging to boycott the Congress party is being linked to Karauli violence.


text:
Old video of Russian Proton-M Rocket crash is falsely shared as failed Indian test missile - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 22, 2020
Video footage of a crash is being shared on social media claiming it as the failed Indian test missile. In the video, it is seen that a space rocket changed its direction and explodes minutes after its launch. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Video showing the failed Indian test missile.
Fact: The video footage in the post shows the space crash of Russian Proton- M Rocket, in the year 2013. It is old footage and not related to India. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the posted video, a video with similar visuals was found in an article published by ‘NewScientist’ news website. In the article, it is mentioned that the visuals in the video are related to the space crash of Russian Proton-M rocket during the year 2013. When we searched for further information using these keywords, we found an article published by ‘NASASpaceFlight.com’ news website on ‘1 July 2013’. In this article also, it is mentioned that the visuals are related to the space crash of Russian Proton-M rocket. Video footage related to the Russian Proton-M rocket space crash was found in the official youtube channels of ‘The Telegraph’ and ‘Euronews’ news websites, which be seen here and here.
Under ‘The Telegraph’ YouTube video, it is mentioned that the Russian Proton-M rocket carrying three navigation satellites crashed soon after the takeoff from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome.
FACTLY had earlier debunked the same video when it was shared as the failed launch of Pakistan missile ‘Ghaznavi’.
To sum it up, 2013 video footage of Russian Proton-M rocket space crash is falsely shared as the failed Indian missile.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Old video of Shah Rukh Khan's response to boycott of his film Dilwale shared in context of his upcoming film Pathaan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 29, 2022
A video of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) in which he says that social boycott campaigns do not affect him is being shared on social media. The post which shares it also calls for a boycott of his upcoming film Pathaan. After a song named ‘Besharam rang’ from Pathaan was released, boycott calls started to trend on social media over the saffron colour dress Deepika Padukone wears in the song. Let’s fact-check this video through this article.
Claim: Shah Rukh Khan said that social boycott calls do not affect him.
Fact: The viral video is a short clip of a full-length interview he gave to ETC Bollywood in 2016. Shah Rukh Khan was promoting his film on a show hosted by film critic Komal Nahta. When asked if the social boycott campaign against his film Dilwale affected the film, he said that ‘maybe we did not make a good film‘ and that he is not affected by such calls for a boycott. He also joked that when a film does not perform well, such calls for a boycott can be pointed out as reasons. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Based on the video’s logo, Z-ETC Bollywood, we searched the internet for a  extended version of this SRK interview. This led us to a 27-second video clip uploaded on Facebook by Zee5 on 15 April 2016. The description of this post reads, ‘ Watched #FirstDayFANShow yet? Shah Rukh Khan talks about #Fan on #ETC in this interview with Komal Nahta: http://bit.ly/SRK-FAN ETC Bollywood #JabraFan.‘
Taking hints based on the post description, we further refined our search, and found the promo of this interview uploaded to the Facebook page of ETC Bollywood and also the full version of this interview which was uploaded on ‘Dailymotion’. You can see them both here and here.
This interview with a film critic and the host of the ETC Bollywood business show, Komal Nahta, was in 2016 when SRK appeared on the show to promote his film Fan.’ When Komal asked him if the social boycott (here and here) against his previous film Dilwale had any impact on its performance, he can be seen jokingly saying that one can point to such things as an excuse when their films do poorly; he also says that maybe they (Rohit Shetty, him, Kajol) did not make a good film. He said he does not get swayed by such Hawa (air). You can see this discussion in the full interview from 33 minutes and 45 seconds.
To sum up, old video of SRK’s response to boycott of his film Dilwale is shared in context of his upcoming film Pathaan.

created: December 29, 2022


text:
Old video of Starlink satellite train is shared as recent visuals from UP’s Farrukhabad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 13, 2022
In the context of Starlink satellites spotted in some areas of Uttar Pradesh, a video of a string of bright lights passing through night sky is being widely shared claiming it as recent visuals of Starlink satellites from UP’s Farrukhabad district. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent visuals of Starlink satellite train captured in Farrukhabad, UP.
Fact: This video was already uploaded on YouTube on 11 January 2021 by ‘Night Sky’ YouTube channel as “Starlink satellites train seen from Poland”. Though there are several media reports on Starlink spottings in various parts of UP recently, this video is not related to those incidents. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We ran a reverse image search using keyframes extracted from the viral video and found that the same video with buzzing background sound was uploaded to YouTube on 11 January 2021 by “Night Sky” YouTube channel. The description of the video says, “Starlink satellites train seen from Poland. Starlink is a satellite constellation being constructed by SpaceX in order to provide satellite internet access”.
We also found the background sound used in both the videos is same. Upon comparing both the videos, we can conclude that the both the videos are same. We also found the full-length video from the same channel uploaded on 11 August 2020. The description says, “Starlink cosmic train passes over Poland! Flight satellites Starlink at night 10.08.2020 at 3:13.”
According to a BBC report, SpaceX started launching starlink satellites in 2019. Starlink project provides internet services via a huge network of satellites revolving around the earth in Low-level orbit. It is aimed to provide highspeed internet to people living in remote areas. At sunrise and sunset, they are visible to the naked eye because the sun glints off their wings, creating problems for astronomers. There have been numerous reports of people spotting this Starlink satellite trains across the world. They can be seen here.
Recent visuals and media reports about Starlink satellite train spotting in Uttar Pradesh can be seen here, here, and here. To know more about Starlink, visit here
#UttarPradesh#viral#viralvideo
The #bizarreline of dotted lights in the sky was witnessed by the locals in #Shravasti, #Hardoi, #Lucknow, and #Kanpur on Monday Late Night 🌃#kaustuva#BREAKING pic.twitter.com/ya1PMftLP0
To sum it up, an old video of Starlink satellite train is shared as recent visuals of the same from UP’s Farrukhabad

created: September 13, 2022


text:
Old video of students getting expelled in Bihar is passed off as a recent incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 9, 2021
A post accompanying a video of police escorting few girls into a van is being shared on social media platforms with a claim that the video shows a recent incident of students getting expelled for cheating in exams in Bihar. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing students being expelled for cheating in exams in Bihar.
Fact: This is an old video. Multiple news articles from 2017 suggest that the video shows students getting expelled back in 2017 for using unfair means in the intermediate examination in Bihar. 162 students were expelled on the first day of the Intermediate examination conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) on 01 February 2021. However, this video has nothing to do with the 2021 incidents. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
YouTube search with relevant keywords led us to a similar video dated 17 February 2017. The description of the video reads ‘Must see today 34 girls from Seth Sagarmal College, Nawada’. This proves that the video is old and not related to the latest incident of students being expelled for cheating in exams.
Taking a cue from the YouTube video, Google search with relevant keywords yielded us multiple 2017 news articles which reported the expulsion of 360 students in Bihar for using unfair means in the intermediate examination. Further, India Today reported that ‘In Nawada district around 32 girl examinees were caught cheating in centre number 2311 at Seth Sagar Mal Aggarwal Women college in the first sitting of Physics examination’. News articles of Indian Express and Outlook which reported this incident can be read here and here. All these lead us to the conclusion that the video in the post is old and not related to the recent turn of events.
In view of 162 students getting expelled on the first day of Intermediate examination conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) posts like these are being shared on social media with misleading claims.
To sum it up, old video of students getting expelled in Bihar is passed off as recent one.

created: February 9, 2021


text:
Old video of students rehearsing a play for a cultural event in Uttar Pradesh shared now with a communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 31, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming that it shows recent visuals of a teacher making Hindu students practise offering namaz in Uttar Pradesh. The post claims that the video is from a school in the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh. The video shows a group of uniformed female students kneeling and bowing down their heads in front of the teacher. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a school teacher training her female Hindu students how to recite namaz in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The post shares an old video of students rehearsing a play or drama for a cultural event in the Hoshiyari Devi Girls Inter College in Rathoda village of the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh. The video shows an edited video clip that was taken while the teacher was preparing students for the cultural program. Baghpat police through a tweet clarified that the video is old and that it shows students rehearsing a play for a cultural program. Baghpat police in the tweet emphasized that the video does not show students reciting namaz. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a photo showing similar visuals was found in an article published by the ‘Amar Ujala’ news website on 30 May 2023. Sharing the picture, the ‘Amar Ujala’ reported that the news of students offering namaz attributed to a viral video on social media is not true. They reported that the viral video shows old visuals of students rehearsing a play for a cultural program at the Hoshiyari Devi Girls Inter College in Rathoda village of the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh.
Hoshiyari Devi Girls Inter College Principal Munesh Chowdary spoke to ‘Amar Ujala’ about the viral video and said that the video was shot in October 2022, while their students rehearsing a play ahead of a cultural event in the college. The viral video reportedly shows Hoshiyari Devi Girls College teacher Salma preparing students for the performance at the annual function. Munesh Chowdary confirmed to the media that the namaz recitation portion in the play was later removed and was not allowed to perform in the cultural event. Reporting the same, a few other news websites have also published articles and videos. They can be seen here and here.
On 28 May 2023, Baghpat Police issued a press note regarding the viral video. Baghpat Police clarified that the viral video is old and that the video shows students rehearsing a play for a cultural event in the college. The police also emphasized that the video does not show students reciting namaz and asked people not to spread misleading news that could disturb communal harmony in the region.
#baghpatpolice
थाना छपरौली क्षेत्रान्तर्गत विद्यालय की मीडिया पर वायरल वीडियो के संबंध में-#UPPolice @uppolice@UPPViralCheck pic.twitter.com/n1YM65C69l
To sum it up, an old video of students rehearsing a play for a cultural program in Uttar Pradesh is shared now with a communal narrative.


text:
Old video of Syrian military executing civilians is passed off as Turkish army executing contractors - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 24, 2023
A video showing handcuffed men being executed by armed men is being shared widely. It is being shared with a claim that video shows Turkish soldiers shooting contractors for their shoddy work, which resulted in death of thousands of innocent people. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Turkish soldiers executing contractors for their shoddy work.
Fact: These visuals show Syrian military executing civilians during the Syrian civil war in 2013. The video came to light in 2022, and several news agencies reported the video. In wake of the recent earthquake in Turkey, contractors, architects and engineers are under scanner for their shoddy work, resulting in the collapse of thousands of buildings. However, there are no reports of any mass execution of these contractors. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In February 2023, Turkey has experienced one of the deadliest earthquakes, wherein the death toll stands at more than 45,000, according to Turkey’s disaster management authority.
Thousands of buildings collapsed, making the situation worse. Even the newly built apartments, which are bound to withstand the tremors, collapsed.  Following this, the contractors of the buildings came under scanner of the authorities, for their shoddy work, which led to increase in death toll. According to news reports, authorities have issued warrants and even a few arrests have been made.
However, there are no such reports of mass execution of contractors in light of the recent earthquake.
Viral video is from Syria:
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the viral video yielded multiple news reports, that reported about the same visuals in 2022 (here & here). As per these reports, the visuals show Syrian army executing dozens of civilians in Tadamon, near Damascus, during the Syrian civil war. These articles reported that the revelation was part of the Guardian investigation.
Taking a cue from this, further search yielded the Guardian and New Lines Magazine articles, which have reported the news initially. As per these reports, the video shows Syrian military men killing civilians at the time of civil war in 2013. Further, the report identified the armed man in the viral video as Amjad Youssef.
According to the reports, the video was leaked to researchers Annsar Shahhoud and Uğur Umit Ungor in 2019 and was reported in 2022 after authenticating it.
Thus, these reports affirm that the viral visuals are old and not related to recent earthquakes of Turkey.


text:
Old video of Tandava bridge passed off as Solapur-Bijapur railway bridge submerged in Bheema river - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 16, 2020
A post with a couple of videos in which a railway bridge can be seen partly submerged in a river is being widely shared on social media with the claim that the bridge is part of Solapur-Bijapur route which is partly submerged in Bheema river near Tadwal railway station. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a partly submerged railway bridge in Bheema river near Tadwal railway station which is part of Solapur-Bijapur route.
Fact: The video in the post is of Tandava bridge, Andhra Pradesh which got partly submerged in the river back in 2012. The video has nothing to do with the railway bridge between Solapur- Bijapur and the recent rainfall in various parts of the country. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screen shots of the video in the post led us to few Telugu news videos which reported the same video as flood water overflowing over Tandava railway bridge at Tuni, Andhra Pradesh. These videos can be watched here and here.
Further YouTube search with relevant keywords led us to videos from 2012  which carried the same visuals like those in the video in the post. These videos can be watched here and here. According to the description of these videos, the bridge which is seen partially submerged in the river is Tandava bridge which is at Tuni, Andhra Pradesh.
Taking a cue from these videos, we ran a Google search with relevant keywords and found news articles dating back to November 2012 which reported the event of Tandava bridge being partially submerged in river due to floods. These news articles can be read here and here. Also, we found a press note released by South Central Railway back in November 2012 which states that the General Manager of South Central Railway has visited the flood-affected Tandava railway bridge.
Further Google search led us to a news article which reported the South Central Railway’s clarification that this video an old one and not of recent rains. They also clarified that the Tandava bridge is not submerged and is in good condition and asked people not to believe fake news regarding the submerging of the bridge. With all this information, we can conclude that the video in the post shows neither the railway bridge between Solapur–Bijapur route nor the recent situation of Tandava bridge at Tuni.
To sum it up, old video of Tandava bridge in Andhra Pradesh is being passed off as Solapur-Bijapur railway bridge is submerged in Bheema river.

created: October 16, 2020


text:
Old video of the attack on West Bengal BJP President falsely linked to the ongoing farmers' protests - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 16, 2020
A post is being shared on social media claiming it as the recent video of BJP leaders getting thrashed by the public. The post claims it as the public anger on BJP because of the new farm legislation. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of BJP leaders getting thrashed by the public during the ongoing protests against new farm legislation.
Fact: The Video shared in the post is an old one. This video shows Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJP) activists attacking West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh in Darjeeling during 2017. This video has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest over the new farm legislation. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots shared in the post, similar visuals were found in a video posted by ‘NMF’ news channel on ‘06 October 2017’. In the description of the video, it is mentioned that the West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh was manhandled by the activists of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJP) in Darjeeling. On searching for more details about this attack, we found an article published by the ‘Hindustan Times’ on ‘05 October 2017’. In the article, it is mentioned that Anti-Gurung agitators attacked BJP Bengal President Dilip Ghosh on ‘05 October 2017’.
Sharing the same details, few National news channels reported about this attack. They can be seen here, here and here. Dilip Ghosh went to Darjeeling to meet the Gurung’s faction and hold a Vijaya Sammilani programme. In an attempt to cancel the planned BJP meeting, Benoy-Tamang faction of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJP) allegedly attacked Dilip Ghosh and his supporters.
Earlier, when the same video was shared with other false claims, FACTLY published fact-check articles about them. They can be read here, here, and here.
To sum it up, an old video of the attack on West Bengal BJP President is falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protest.

created: December 16, 2020


text:
Old video of U.S army band playing the Indian National Anthem is falsely shared as a recent video - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 17, 2020
A video is being shared on social media claiming that United states military academy band played Indian National anthem at West Point Officers Academy on the occasion of India’s 74 Independence day. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
The United States military academy band played the Indian National anthem on the occasion of India’s 74 Independence day.
Fact: As the post claims, U.S military academy band played the Indian National anthem in the video. But it was played during the ‘Yudh Abhyas 2019’, a joint military exercise conducted between the U.S and Indian army in 2019. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of screenshots in the video, we found similar visuals in a video posted by ‘ANI’  website. In the website, it is mentioned that the U.S Army band played the Indian National Anthem during ‘Yudh Abhyas 2019’. ‘Yudh Abhyas’ is a joint military exercise between the U.S and Indian army hosted alternatively by both countries. In September 2019, 15 edition of ‘Yudh Abhyas’ exercise was conducted at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Video in the post shows the U.S army band playing the Indian National Anthem in this event.‘The Print’ and ‘NDTV’ news channels also posted the same video mentioning it as an exercise related to the ‘Yudh Abhyas 2019’. It can be seen here and here.
Earlier, when the same video was shared as the preparation for Modi’s ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event at Houston, Factly has debunked the post and published an article. It can be seen here.
To sum it up, U.S Army band playing the Indian National Anthem during ‘Yudh Abhyas 2019’ is now falsely shared as the band played on the occasion of  India’s 74Independence day.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Old video of vehicles getting washed away is shared as the recent situation in rain-hit Hyderabad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 14, 2020
As Hyderabad received huge rainfall on 13 October 2020 (with some areas receiving more than 20 cm rainfall), a lot of videos and photos are being shared on the internet. While some of them show the actual situation, the others are just picked up from other places & times and shared as recent and related to Hyderabad. A video of a few vehicles getting washed away is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows the situation at Osmangunj in Hyderabad on 13 October 2020. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of vehicles getting washed away at Osmangunj in Hyderabad on 13 October 2020.
Fact: It is an old video. The video is being shared on the internet at least since 25 September 2019. While the original location of the video cannot be confirmed, it can be concluded that it is not related to the recent rains in Hyderabad. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on the internet about the video in the post, many similar videos were found in the search results. The video was found to be uploaded by multiple users back in 2019 with a similar claim. Some of those old posts can be found here, here and here. Also, it was found that ‘News18 – Telugu’ has posted the same video in September 2019. However, FACTLY could not confirm the location of the video as no further information regarding the video was found. But it can be concluded that it is not related to the recent rains in Hyderabad.
While the posted video is old, some recent visuals of vehicles getting washed away in Hyderabad can be seen here, here and here.
To sum it up, an old video falsely shared as vehicles getting washed away at Osmangunj in recent Hyderabad rains.

created: October 14, 2020


text:
Old video of Yogi extending monetary support to crop damage victims is passed off as him bribing people for votes - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 14, 2022
Amidst the ongoing UP elections, a social media post accompanying the video of a man distributing money to people in presence of Yogi Adityanath is being widely circulated across social media platforms with a claim that ‘Yogi is buying votes with notes’. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Yogi Adityanath buying votes by bribing voters with cash.
Fact: The visuals actually show Yogi Adityanath handing over monetary compensation to farmers whose crops were burnt in fire accident back in 2012. Even the conversation in the viral video suggests the same. There are no recent reports of Yogi Adityanath bribing people for votes. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
From the conversation which can be heard from 1:48 to 2:14 timestamp of the video, we can infer that the money was being distributed for some crop damage, as the people involved were talking about sowing crops. The man reading out names can be heard asking whether you people sow at two places to which a beneficiary replies, ‘we had sowed the same at two places.’ At this point, Yogi Adityanath says, ‘it must be his brother’s, call him.’
Further search on the internet yielded a 2019 fact-check article by the Quint, which debunked the same visuals when they went viral ahead of the 2019 LOk Sabha general elections. As per this article, the visuals actually date back to 2012, when Yogi Adityanath was handing over monetary support to the victims of crop damage due to a fire accident.
As per the article, Quint found the video was initially shared on 21 April 2012 on YouTube by Vinay Kumar Gautam. However, the video is currently not available on his YouTube channel. Quint reached out to Vinay, who confirmed that the visuals show Yogi Adityanath handing over monetary compensation to farmers whose crops were burnt when he was MP from Gorakhpur.
Further, there are no recent reports of Yogi Adityanath bribing people for votes. Although we could not independently verify the context of the visuals shown in the video, the available evidence suggest that it is an old video that has nothing to do with the current 2022 elections and that Yogi Adityanath is not bribing people for votes.
To sum it up, an old video of Yogi Adityanath extending monetary support to crop damage victims is passed off as Yogi bribing people for votes.

created: February 14, 2022


text:
Old video of Zakir Naik having dinner is shared as a video from the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 28, 2022
A post is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows a recent video of Zakir Naik eating food at the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of Zakir Naik eating food at the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022.
Fact: The posted video is an old one. A similar video is found on the internet at least from May 2022. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched on the internet with some keywords, a similar video was found in the search results. The video was uploaded on YouTube in May 2022 with the title – “Dinner with Dr. Zakir Naik”, whereas Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 kicked off in November 2022. A similar setup as in the posted video with the individuals in the same dresses can be found in the old video too. So, the posted video is not a recent one.
As reports of Zakir Naik visiting Qatar during the FIFA World Cup 2022 went viral, the Indian authorities raised the issue of Zakir Naik being wanted in India with the Qatar authorities. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said – “Qatar has told India that no invitation was extended to Zakir Naik to attend the FIFA World Cup 2022”.
Factly had previously debunked old visuals of Zakir Naik that were being attributed to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. These fact-check articles can be read here, here.
To sum it up, an old video of Zakir Naik having dinner is shared as a video from the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022.

created: November 28, 2022


text:
Old video passed off as Muslims spit on food served to farmers in Muzaffarnagar rally - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 14, 2021
Farmers protesting against the three farm laws have organised a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar earlier this month. It is in this light, a Facebook post accompanying a video of a group of Muslim men, among which one can be seen ladling out food and blowing over it before putting it back into the container is being shared. It is being alleged that the man spit on the food which was to be served to protesting farmers at Muzaffarnagar rally. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a Muslim man spitting over food, which was to be served to protesting farmers.
Fact: This video was uploaded on YouTube back in 2018, much before the introduction of the three farm bills which the farmers are protesting against. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The same video was uploaded on YouTube back in December 2018, with a Malayalam title which loosely translates to ‘those who don’t understand barkat of Islam, they should not eat food that is spit on’. Although the original video is deleted from YouTube, the archived version of the video can be seen here.
Further, there are no news reports of such an incident wherein a Muslim spit on food served to protesting farmers during recently concluded Muzaffarnagar rally. Although we could not independently verify the context of the video, the presence of the video on the internet since 2018 proves that the video has nothing to do with the Muzaffarnagar farmers rally, or for that matter the farmers protest, as the new farm bills which the farmers are protesting against had not been introduced by then.
The same video went viral on social media with different claims in the past when a few fact-checkers debunked the video, which can be read here and here.
To sum it up, an old video passed off as Muslims spitting on food served to farmers in the Muzaffarnagar rally.

created: September 14, 2021


text:
Old unrelated video passed off as police thrashing SP leader Kamal Akhtar - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 31, 2021
A post accompanying a two-part video of former UP minister Kamal Akhtar bragging about his influence in the state, followed by a video excerpt of police personnel beating a man is being shared widely. The post claims that UP police beat Kamal Akhtar black and blue for these words.  Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of UP police beating former state minister Kamal Akhtar of Samajwadi Party.
Fact: Kamal Akhtar made this viral speech back in April 2021. However, there are no reports of police beating him for the speech. It is Raja Chaturvedi, SP leader who can be seen beaten up by the police in the later part of the viral video. And the incident dates back to 2011, much before the viral speech of Kamal Akhtar. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
It is clearly visible that the viral video carries the logo of the ABP Ganga News agency. Taking a cue from this we ran a keyword search on YouTube and found the ABP Ganga news report of Kamal Akhtar’s viral speech.
As per the report, while speaking in a closed meeting in Amroha, Kamal Akhtar claimed that ‘there is no such IAS or IPS officer in the state has the courage to refuse any work of him.’ However, there are no reports of police thrashing Kamal Akhtar for this speech.
Whereas, the second part of the viral video, wherein a man can be seen beaten up by the police personnel, actually dates back to 2011. Keyword search on YouTube led us to a video uploaded in April 2011. The title of the video reads ‘SAMAJWADI PARTY LEADER RAJA CHATURVEDI 21 FEB 2011 AT VIDHAN SABHA U.P.’
Taking a cue from the YouTube video, Google search with relevant keywords yielded a news article dated 23 February 2011. As per the article, Samajwadi Party workers were beaten by the police on the Vidhan Sabha Marg.
Further, upon juxtaposing images of Kamal Akhtar and Raja Chaturvedi with that of a screenshot of the above-mentioned YouTube video, it is evident that the man who is seen beaten by the police in the viral video is not Kamal Akhtar but Raja Chaturvedi.
To sum it up, an old video passed off as police thrashing SP leader Kamal Akhtar.

created: October 31, 2021


text:
Old video related to Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s Antim Ardas (last prayer) is falsely linked to the ongoing farmers' protest. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 22, 2024
A video of a Muslim man removing his skull cap and wearing a Sikh turban is circulating widely on social media platforms, with the claim that Muslims disguised as Sikh farmers are participating in the ongoing farmers’ protest in Delhi. In this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Muslims disguised as Sikh farmers are participating in the ongoing farmers’ protest in Delhi.
Fact: There are no reports about Muslims disguised as Sikh farmers participating in the ongoing farmers’ protest in Delhi. This viral video depicts a Muslim man removing his skull cap and wearing a Sikh turban to participate in Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s Antim Ardas (last prayer) at Baharli Anaj Mandi in Mansa, Punjab on 08 June 2022. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the veracity of the viral claim, we conducted a relevant keyword search on the internet. However, we didn’t find any reports about the participation of Muslims disguised as Sikh farmers in the ongoing farmers’ protest in Delhi. If such an incident had taken place, the media would have definitely reported it.
To gather more information about the viral video, we conducted a Google Reverse Image search using keyframes from the video. This search led us to a Facebook video posted by the Sardarian Trust Punjab on 10 June 2022, which carries identical visuals to the viral video. The video description reads, “Moose Wala’s last prayer, Sardarian Trust set up turban Langar Muslim and Hindu brothers say we too wear turbans” (translated from Punjabi to English).
To know more information about the last prayer of Sidhu Moose Wala, we conducted an internet search and found several reports (here, here & here) about this prayer. According to these reports, Punjabi Singer Sidhu Moose Wala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jawaharke village of Punjab’s Mansa district on 29 May 2022. His family members organized Sidhu’s Antim Ardas (the last prayer) at Baharli Anaj Mandi, Mansa, on 08 June 2022, during which thousands of people and fans participated. The ceremony of Antim Ardas is a tribute paid after the cremation.
Upon comparing the viral video with the Facebook video, it is clear that both depict the same visuals. Based on this information, we can confirm that the visuals in the viral video depict Sidhu Moose Wala’s Antim Ardas (the last prayer) held at Baharli Anaj Mandi, Mansa, in June 2022.
To sum it up, an old video of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s Antim Ardas (last prayer) is falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protest.

created: February 22, 2024


text:
Old video related to the Madurai Chithirai festival is shared as visuals of Jagannath’s Rath Yatra - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 4, 2022
A video is being widely shared on social media with a claim that it shows the visuals of Jagannath’s Rath Yatra. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows the visuals of Jagannath’s Rath Yatra.
Fact: The posted video is not related to Jagannath’s Rath Yatra. It is an old video related to the Madurai Chithirai festival. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When the screenshots of the video were through Google Reverse Image Search, many such videos were found in the search results. A Twitter user posted a similar video in April 2022 with the description – “#ChithiraiThiruvizha The Annual Chariot-Festival #Madurai #MeenakshiAmman Temple, #TamilNadu #MaduraiChithiraiFestival2022”. However, the same video was also found to be uploaded on YouTube in 2018 with the title –  “MEENATCHI CHITHIRAI THIRUVIZHA 2018 DAY 11. (THEROTTAM.) MADURAI MANVASAM”.
Also, in another video related to the 2018 Madurai Chithirai festival, a similar chariot can be seen. More details regarding the Madurai Chithirai festival can be found here, here, and here.
The actual visuals related to recent Jagannath’s Rath Yatra in Puri can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, an old video related to the Madurai Chithirai festival is shared as the visuals of Jagannath’s Rath Yatra.


text:
Old video reporting UP MLA Mukesh Verma’s resignation from BJP ahead of 2022 UP Elections shared as recent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 19, 2022
A news bulletin of the ‘TV9 Bharatvarsh’ is being shared on social media claiming that Uttar Pradesh MLA Mukesh Verma has recently quit BJP and claimed that 20 MLAs are going to resign from BJP in the near future. According to the post, Mukesh Verma stated BJP is a party of 5% people. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: UP MLA Mukesh Verma recently quit BJP and claimed that 20 MLAs are willing to resign from BJP and join the Samajwadi Party.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a news report telecast by ‘TV9 Bharatvarsh’ in January 2022. Ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Elections, Shikohabad MLA Mukesh Verma resigned from BJP and joined the Samajwadi Party in January 2022.  Accusing the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government of neglecting backward classes, minority communities and farmers, Mukesh Verma quit BJP and claimed that 20 other MLAs are also going to resign from BJP and join SP along with Swami Prasad Mourya. The video does not show a recent news report. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched for the details of the video using relevant keywords on the internet, we found the same video published on the ‘TV9 Bharatvarsh’ YouTube channel on 14 January 2022. ‘TV9 Bharatvarsh’ reported that Shikohabad MLA Mukesh Verma has quit BJP ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Elections. Accusing the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government of neglecting backward classes, minority communities and farmers, Mukesh Verma quit BJP and claimed that 20 other MLAs are going to resign from BJP in the near future. Mukesh Verma reportedly stated BJP was a party of 5% people during an interview after his resignation from BJP.
Reporting MLA Mukesh Verma’s resignation from BJP, several news websites published articles and videos in January 2022. They can be seen here, here and here. As per these reports, Mukesh Verma was the 7 MLA to quit Uttar Pradesh’s ruling party BJP less than a month before the 2022 Elections.
After resigning from the primary membership of the BJP, Mukesh Verma joined the Samajwadi Party and was elected again as an MLA from the Shikohabad constituency in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Elections. Mukesh Verma is still continuing as a member of the Samajwadi Party. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows an old news report telecasted before the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Elections.
भाजपा सरकार द्वारा 5 वर्ष के कार्यकाल में दलित, पिछड़ों और अल्पसंख्यक समुदाय के नेताओं व जनप्रतिनिधियों को कोई तवज्जो नहीं दी गई व दलित, पिछड़ों किसानों व बेरोजगारों की उपेक्षा की गई। इसकारण मैं भारतीय जनता पार्टी की प्राथमिक सदस्यता से इस्तीफा देता हूँ।@swatantrabjp @JPNadda pic.twitter.com/5NGFBRSHnk
To sum it up, an old news video reporting UP MLA Mukesh Verma’s resignation from BJP ahead of the 2022 UP Elections is shared as a recent one.

created: December 19, 2022


text:
Old video shared as a recent instance of vandalism of Karnataka vehicles in TN amid the Kaveri water dispute - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 2, 2023
In the context of ongoing protests in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the issue of Kaveri River water distribution, a video showcasing a mob vandalizing vehicles is being widely circulated on social media. This video is claimed to represent the recent incident of Karnataka vehicles being vandalized in Tamil Nadu. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of mob vandalizing Karnataka buses in Tamil Nadu during Kaveri water dispute protests in 2023.
Fact: This video shows an incident that happened in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, in September 2016, where activists vandalized Karnataka vehicles during the Kaveri water dispute protest. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
An internet search using the keyframes derived from the viral video directed us to a similar video. This video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of Nakkheeran TV on 12 September 2016, and was titled “Tamil activists attack Karnataka buses | Cauvery Water dispute”. We discovered that the viral video was a mirrored version of this one after comparing the visuals.
Media reports indicate that the video originated from Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, during the 2016 Kaveri water dispute protests. This protest occurred after the Supreme Court ordered Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for a period of 10 days.
During the recent Kaveri water protests in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, incidents of vehicles being halted from each other’s state were reported. However, according to media reports, no incidents of violence or vandalism have been reported so far. Additionally, the Tamil Nadu police lodged cases against two individuals for disseminating misinformation online by posting fake videos in relation to this matter. The police department issued a stern warning against sharing such videos, stating that users would face charges if they continued to do so.
To sum it up, an old video of a Karnataka bus being vandalized in Tamil Nadu is being recirculated as an instance from the 2023 Kaveri water dispute protests.

created: October 2, 2023


text:
Old video shared as Delhi residents rally in support of Police & government amidst farmers' protest - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 29, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of a rally conducted by the Delhi residents supporting Delhi police and Narendra Modi government amidst farmers’ protests. Following the Kisan tractor rally violence on Republic day, this post is going viral on social media. Let’s verify the claims made in the post.
Claim:  Video of Delhi residents rally in support of Police and government amidst farmers’ protest.
Fact: Video in the post shows a rally conducted in Haryana during December 2019. This rally was organized in support of CAA and NRC laws passed by the Government of India. In the rally, protestors chanted slogans in support of the Delhi police and the Narendra Modi government. This video has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest against the new farm laws. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, we found similar videos posted on social media during December 2019. They can be seen here, here, and here. In the description of a video uploaded on YouTube, it is mentioned to be a rally conducted in Haryana in support of CAA and NRC acts passed by the Government of India.
Haryana BJP leader Jawahar Yadav shared the same video in a tweet posted on 26 December 2019. In the tweet, Jawahar Yadav mentioned it as the rally conducted in Haryana.
हरियाणा की रैली देश की रैलियों से थोड़ी अलग होती है। 😂
"मोदी जी तुम लठ बजाओ, हम तुम्हारे साथ हैं ।" pic.twitter.com/SJ79hu72Nw
Based on Jawahar Yadav’s tweet, ‘Lokmat’ news website published an article on 27 December 2019. In the article, it is mentioned as the rally conducted in Haryana in support of CAA and NRC laws. We cannot ascertain the exact location of the rally based on the available evidence, but can confirm that the video is an old one and has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest.
To sum it up, an old video related to the CAA and NRC protests is being falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protests in Delhi.

created: January 29, 2021


text:
Old video shared as Indian soldiers dying in Galwan Valley - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 18, 2020
A video is being widely shared on social media claiming that it shows Indian soldiers crying as their colleagues succumb to injuries during the recent faceoff with the Chinese troops in Galwan Valley, Ladakh. The video is being shared in the context of the ongoing border dispute between India and China along the LAC (Line of Actual Control). During the clashes at Galwan valley on 15 June 2020, at least 20 Indian soldiers had lost their lives. However, FACTLY has found the video in the post to be old and not related to the ongoing border clashes. The video is found to exist on the internet at least since 07 November 2019. FACTLY could not ascertain the exact context of the video, but it definitely does not represent the martyred Indian soldiers in the recent faceoff with the Chinese troops in Galwan Valley, Ladakh. The video shows a play depicting the loss of lives of the army.
Sources:
Claim –
1. Facebook post (Archived)
Fact –
1. Earlier Upload – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbZMQ1DtEZ4
2. Earlier Upload – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm__mtNqVAk
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Old video shared as people running into a shopping mall in Saudi Arabia after the lockdown was lifted - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 26, 2020
Video of a huge crowd running into a shopping mall while the shutters are being lifted is being widely shared on Facebook claiming that the incident happened at a shopping mall in Saudi Arabia after lifting lockdown in the country. As per a news report, on 25 April  2020, King Salman bin Abdulaziz has ordered partial easing of lockdown restrictions that are being implemented by the Saudi Arabian government. Malls and shopping centers have been allowed to reopen until May 22 (Ramadan 29). But, FACTLY has found the video to be old and not related to any recent incident. The video is found to exist on social media at least since 3 December 2019. FACTLY was unable to find the exact location and the context of the incident in the video. But as the video was found to exist since December 2019, it can be concluded that it is in no way related to the easing of lockdown restrictions in Saudi Arabia.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. Old YouTube video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2RDFJn4uaM
2. Old YouTube video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acaudFHvGXg
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Old video shared as recent fire accident at the Solapur Airport on 05 April 2020 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 6, 2020
A video is being shared on social media with the claim that it shows a fire accident that took place at Solapur Airport as a result of the bursting of crackers during the 9 PM event on 05 April 2020. Earlier, PM Modi had appealed to people to switch off lights at 9 PM for 9 mins on 05 April & light candle, ‘Diya’ or mobile’s flashlight, to mark fight against COVID-19. Let’s analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of a fire accident that took place at the Solapur Airport on 05 April 2020.
Fact: A fire accident took place at the Solapur Airport as a result of the bursting of crackers on 05 April 2020, but the video is not related to that accident. It is that of the fire accident that took place at the Solapur Airport on 03 February 2020. So, the claim is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots from the video, a news video of ‘ABP Majha’ was obtained in the search results. It had the same visuals as that of the video posted and is found to be of the fire accident at the Solapur Airport on 03 February 2020. As per a news report, a fire broke out at the Solapur Airport at 7 PM on 03 February 2020 and the fire officials have brought the fire under control by dousing it. The article mentioned that the exact reason for the fire accident was yet to be ascertained.
As per the article of ‘The New Indian Express’, an official of Solapur Airport has said that a minor fire broke out at the airport on 05 April 2020. Prima facie, it is believed that the firecrackers burst by some people while responding to PM Modi’s call to switch off lights at 9 pm might be the reason. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also put out a tweet regarding the accident and clarified that there was no damage to the property due to the accident and also it hasn’t affected the airport operations.
Alert Airport Fire Safety Team, Solapur Airport along with City Fire Brigade extinguished the sudden grass fire that broke out in the operational area of the airport yesterday night. No damage caused to the airport property and no adverse impact on airport operations. #AAI
To conclude, an old video shared as recent fire accident at the Solapur Airport on 05 April 2020
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Old video shared as recent visuals of a window panel fall off in a turbulence hit Air India plane - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 5, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of terrified passengers inside a turbulence hit Air India aircraft flying from Delhi to Amritsar. This video shows a woman adjusting a detached window panel in a plane. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video showing a woman adjusting a detached window panel inside a turbulence-hit Air India plane.
Fact: The incident shown in the video took place in April 2018. An Air India Boeing 787 Dream liner flying from Amritsar to Delhi was hit by severe turbulence, causing injuries to three passengers in 2018. The video shows a cabin crew adjusting a detached window panel that fell off during the turbulence. It is not a recent incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found published by the ‘NDTV’ news channel on 22 April 2018. NDTV in the article reported that an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner flying from Amritsar to Delhi was hit by severe turbulence, causing injuries to three passengers in the plane. The video was reportedly shot by a passenger inside the plane during the turbulence. The description of the photo states, “Dazed Air India passengers are seen being consoled and assisted by cabin crew.”
Reporting the details, several news websites published articles in 2018. They can be seen here, here and here. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner after take-off from Amritsar on 19 April 2018, had a very turbulent flight for 10 to 15 minutes during the climb phase from 8,000 feet to 21,000 feet. A window panel’s inner layer reportedly fell off during the turbulence in the plane. The outside layer of the window panel did not break and there was no de-pressurisation because of the inner layer break. The incident shown in the video did not take place recently after Tata’s takeover of Air India company in January 2022.
To sum it up, an old video is shared as recent visuals of a window panel break off in an Air India plane.

created: December 5, 2022


text:
Old video shared as recent visuals of Muslims playing provocative songs in front of a Hindu temple in Khargone - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 25, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of Muslims dancing to the provocative songs in front of a Hindu temple in Khargone. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of a Muslim mob playing provocative songs in front of a temple in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh.
Fact: The video shared in the post was shot in 2018 during the Muharram procession in Khargone. The video shared in the post is old and has nothing to do with the recent communal violence in Madhya Pradesh. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, we found that a few Facebook users have shared the same video recently mentioning it as an old incident that took place in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone in 2018. They can be seen here and here.
When we searched for the video using relevant keywords and time filters, an extended version of the video was found published on a YouTube channel on 25 September 2018. This YouTube channel mentioned it as the visuals from the 2018 Muharram procession in Khargone.
On observing the video carefully, one can notice a billboard that mentions the place as Ganesh Chowk in Khargone. This YouTube channel shared another video showing similar visuals of a group of Muslims dancing in front of the same Hindu temple.
‘The Quint’ contacted a freelance journalist in Khargone named Tarun Soni for more clarification regarding this video. Speaking to ‘The Quint’, Tarun Soni said, “The procession is seen passing through Shri Chintamani Ganesh temple at Ganesh Chowk in Khargone and it shows Muharram procession from 2018”. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows an old Muharram procession held in Khargone.
To sum it up, an old video is being shared as recent visuals of Muslims playing provocative songs in front of a Hindu temple in Khargone.


text:
Old video shared as recent visuals of people in Srinagar celebrating Pakistan’s victory against India in the Asia Cup 2022 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 5, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of people in Srinagar bursting firecrackers and celebrating Pakistan’s victory against India in the super 4s of the T20 Asia Cup 2022. In the wake of Pakistan’s victory against India in the match held as part of the T20 Asia Cup on 04 September 2022, this video is going viral on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video showing people in Srinagar celebrating after Pakistan’s victory against India in the Asia Cup 2022.
Fact: Several local Jammu & Kashmir news websites published the same video in August 2020 and reported it as the visuals of Pakistan Independence Day celebrations at the Nawakadal Chowk in Srinagar. Srinagar Police through a tweet clarified that the video is old and is not related to the recent India-Pakistan match held on 04 September 2022. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found posted by a Facebook user on 14 August 2020. This Facebook user reported it as the visuals of Pakistan Independence Day celebrations in Downtown, Srinagar. When we searched for further sources using relevant keywords, we found that several Kashmiri local news websites have published the same video with a similar description in August 2020. They can be seen here, here and here. This video was reportedly shot at the Nawakadal Chowk in Srinagar.
When ‘Sudarshan News’ journalist Sagar Kumar tweeted this video describing it as recent visuals from Srinagar after Pakistan’s victory against India in the Asia Cup, Srinagar Police responded to his tweet and clarified that the video is old and that no such celebrations were reported after Pakistan victory against India in the Asia Cup. In another tweet, Srinagar police said, “The video is half a decade old from Nawakadal chowk. Don’t spread fake news and sensationalism by circulating old videos. Nothing of this sort reported from anywhere”.
The video is half a decade old from Nawakadal chowk. Don't spread fake news and sensationalism by circulating old videos. Nothing of this sort reported from anywhere. #FakeNewsAlert
In June 2017, after Pakistan won against India in the ICC Champions Trophy, people in Kashmir bursted firecrackers and celebrated the victory of Pakistan over India. A few news reports related to those celebrations can be seen here and here. Though we could not ascertain the exact date on which the video was shot, it can be confirmed that the video shared in the post is old and does not show any recent celebrations after Pakistan won against India in the Asia Cup 2022.
To sum it up, an old video is being shared as recent visuals of people in Srinagar bursting firecrackers and celebrating Pakistan’s victory against India in the Asia Cup 2022.

created: September 5, 2022


text:
Old video shared as recent visuals of police brutally thrashing Kanwariyas in West Bengal - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 29, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of West Bengal Police brutally thrashing Kanwariyas following the orders from West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. In the wake of the recent Kanwar Yatra 2022 that was held after two years in Haridwar, this video is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of police brutally thrashing Kanwariyas in West Bengal.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows one-year-old incident visuals of West Bengal Police lathi-charging lord Shiva devotees at the Bhootnath temple in Kolkata. The Kolkata police thrashed lord Shiva devotees for violating COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the West Bengal government. The video shared in the post is old and had nothing to do with the recent Kanwar Yatra. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found to be tweeted by the ‘BJP Bengal’ official Twitter handle on 16 August 2021. BJP described it as the visuals of West Bengal police brutally assaulting Shiva devotees in front of the Bhootnath temple in Kolkata.
In front of the Bhootnath temple, the devotees of Shiva were brutally beaten by the Kolkata police.
Is this what the devotees of Shiva deserve?
Mamata Banerjee's reign in Bengal serves as a microcosm of the Taliban rule! Shame! pic.twitter.com/XSAO9SwD35
When we searched for further sources using relevant keywords on the internet, we found the details of this incident in an article published by the ‘Dhainik Bhaskar’. According to the article, the West Bengal Police lathi-charged lord Shiva devotees for violating the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the West Bengal Government.
In August 2021, following the second wave of COVID-19, the West Bengal government granted permission to open almost all temples in the state. But the Bhootnath temple in Kolkata was still restricted for devotees during August 2021. As it is the holy month of Sawan, several devotees violated the government restrictions and gathered at the Bhootnath temple in Kolkata to have the darshan of Lord Shiva. In an attempt to restrict the crowd at the Bhootnath temple, West Bengal Police reportedly lathi-charged devotees. A few other news articles that reported on this incident can be seen here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is old and not related to the recent Kanwar Yatra.
To sum it up, an old video is being shared as recent visuals of police brutally thrashing Kanwariyas in West Bengal.


text:
Old video shared as the recent footage of Indian soldiers neutralizing terrorists in retaliation for the Poonch attack - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 26, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it shows recent visuals of Indian soldiers firing at the terrorists in Kashmir. In the wake of 5 Indian soldiers losing their lives in a terrorist attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on 20 April 2023, the video is going viral on social media. A few users shared the video claiming that the firing had taken place on 25 April 2023. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of Indian soldiers firing at terrorists in retaliation for the Poonch attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2023.
Fact: The video shared in the post was published on a website in 2022 describing it is the visuals showing a 2010 incident of Indian army soldiers neutralizing the terrorists in Kashmir. The video shared in the post is old and has nothing to do with the recent attack on Indian soldiers in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On observing the video carefully, one could see the watermark ‘@ghatakoperator’ on the video. When we searched for the video using this information on the internet, we found the same video on the Instagram handle ‘@ghatakoperator’. This Instagram page published the video on 19 April 2023, a day before 5 Indian army soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
On reverse image search of the video shared in the post, an extended version of the video was found published on a website in 2022. The description of the video stated that the visuals show a counterinsurgency operation conducted by Indian Army soldiers in Kashmir in 2010. From the visuals seen in the video, it is confirmed that the firing took place at a government primary school in Nagri tehsil of Jammu and Kashmir. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is old and has nothing to do with the recent terrorist attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
To sum it up, an old video was shared as the recent footage of Indian soldiers neutralizing terrorists in retaliation for the Poonch attack.


text:
Old video shared as visuals of Haridwar Kumbh Mela devotees violating the COVID-19 restrictions - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 20, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of Kumbh Mela devotees, violating the COVID-19 restrictions at Haridwar city in Uttarakhand. In the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in Haridwar, this post questions the mainstream media channels for not highlighting the worst consequences of Haridwar Kumbh Mela. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Haridwar Kumbh Mela devotees violating the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Government of India.
Fact:  The video shared in the post exists on the internet at least since March 2019. This video is an old one and has nothing to do with the ongoing Kumbh Mela at Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse search of the screenshots shared in the video, similar videos were found published on social media at least since March 2019. A user shared the same video on his Facebook page on 11 March 2019, with the title ‘Kumbh Mela Naga Sadhu’.
A video with similar visuals was uploaded on YouTube on 10 March 2019. In the description of the video, it is mentioned to be from Kumbh Mela.
2019 Kumbh Mela was celebrated from 15 January to 04 March 2019 at Prayagraj city in Uttar Pradesh. Though we could not ascertain if this video is actually related to the 2019 Prayagraj Kumbh Mela, it can be concluded that this video is an old one and not related to the ongoing Kumbh Mela at Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
Lakhs of devotees and sadhus gathering at Haridwar to offer prayers during the 2021 Kumbh Mela. Several Devotees reportedly were seen without wearing masks, flouting the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Government of India. It is in this context that videos such as the one in this article are being shared.
To sum it up, an old video is being shared as visuals of Haridwar Kumbh Mela devotees violating the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Government of India.


text:
Old video shared as visuals of Yogi Adityanath breaking down into tears while watching ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 15, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath breaking down into tears while watching ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath breaking down into tears while watching ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie.
Fact: This video shows Yogi Adityanath getting emotional during the ‘Ek Diya Shaheed Ke Naam’ event organised in October 2017. This event was organised in honour of the martyrs at Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The video shared in the post is old and had nothing to do with ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for this video using keywords, a video with similar visuals was found published by the ‘ABP News’ channel on 17 October 2017. ‘ABP News’ reported it as visuals of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath breaking down into tears during an event of martyrs.
On searching for further details using this information, a similar photo of Yogi Adityanath in tears was found published by several news websites in October 2017. They can be seen here and here. According to these articles, UP CM Yogi Adityanath got emotional and had burst into tears while listening to the ‘Sandese Aate Haine’ song during the ‘Ek Diya Shaheed Ke Naam’ event in Gorakhpur. This event was organised in honour of the martyrs at Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur.
Lately, the Uttar Pradesh government granted tax-free status for ‘The Kashmir Files’ joining the list of Gujarat, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and other BJP-ruled states. But it is nowhere reported that Yogi Adityanath had watched the movie and got emotional.
To sum it up, an old video is being shared as recent visuals of Yogi Adityanath breaking into tears while watching ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie.


text:
Old video shared as women taking drugs after AAP formed the government in Punjab - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 14, 2022
In the context of Aam Aadmi Party’s promise to make Punjab a drug-free state, a video of two Punjabi-speaking women allegedly doing drugs is being shared on social media platforms claiming that it shows AAP Government’s failure in Punjab. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of two women taking drugs in the AAP ruled Punjab state.
Fact: The video has been viral on various social media platforms at least since June 2015. However, Aam Aadmi Party formed the Government in Punjab only in March 2022. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We searched the internet with relevant keywords and found that the same video was uploaded by ‘I Love Ludhiana’ page on Facebook on 28 June 2015. Accompanying description reads, “VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS GIRLS IN PUNJAB BECOMING VICTIM OF DRUG EPIDEMIC “.
Same video was also uploaded to video sharing platform ‘Dailymotion’ on 29 June 2015 with the title, “Punjabi Indian girls smoking in hostel room with bad friends”.
However, AAP formed the Government in Punjab only in March 2022. Though we couldn’t independently verify the details of the people seen in the video and exact date of the incident, we can conclude that this video is at least 7 years old, and is not taken during the AAP’s rule in Punjab.
To sum it up, an old video of two women consuming drugs is shared as recent incident from AAP ruled Punjab.

created: November 14, 2022


text:
Old video shared as Quran recitation visuals from the opening ceremony of FIFA World Cup 2022 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 21, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming that it shows visuals of Quran recitation at the inaugural ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. This post claims Qatar is the first Muslim country to organise the FIFA World Cup and that it incorporated Islamic culture at the inaugural ceremony. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing recent visuals of Quran recitation at the FIFA World Cup 2022 inaugural ceremony.
Fact: The post shared a one-year-old video showing the Quran recitation at the inauguration ceremony of the Al Thumama stadium in Qatar. Qatar inaugurated the Al Thumama stadium for Amir Cup Final in October 2021. During the FIFA World Cup 2022 opening ceremony on 20 November 2022, Ghanem Al-Moftah recited the verses of the Holy Quran in the presence of actor Morgan Freeman. But the video shared in the post is old and does not show recent visuals from the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video showing similar visuals was found published by the ‘Doha News’ on 24 October 2021. Sharing the video, Doha News reported that Qatar incorporated Islamic culture by reciting verses of the Quran during the inauguration of Al Thumama stadium, a venue selected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament.
Al Thumama Stadium, the sixth of the 2022 Qatar World Cup stadiums, was inaugurated for the Amir Cup Final in October 2021. Incorporating Islamic traditions and children reciting the verses of the Quran, Qatar inaugurated the Al Thumama Stadium on 22 October 2021. Several news websites published articles and videos reporting the inauguration ceremony of Al Thumama stadium in Qatar. They can be seen here, here and here.
On 20 November 2022, during the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2022 tournament at the Al Bayt stadium in Qatar,  Qatari YouTuber Ghanem Al-Moftah recited the verses of Holy Quran in the presence of actor Morgan Freeman. News reports related to the inaugural ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2022 tournament can be seen here and here. But the video shared in the post shows the old visuals from the inauguration ceremony of Al Thumama stadium, not from the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
غانم المفتاح يستهل افتتاح المونديال بآيات من القرآن الكريم بحضور الممثل الامريكي مورغان فريمان#قطر2022 #كاس_العالم_قطر_2022#قنوات_الكاس #Qatar2022#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/CUNmecrUum
To sum it up, an old video showing Quran recitation at the Al Thumama stadium inauguration ceremony from 2021 is shared as the visuals from the opening ceremony of FIFA World Cup 2022.

created: November 21, 2022


text:
Old video showing a religious ritual in Senegal shared as the visuals of slave markets in Africa - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 31, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of women being auctioned at a slave market in an Islamic nation in Africa. Many users were sharing the video claiming that the video shows a slave market in Ethiopia. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing a slave market in Africa.
Fact: The video shows the visuals of a religious ritual that usually practised by the Serer ethnoreligious community in the West African nation of Senegal. The video shared in the post was taken during the Ndut initiation rituals at Djilass village in Senegal in December 2022. The video does not depict a slave market in Africa. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video showing similar visuals was found published by a YouTube channel in 2017.  This YouTube channel described it as the Ndut dance demonstration in a village.
When we searched for further sources using relevant keywords on the internet, we found a video showing similar visuals, but taken from another angle, on a TikTok handle page ‘lang.simal.tv’. The TikTok handle published this video reporting it as the visuals of Ndut rituals performed at the Djillas village in Senegal in 2022.
The Ndut is a rite of passage as well as a religious education commanded by Serer Culture that every Serer (an ethnic group found in Senegal, the Gambia, and Mauritania) must go through once in their lifetime. The purpose of this Ndut initiation rite is to mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. The Ndut initiation rites include the circumcision of Serer boys and the initiation of Serer girls through njam or ndam (the tattooing of the gums). The males who undergo circumcision in the Ndut initiation rites are called njuli. More details related to the Ndut initiation rites can be found here.
Upon searching for further details, a video showing similar visuals was found published by the ‘Ndindy Fall Tv’ on 26 December 2022. This news channel published the video with the description, “Ndoutt from Djilasse: first images with nearly 600 ndiouli”. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows the visuals of a religious ritual in Senegal, not the visuals of a slave market in Africa.
To sum it up, an old video showing a religious ritual in Senegal was shared as the visuals of slave markets in Africa.