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2009 photo from Gujarat is falsely shared as Mulayam Singh Yadav government’s mistreatment of Hindu saints in UP - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 13, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the photo shows the treatment meted out to Hindu saints during Mulayam Singh Yadav’s tenure as Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo showing Mulayam Singh Yadav’s mistreatment of Hindu saints in UP.
Fact: The photo has nothing to do with Mulayam Singh Yadav or Uttar Pradesh. The photo is from a 2009 police raid in Asaram Bapu’s Ashram in Gujarat. More than 200 supporters of Asaram Bapu were arrested on charges of attempt to murder, etc. on 27 November 2009 when on the previous day, Asaram Bapu’s followers clashed with the Gujarat police, injuring many including senior police officers. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the photo, the same photo was found on the website of Asaram Bapu. In an article, “Attack on Indian Culture, Humanity, Hinduism & Saints” dated 27 November 2009, and in another article, the same photo was found. The photo is from the lathi charge by the Police in Asaram Bapu’s Ashram in Gujarat. “The room of one of the sadhaks, who was doing sadhana in the Maun Mandir for a week, was also broken through, and he was dragged away by the police, pulling him by the hair.”
There are a couple of videos on YouTube that have similar visuals of the person with long hair manhandled by the police, in relation to Asaram Bapu Ashram. The videos can be seen here and here.
On 27 November 2009, more than 200 supporters of Asaram Bapu were arrested on charges of attempt to murder, etc, according to reports. On the previous day, Asaram Bapu followers clashed with the Gujarat police, injuring many personnel including senior police officers. Police in Gandhinagar raided Asaram Bapu’s Ashram in Motera in relation to this incident.
On 30 October 1990, Mulayam Singh Yadav had ordered the firing on kar sevaks in Ayodhya, which he later regretted in 2016. However, he justified his actions in 2017 by saying that he had done it to protect the country’s unity and integrity.
To sum it up, a 2009 photo from Gujarat is falsely shared as Mulayam Singh Yadav government’s mistreatment of Hindu saints in UP.

created: December 13, 2021


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2009 photo is being shared as that depicting the current water crisis in Delhi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 22, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the photo attached to the post depicts the recent water crisis in Delhi under the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Government. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo depicting the current water crisis in Delhi.
Fact: The photo was taken on 30 June 2009 in Sanjay Colony, New Delhi by photographer Adnan Abidi, for the international news agency Reuters. In 2009, the CM of Delhi was Sheila Dikshit, and responding to the news then, she had given directives to tackle the burgeoning water crisis. On 16 June 2021, LG Anil Baijal called for a detailed report from the Delhi Jal Board on the water crisis in the city amid complaints of water shortage. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When reverse image search was done on the photo in the post, the same image was found to be taken on 30 June 2009 and was available on stock photo website Alamy. According to the description of the photo, residents of Sanjay Colony crowded around a water tanker provided by the state-run Delhi Jal Board to fill their containers and the then Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit had given directives to tackle the burgeoning water crisis caused by uneven distribution of water in the city. The photo was clicked by photographer Adnan Abidi, for international news agency Reuters. Similar photos were even used in other news articles, at other occasions, to indicate the seriousness of the Delhi’s water crisis, the articles can be seen here and here.
When BJP leader Vijay Goel has shared the same image of people surrounding a water tank in Delhi and accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of ignoring a water crisis in the national capital, the AAP replied to his tweet by sharing a screenshot of the original 2009 article, which carried the photograph.
Vijay Goel Ji,
Are you nostalgic that you're sharing photos from 2009, or was it a deliberate attempt to defame Kejriwal Govt? pic.twitter.com/KoOQASHQRp
However, the Hindustan Times reported that there are more than 5,000 houses in Sanjay Colony area and the struggle for water has been present for over 30 years and the locals say they have tried implementing bore wells in the area but the results remained unsatisfactory. LG Anil Baijal called for a detailed report from the Delhi Jal Board on the water crisis in the city amid complaints of water shortage in the national capital.
To sum it up, old photo from 2009 is shared as that depicting the current situation in Delhi amid complaints of water shortage in the national capital.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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2009 photo of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is falsely linked to upcoming UP Assembly Elections - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 11, 2021
A photo of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a saree and ringing a temple bell is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows Priyanka Gandhi wearing Indira Gandhi’s saree ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections-2022. This post claims that Congress Leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was using grandmother sentiment for the assembly elections campaign in Uttar Pradesh. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wearing Indira Gandhi’s saree ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections-2022 campaign.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is an old one. This photo was shot in 2009, when Priyanka Gandhi visited the Durga temple in Amethi as part of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections campaign for Rahul Gandhi. This photo has nothing to do with the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found posted by few social media users in 2018. So, it can be concluded that the image shared in the post is an old one and is not related to the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
When we searched with other keywords using a time filter, the same photo was found to be uploaded by ‘Pressbrief .in’ on Flickr. In the description, it can be read that the photo was taken on 12 April 2009 when Priyanka Gandhi visited a Durga temple during the election campaign for her brother Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. Other similar photos can be found here.
Also, the photos related to her temple visit in 2009 can be found on the ‘Getty Images’ and ‘Outlook’ websites. However, we could not find any information about her saree.
While the image shared in the post is old, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the Ravidas temple in Varanasi, early this year. The news articles regarding her visit to the Ravidas temple can be read here and here. In February 2021, on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, Priyanka Gandhi took a holy dip at the Sangam in Allahabad.
To sum it up, a photo from 2009 falsely shared as ‘Priyanka wearing Indira’s saree as Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections-2022 are coming up’.


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2009 show based on conspiracy theories is shared as proof of WHO working on COVID-19 vaccines to create permanent sterility - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 4, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media in the context of the present COVID-19 vaccination across the world. A doctor named Rima Laibow had claimed in the video that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been working on vaccines to create permanent sterility. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: 2009 video of Dr Rima Laibow confirming that WHO had been working on COVID-19 vaccines to create permanent sterility.
Fact: There is no evidence to show that WHO has been preparing vaccines to create complete sterility. The video is from a show named “Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura” where Jesse Ventura, the host talks with people on various conspiracy theories. The video had been created in the context of Swine Flu that was spreading in 2008-09 and has nothing to do with COVID-19. There is no evidence to show that the Swine Flu vaccine had created permanent sterility. In fact, there is no evidence that the present COVID-19 vaccines will cause complete sterility. The COVID-19 vaccines do not contain adjuvants based on squalene, the substance mentioned in the video. Dr Rima Laibow is a conspiracy theorist whose organisation had been selling unlicensed drugs in the US at various times. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, a Facebook video was found with similar visuals saying that the video is from a TruTV show named “Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura”. The viral video has been taken from Season 1, Episode 5 of the show, “Secret Societies”, where Jesse Ventura, the host talks to the doctor named Rima Laibow who talks about “a pandemic on the horizon that would cause forced vaccinations with the goal of decreasing world’s population”. The video was aired in December 2009.
However, the video had been created in the context of the Swine Flu that was spreading in 2008-09 and has nothing to do with COVID-19. There is no evidence to show that the Swine Flu vaccine had created permanent sterility.
Squalene, a substance mentioned in the video, is naturally found in humans, animals, and plants. Squalene is an essential building block to make certain hormones and other substances in the body, manufactured in the livers, and circulates in the bloodstream with the highest amount found in the skin. Squalene-based adjuvants (to enhance the immunogenicity of antibodies) can be found in Swine Flu vaccines. However, the COVID-19 vaccines reportedly do not contain adjuvants based on squalene.
There is no evidence to show that WHO has been preparing vaccines to create complete sterility. In fact, there is no evidence that the present COVID-19 vaccines will cause complete sterility.
Jesse Ventura is a former governor of Minnesota and an American TV host. In 2009-2012, he hosted a show for TruTV based on various conspiracy theories, named ‘Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura’. Dr. Rima Laibow’s organisation, ‘The Natural Solutions Foundation’ has been selling unlicensed drugs in the United States at various times.
In 2014, Dr. Rima Laibow distributed the drug ‘Nano-Silver’ by a fraudulent scheme, claiming that the drug could cure the Ebola virus. In early 2020, she began selling the ‘medicine’ for coronavirus. On 13 November 2020, at the Food and Drug Administration’s request, the US Department of Justice filed a civil complaint against her and the organisation. Subsequently, in December 2021, a federal court had ordered Dr. Rima Laibow and the organisation to stop distributing unapproved ‘Nano Silver’ products touted as COVID-19 treatment.
To sum it up, a 2009 video from a show based on conspiracy theories is shared to say that the WHO had been working on COVID-19 vaccines to create permanent sterility.

created: January 4, 2022


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2010 photo from West Bengal shared as the picture of an innocent tribal woman killed in Chhattisgarh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 5, 2022
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as a recent picture of an innocent tribal woman who was brutally killed in the name of Naxalite in Chhattisgarh. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Picture of a tribal woman who was brutally killed in the name of a Naxalite in Chhattisgarh.
Fact: The photo shared in the post shows an old picture of a suspected female Maoist guerrilla killed during an encounter between Indian Paramilitary soldiers and the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) at Salboni village in West Bengal’s Midnapore district. This incident took place in June 2010. The photo shared in the post is old and has nothing to do with the tribals living in Chhattisgarh. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found published on the Getty image sharing website on 16 June 2010. The description of the photo states, “Indian paramilitary soldiers carry the dead body of a suspected female Maoist guerrilla at Salboni, some 140 kms west of Kolkata, on June 16, 2010, following a gun battle with Indian security forces in Ranjha forest, close to the Maoist stronghold of Lalgarh”. It is mentioned that three women among eight Maoist guerrillas were killed during a gunfight with Indian security forces in West Bengal. This photo was credited to the ‘AFP’ news website.
When we searched for further details using these keywords, we found several news articles reporting this encounter between Indian Security forces and People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Maoists at Salboni village in West Bengal’s Midnapore district. They can be seen here, here, and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the image shared in the post shows an old picture of a woman who was killed during an encounter in West Bengal, not from Chhattisgarh.
To sum it up, an old photo from West Bengal is shared as the picture of an innocent tribal woman killed in Chhattisgarh alleging her to be a Naxalite.


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2011 photo from UP shared as Delhi police assaulting a Jamia student - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 18, 2019
A post with a photo of police assaulting a man is being shared widely on Facebook with a claim that Delhi police are thrashing Jamia Millia Islamia University students in the context of CAA protest. Let’s try to analyze the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Photo of Delhi police thrashing a Jamia student over CAA protests.
Fact: The incident in the photo took place in 2011. The person who is under the police shoes is Anand Bhadauriya (Samajwadi party leader). The photo doesn’t have any relation to the recent CAA protest. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photo in the post was searched using Google reverse image technique, an article published in 2016 by ‘TheLallantop’ was found which states that the photo is from 2011 when Anand’s face was trampled under the shoes of DIG. It can be read from the article that Aanand Bhadauriya is a Samajwadi party (Lohya Vahini) leader.
When the Hindi text from the article is searched in Google, an article published by ‘Catch News’ with the same photo was found. In that article, the photo is captioned ‘Bhadoria under the shoes of DK Thakur’ and mentions that the photo was captured by Pramod Adhikari, who is a famous photojournalist.
Since it’s a 2011 photo, when the photo is searched using 2011 as a time filter on Google, an article published by ‘bhadas4media’ in 2011 was found in the search results. The same photo in the form of paper clipping can be seen in that article. More information about that incident can be read here.
To summarize, a 2011 photo is being wrongly shared as that of a Delhi police thrashing a student of Jamia Millia Islamia University in the context of CAA protest.
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created: December 18, 2019


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2011 RD parade tableau from Bihar shared as the one from UP during Akhilesh Yadav's reign as CM - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 26, 2021
A collage with two different tableau images is being shared on social media claiming it as the picture of Uttar Pradesh tableaux during the Republic Day parade when Akhilesh Yadav was the CM and under the present CM Yogi Adityanath. This post claim that the tableau with a Muslim man praying was during Akhilesh Yadav’s term as CM whereas the tableau with the model of Ayodhya Ram temple is under Yogi Adityanath.  Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Comparison of Uttar Pradesh tableaux at the Republic day parade during the terms of Akhilesh Yadav and Yogi Adityanath.
Fact: The tableau of a Muslim man praying was from the Bihar Government at the 2011 Republic day Celebrations held in New Delhi. The other image shows the tableau to be exhibited by the Uttar Pradesh government at the Republic day parade 2021. The tableau with Muslim man praying has nothing to do with the Uttar Pradesh Government and Akhilesh Yadav. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
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On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found in an article published by the News18 website. In the article, this photo is mentioned as the Bihar state tableau exhibited at the Republic Day parade 2011 held in New Delhi. Bihar exhibited this tableau depicting the 17th century Saint Makhdoom Shah Daulat at the Republic day parade. A similar photo is found in the gallery published by India Today news website.
Similar visuals of the tableau with a Muslim man praying can be seen in th ‘Prasar Bharati’ video of 2011 Republic Day Parade. The same video with a similar description was found in the video published on ‘Indian Archives’ YouTube channel. From all these pieces of evidence, it is concluded that the image portrayed as the tableau during former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav’s term actually shows the Bihar tableau exhibited at the 2011 Republic Day Parade.
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On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, similar images were found in the articles published on different news websites. They can be seen here, here and here. All these articles reported this image as the Uttar Pradesh tableau to be exhibited at the Republic day parade on 26 January 2021.
To sum it up, a Bihar tableau exhibited at 2011 Republic day parade is shared as the tableau of Uttar Pradesh during Akhilesh Yadav’s term as CM.

created: January 26, 2021


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2011 video related to a police firing incident in Bihar is being shared as from the recent Assam eviction drive - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 30, 2021
A video accompanied by a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the visuals of inhuman behaviour are from the recent eviction drive in Assam. In the video, a person is seen stomping on another person. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: This video of a person stomping on another person is from the recent eviction drive in Assam.
Fact: The video in the post was taken in 2011 during a police firing incident in Forbesganj, Bihar and not from Assam. A video clip of a government-appointed photographer stomping on a person in Assam went viral recently. On 23 September 2021, at least two protesters were killed, and multiple police personnel injured when an eviction drive led to clashes between police and the people at Dholpur area in Assam’s Darrang district. However, the video in the post is not related to Assam. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video with relevant keywords, a YouTube video with similar visuals was found. The YouTube video was uploaded on 12 June 2011 with the title, ‘Forbesganj, Araria, Bihar, India Police Firing on June 03, 2011’. The YouTube video had been clipped at 0:08 timestamp to make the 33-second video that is being shared through the post.
Taking the cue that this video is from Bihar, we searched on the internet and found news articles about the incident. The person in the video, stomping on another person was a home guard who was suspended later. The police there opened fire on a mob on the outskirts of Forbesganj, killing four persons on 03 June 2011. The people were protesting the blocking of a road to Bhajanpur village by an upcoming factory.
A video clip of a government-appointed photographer stomping on a person in Assam went viral recently. On 23 September 2021, at least two protesters were killed, and multiple police personnel were injured when an eviction drive led to clashes between police and the people at the Dholpur area in Assam’s Darrang district.
To sum it up, a 2011 video related to a police firing incident in Bihar is being shared as from the recent Assam eviction drive.

created: September 30, 2021


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2011 video falsely shared as recent video of Sharad Pawar getting slapped after advising Sachin - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 9, 2021
A video clip of NDTV news is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows Sharad Pawar getting slapped after giving advice to Sachin Tendulkar regarding the latter’s tweet on “India’s sovereignty”. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of Sharad Pawar getting slapped after advising Sachin Tendulkar.
Fact: The video is an old one. The incident in the video took place in 2011 when Sharad Pawar was a Union Minister. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on the internet with some keywords, the same video was found in a news report published by NDTV on YouTube in 2011. In the description of the video, it can be read- “Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has been slapped by a youth at the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) centre in Delhi……The attacker, identified as Harvinder Singh, was reportedly angry over the minister’s inability to control price rise.”  Sharad Pawar’s comments on the incident can be watched here and here. More news reports regarding the incident in 2011 can be read here, here, and here. So, the posted video is almost a decade old.
Regarding the advice given by Sharad Pawar to Tendulkar on 06 February 2021, ANI has reported that NCP chief Sharad Pawar said – “I would advise Sachin (Tendulkar) to exercise caution while speaking about any other field.”
#WATCH: NCP chief Sharad Pawar says, "Many people have reacted sharply to the stand taken by them (Indian celebrities). I would advise Sachin (Tendulkar) to exercise caution while speaking about any other field." pic.twitter.com/adUmovzzDX
To sum it up, a video from 2011 is being falsely shared as recent video of Sharad Pawar getting slapped after advising Sachin.

created: February 9, 2021


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2011 video of Japan Tsunami devastation revived again as visuals of floods in Pakistan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 29, 2021
A video was earlier shared on social media claiming it as visuals of floods in the Pakistani city of Karachi. FACTLY had recently received the same video on its Whatsapp Tipline number (+91 9247052470). Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent visuals of floods in Karachi city, Pakistan.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows the 2011 Tsunami devastation in Japan. This video shows tsunami waves surging into the Ishinomaki city in Japan. This video was shot by an employee of ‘Ishinomaki gas Corporation Limited’ from the rooftop of his company. This video has nothing to do with Karachi city in Pakistan. 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 posted by the ‘FNN311’ YouTube channel on 26 October 2012. This YouTube channel reported it as the visuals of tsunami waves surging into the Ishinomaki city in Japan. ‘FNN311’ is the official YouTube channel of Japanese News Network ‘FUJI’. This channel was specially dedicated to publishing videos related to the ‘Great East Japan Earthquake’ of 2011. According to the description of the video, because of the powerful earthquake off the northeastern coast of Japan, on ‘11 March 2011’, large tsunami waves have surged into the Ishinomaki city of Miyagi district, Japan.
Also, the description of the video stated that these visuals were shot by an employer of ‘Ishinomaki gas Corporation Limited’ company in Ishinomaki, Japan. He shot this video reportedly from the rooftop of his company while large tsunami waves suddenly surged near the Ishinomaki fishing port. The images of ‘Ishinomaki Gas Corporation Limited’ can be seen here and here. The visuals of the ‘Ishinomaki Gas Corporation Limited’ match with the visuals in the video. From all these pieces of evidence, it is confirmed that the video was shot in Ishinomaki city in Japan.
FACTLY had earlier debunked the same video when it was shared as visuals of floods in China.
To sum it up, a 2011 Japan Tsunami devastation video is revived again as visuals of floods in Pakistan.

created: November 29, 2021


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2011 video of Nitin Gadkari criticizing the then Government shared as a recent one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 11, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently raised his voice against PM Modi’s actions to suppress the ongoing farmers’ protests. In the wake of Narendra Modi’s ‘Andolan Jeevi’ comment on protestors, this post claims that Nitin Gadkari raised his voice for every citizen’s right to do peaceful protests in the country.  Let’s verify the claims made in the post.
Claim: Video of Nitin Gadkari criticizing PM Modi amid the ongoing farmers’ protests.
Fact: This video shows the 2011 press meet of Nitin Gadkari, criticizing the then Congress government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Nitin Gadkari raised his voice against the Congress government’s corruption and its actions to suppress the Anna Hazare’s protests. This video has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protests. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On observing this video from 0.08 to 0.38 seconds, we could see Nitin Gadkari criticizing the Congress government for suppressing the freedom to protest in the country. Also, Nitin Gadkari made a statement on Congress Government and the then Prime Minister’s actions to suppress Anna Hazare’s protest against corruption. When we searched for this video using these keywords, we found the same video on the BJP’s official YouTube channel. BJP published this video on 16 August 2011. The video is reported as the visuals from the BJP press meet, held on 15 August 2011.
‘The Economic Times’ on 15 August 2011, reported that BJP leader Nitin Gadkari criticized the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s stand on Anna Hazare’s fast against corruption. In the press meet, Nitin Gadkari slammed the UPA government over Anna Hazare’s arrest in Delhi ahead of his fast over a strong Lokpal bill. Reporting the same, India Today published an article on Nitin Gadkari’s press meet.
To sum it up, a 2011 video of Nitin Gadkari criticizing the then Congress Government is being shared as a recent one falsely linking it to the ongoing farmers’ protests.

created: February 11, 2021


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2011 video of Tsunami devastation in Japan is falsely portrayed as the floods in China - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 28, 2020
A post is being shared on social media claiming it as the video of the recent devastation caused by floodwaters in China. In the post, it claims that God has given punishment to China for spreading the deadly virus-like ‘COVID-19’ to the world. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Video of floodwaters surging into a city of China.
Fact: Video in the post shows tsunami waves surging into the Ishinomaki city of Japan, during 2011. This video was shot by an employee of ‘Ishinomaki gas Corporation Limited’ while staying on the rooftop of his company. 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 a user named  ‘William Castronuovo’ on YouTube. In the description of the video, it is mentioned as the visuals of tsunami waves surging into the Ishinomaki city of Japan. When we searched for the official sources using these keywords, we found the same video in ‘FNN311’ Youtube channel. ‘FNN311’ is the official YouTube channel of Japan News Network ‘FUJI’. This channel was specially dedicated for posting the videos related to the ‘Great East Japan Earthquake’ of 2011. It is mentioned in the video that because of the powerful earthquake off the northeastern coast of Japan on ‘11 March 2011’,  large tsunami waves surged into the Ishinomaki city of Miyagi district, Japan. It is also mentioned that this video was shot by an employer of ‘Ishinomaki gas Corporation Limited’ while the large tsunami waves suddenly surged into the city. He shot this video from the rooftop of his company which is located near the Ishinomaki fishing port.
When we searched further for other credible sources on Google, we found the same visuals in a video posted by the Ukraine based ‘1+1 TV ’ channel on YouTube. It is mentioned in the video that visuals are related to the tsunami waves in Japan. Similar visuals of the damage caused by the Tsunami can be watched here.
The same video was earlier falsely shared as that representing the floods in Kerala, and more recently as the devastation caused by the collapse of a hydropower dam in Laos. Japan was struck by a powerful earthquake on 11 March 2011, and was followed by a Tsunami killing thousands of people. Further details about this disaster can be read here.
To sum it up,  2011 video of tsunami devastation in japan is falsely portrayed as the floods in China.
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2012 video from Turkey is being shared as police using tear gas against Muslim protesters in France - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 29, 2020
A post with a video of police using tear gas and water cannons against Muslim protesters is being widely shared on social media with the claim that the video is of the ongoing protests in France. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of police using tear gas and water cannons against Muslim protesters during the ongoing protests in France.
Fact: The video is actually of protests in Turkey back in 2012 when students protested in solidarity with the hunger strike by prisoners. They tried to offer prayers on the streets and were dispersed by police using tear gas and water cannons.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video in the post led us to a similar video on YouTube. The video is uploaded on YouTube on 09 November 2012 and the description of the video reads ‘Civil Friday prayer with gas bombs – Yüksekova – Gever’. This proves that the video in the post is on the internet at least since 2012.
Taking a cue from the YouTube video, further Google search with relevant keywords led us to a few 2012 news articles which carried images similar to the visuals in the video. According to one such news article, the incident happened in Hakkari, Turkey when a group of students protested by offering Friday prayers on the streets, in solidarity with the hunger strike by prisoners back in 2012. Few more images of the incident can be seen here. Other news articles which reported the incident and carried images similar to the visuals of the video can be read here and here.
Also, in the video, the words ‘POLIS’ written on the vehicles can be clearly seen similar to Turkey Polis vans. Whereas in France it’s written as ‘POLICE’. With all this evidence, we can conclude that the video in the post is not related to the ongoing protests in France.
In the wake of the outrage by Muslim countries against the statements by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding Islam, posts similar to the one in the post are being widely circulated across all social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, the video is actually of a protest in Turkey back in 2012.

created: October 29, 2020


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2012 video of Helicopter crash in Syria is falsely shared as Nepal Forces shooting down the Indian aircraft ‘HAL Rudra’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 8, 2020
A video with the visuals of an air crash is being shared on social media claiming that Indian aircraft ‘HAL Rudra’ was shot down by Nepali forces when it crossed the border to conduct airstrikes on Nepali territories. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Video of Indian aircraft ‘HAL Rudra’ shot down by Nepali forces.
Fact: Video shared in the post is an old one, and not related to both India and Nepal. In the year 2012, A Syrian Army Helicopter was shot down by rebel forces ‘Free Syrian Army’ in the Syrian province of Idlib. Visuals seen in the video were related to that incident. So, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we did a reverse image search of the screenshots in the posted video, similar visuals were found in the videos posted by ‘The Telegraph’ and ‘On Demand News’ News websites on their official YouTube channels. They can be watched here and here. The description accompanying these videos is that the visuals are related to the Helicopter crash that took place in the Syrian province Idlib. A Syrian Army Helicopter was shot down by rebel forces ‘Free Syrian Army’ during the year 2012 at Idlib. Fighting for the control over Damascus-Aleppo highway raged around the northwestern town of Maaret al-Numan, frequent clashes took place between Syrian Army forces and rebel forces ‘Free Syrian Army’ during the year 2012. Article related to this Helicopter crash was also published by ‘The Guardian’ in their website.
Also, the logo seen on the video is similar to that of the official logo of ‘Free Syrian Army’. So, it is understood that this video was shot and posted by a fellow member of the ‘Free Syrian Army’. It was then verified and published by other News websites.
To sum it up, an old video of shooting down of a Helicopter in Syria, is falsely shared as Indian aircraft HAL Rudra shot down by Nepal Forces.
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2013-14 లో కేవలం 80 లక్షల మంది కాదు, సుమారు 5 కోట్ల మంది ఆదాయపు పన్ను కట్టారు - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 3, 2019
మోడీ అధికారంలోకి వచ్చాక ఆదాయపు పన్ను కట్టేవారి సంఖ్య పది రెట్లకంటే ఎక్కువ పెరిగిందని చెప్తూ కొన్ని సంఖ్యలతో ఉన్న ఒక పోస్ట్ ని ఫేస్బుక్ లో కొందరు షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు. ఆ పోస్ట్ లో ఎంతవరకు నిజముందో విశ్లేషిద్ధాం.
2014 లో భారత్ లో ఆదాయపు పన్ను కట్టేవారి సంఖ్య: 80 లక్షలు. 2019 లో ఆ సంఖ్య: 8 కోట్ల 80 లక్షలు.
2013-14 లో ‘Individual’ కేటగిరీ లోనే సుమారు 5 కోట్ల మంది వరకు పన్ను కట్టే వాళ్ళు ఉన్నట్టు ఆదాయపు పన్ను విభాగం వారు రిలీజ్ చేసిన రిపోర్ట్ లో చూడవచ్చు. కావున పోస్ట్ లో చెప్పింది అబద్ధం.
పోస్ట్ లోని విషయం గురించి గూగుల్ లో ‘Number of Taxpayers India’ అని వెతకగా, ఆదాయపు పన్ను విభాగం (Income Tax Department) వారు తమ వెబ్ సైట్ లో ఈ విషయం పై డేటా పెట్టినట్టు తెలుస్తుంది. వారు వెబ్ సైట్ లో పెట్టిన రిపోర్ట్ (Income Tax Department Time Series Data Financial Year 2000-01 to 2017-18) చూస్తే 2013-14 లో పన్ను కట్టే వారి సంఖ్య సుమారు ఐదు కోట్ల ఇరవై లక్షలని ఉంటుంది. అంతే కాదు, ఒక వేల పోస్ట్ లో కేవలం ‘Individual’ (వ్యక్తిగత) కేటగిరీ గురించి ఇచ్చారా అని చూస్తే కూడా 2013-14 లో ‘Individual’ కేటగిరీ లోనే ఐదు కోట్ల మంది వరకు పన్ను కట్టే వారు ఉన్నారు. ఆ రిపోర్ట్ లో 2018-19 డేటా ఉండదు కానీ 2017-18 లో మాత్రం సుమారు ఏడు కోట్ల నలబై లక్షల మంది వరకు పన్ను కట్టినట్టు ఉంటుంది.
రిపోర్ట్ లోనే కాదు ప్రధాన మంత్రి నరేంద్ర మోడీ కూడా గత సంవత్సరం స్వాతంత్ర దినోత్సవం నాడు ఇచ్చిన స్పీచ్ లో 2013 లో నాలుగు కోట్ల మంది డైరెక్ట్ టాక్స్ కట్టే వారని చెప్పారు.
చివరగా, 2013-14 లో కేవలం 80 లక్షల మంది కాదు, సుమారు ఐదు కోట్ల మంది ఆదాయపు పన్ను కట్టేవారు ఉండే.
ఏది ఫేక్, ఏది నిజం సిరీస్ లో మా వీడియోస్ మీరు చూసారా?


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2013 comments of Rajnath Singh on then PM Manmohan Singh are falsely shared as his recent remarks on PM Modi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 9, 2022
A post is being shared on social media containing a video clip of the BJP leader Rajnath Singh’s speech. He can be heard commenting on the Prime Minister’s ineffectiveness in controlling inflation. The text on the video implies that these comments are directed towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Let’s fact-check this video through this article.
Claim: Rajnath Singh finally opens up about the ineffectiveness of Prime Minister Modi in controlling inflation.
Fact: The video is a clipped version of Rajnath Singh’s speech at the Jan Aakrosh Rally, organized on 21 April 2013. In the full video, he commented on the ineffectiveness of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in controlling inflation. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On performing a reverse image search with the screenshots from the video, we could not find any relevant sources of the original video. We also searched the internet for Rajnath Singh’s speeches in which he made these comments on PM Modi, but we could not find any relevant information. While looking for further clues, we found that a user commented on the post that the video was from 2013. We also observed the logo of the BJP on the top left corner of the video, which is usually seen in the videos uploaded by the official YouTube channel of the BJP.
With these hints, we searched for Rajnath Singh’s speeches from 2013, which were uploaded to the official YouTube channel of BJP and found a video. This video was of his speech at the Jan Aakrosh Rally, organized on 21 April 2013. He makes the comments as seen in the viral video at 05:25 timestamp.
He commented about the country’s Prime Minister making false promises and failing at controlling the inflation in the country. In 2013, Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister of India and not Narendra Modi. Clearly, his comments were directed at Manmohan Singh, but the post falsely claims that he made these statements criticising the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
To sum up, the 2013 comments of Rajnath Singh criticising then PM Manmohan Singh are being falsely claimed as his comments on PM Modi.

created: September 9, 2022


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2013 evacuation image from typhoon-hit Philippines is passed off as IAF airlifting 800 people from Kabul - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 17, 2021
A post accompanying an image showing hundreds of people packed in an aircraft is being shared with a claim that the image shows 800 people airlifted by the Indian Air Force airlifted from Kabul. Through this article, let’s fact-check the veracity of the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image showing IAF airlifting 800 people from Kabul amid recent tensions in Afghanistan.
Fact: This image is related to 2013 US Airforce’s operation Damayan to evacuate residents of the Tacloban city in Philippines following a super typhoon Haiyan. Recently, the US Airforce’s C-17 cargo jet airlifted hundreds of evacuees from Hamid Karzai International Airport and this news is falsely attributed to IAF’s C-17 cargo. According to news reports Indian Air force’s C-17 aircraft returned to Delhi from Kabul with more than 100 Indian evacuees. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The image is actually related to the operation Damayan carried out by the US Airforce back in 2013 to evacuate residents of the Tacloban city in the Philippines following a super typhoon Haiyan. Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to the same photo on US Airforce’s official website with a description attributing it to operation Damayan. The image shows US Air Force C-17 jet rescuing 670 people, which is a record for airlifting the highest number of people in a single flight.
On 16 August 2021, US Airforce’s C-17 cargo jet airlifted hundreds of evacuees from Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul for Qatar. Initially, an audio clip from the cockpit revealed that there were 800 people on board. However, the actual passenger number was later confirmed to be 640. News article which reported this particular airlift can be read here. On the other hand,  according to news reports, the Indian Air force’s C-17 aircraft returned to Delhi from Kabul with 45 Indian evacuees. It is possible that the airlifting through US Airforce’s C-17 aircraft is misconstrued as IAF’s C-17.
As per the news reports dated 16 August 2021, international flights are being diverted due to the closure of the Afghan airspace. With flights resuming from the Kabul airport, the latest reports indicate that India evacuated its embassy staff from Afghanistan including the ambassador. This is in addition to the 40 people evacuated earlier.
To sum it up, an old image related to the 2013 evacuation operation of typhoon-hit Philippines is passed off as IAF airlifting 800 people from Kabul.


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These are some of the ideas given by the 2013 IAS Batch in their interaction with the PM
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 21, 2015
The IAS officers of the 2013 batch interacted with the PM at the end of their three month stint with the Government of India. This is the first time that the IAS officers have worked with the Central Government before taking charge in their allotted states. During this interaction, the officers made presentations on various ideas.
The IAS officers of the 2013 batch had an interactive session with the Prime Minister at the end of their 3 month stint with the Government of India as Assistant Secretaries. This is the first time that a batch of IAS officers commenced their career with the Central Government before taking charge in their allotted states. These officers have presentations to the PM on various themes like MUDRA, Improving Government Communication, Citizen Centric Service Monitoring, Ek Bharat – Shreshtha Bharat, Soil Health Card scheme and National Mineral Exploration Policy.
Ek Bharat – Shreshtha Bharat
The group of officers who worked on this idea proposed this as a programme for celebrating India’s Unity in Diversity. Among other things, this program is intended to
The group proposed that every state in the country will host and visit 4-5 other states every year as a group. The proposal is to have 5 such groups of states and such grouping should change every year so that the interaction among all the states is complete in about 6 years. The proposal also includes the celebration of a Unity Week starting 31 Oct with different activities spread across the year. The idea is to celebrate the Unity day on 31 October across the country simultaneously in state capitals and major towns.
The areas of interaction proposed by this group include Performing, Cuisines & Exhibitions, Literature & Films, Youth and Governance. Other sub areas are also proposed in each of these areas. The proposal also includes theme based interactions, student exchanges etc. The Ministry of Culture could be designated as the Nodal Agency.
Improving Government Communication
This group proposed that there is a great need for an effective communication mechanism between the government and the public at large. Government Communication could include General government communication, communication of policies/schemes and initiatives. An effective communication mechanism is aimed at not only improving the image of the government, but also combating the negative perception. This group identified a few issues to highlight the failure in communication of the present dispensation. They include
The group recommended that a communication strategy be formulated for the government by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. They also suggested that every ministry have a spokesperson. The group also suggested that there be focused, customized and target group oriented communication by using Big Data analysis etc. For the purpose of capacity building of personnel, the group proposed setting up of a communication university.
Citizen Centric Service Monitoring
An IAS officer who worked with the NITI Aayog made a presentation on Citizen Centric Service Monitoring. This kind of monitoring is seen as an effective way of improving governance. The common theme in the presentation was the use of public data for effective delivery of services. The presentation used examples of how data on crime against women can be used to decide the areas of patrolling, time of patrolling, installation of cctv cameras etc. Another example cited in the presentation was the health data.
The presentation also mentioned the Right to Service Delivery as a means to fixing our cities. The presentation made by the IAS officer talks about citizens reporting issues and requesting services from the government from broken streetlights to potholes etc. As a way forward, it is suggested that various social sector and business sector applications be made.
It must be noted that a bill to make service delivery as a citizen’s right was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2011, but it lapsed because of the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

created: November 21, 2015


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2013 image of a pigeon sitting on a patient is being shared with a false narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 7, 2021
An image is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of a pigeon sitting on his abandoned old friend in the hospital. This post claim that the old patient in the photo was admitted to the hospital for three days, but his family members never came to see him. The post claims that a pigeon, who the old man used to feed in a nearby park, has visited the hospital every two days to see him. According to the post, this image was purportedly taken by a nurse in the hospital. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a pigeon visiting his abandoned old friend in the hospital.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is real. But, the narrative of this photo is not true. This image was taken at a hospital in Greece. This photo was shot by Flickr user named Ioannis Protonotarios, on 19 October 2013. Protonotarios’ father and the old patient in the photo were sharing the same hospital room while this photo was captured. There is no evidence to say that the old man’s family never came to see him or that he fed this pigeon at a nearby park. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found published on the ‘Flickr image sharing website. This image was posted by Ioannis Protonotarios on 19 October 2013. According to the information provided on the ‘Flickr’ website, this image was captured at a hospital in Athens, Greece.
‘The Quint’ news website contacted Ioannis Protonotarios to get more details of this photo. In a brief interaction with ‘The Quint’, Ioannis Protonotarios revealed that the image was taken on 19 October 2013 at the Cardiology Ward of Red Cross Hospital of Athens, Greece. Protonotarios told that his father was sharing the hospital room with the man in the photo. “As I was sitting next to my father’s bed I noticed this bird that was sitting atop of this man who was asleep. It was sitting there for quite a while so I took a picture”,  Ioannis Protonotarios told ‘The Quint’. After this incident, Protonotarios’ father was moved to the intensive care unit and he had never seen the man or the bird again.  The clarification issued by Ioannis Protonotarios can be found in the fact-check article published by ‘The Quint’.
Ioannis Protonotarios revealed more details of this incident in an interview with the ‘Lead Stories’ website. ‘Lead Stories’ reported these interview details in an article published on 27 January 2021. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the image shared in the post was not taken by a hospital nurse. Also, there is no evidence to prove that the old man’s family has never come to see him or that he fed this pigeon at a nearby park.
To sum it up, 2013 photo of a pigeon sitting on an old patient is being shared now with a false narrative.


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2013 photo falsely linked to the farmers' present protest against the Agriculture laws - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 21, 2020
A photo is being shared recently on social media claiming it as the farmers protest against the current government amid the passage of Agriculture Amendment bills in the parliament. In the post, it is claimed that farmers are not Savarkar to fear and beg mercy on seeing police guns. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Photo of a police officer pointing a gun against a farmer protesting against the Modi government .
Fact: Photo in the post was shot during a confrontation between villagers and cops in Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh. On ‘29 September 2013, a large number of villagers gathered at a maha panchayat venue defying section 144 imposed by District magistrate to protest against the arrest of local BJP MLA Sangeet Som. It has nothing to do with ongoing protests of farmers against the agriculture bills passed by the Government of India. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, similar photo was found in an article published by ‘ The Indian Express’ news website on ‘30 September 2013’. The image credits were given to PTI and the caption reads ‘A security officer takes on a villager during the clash in Khera on Sunday’. The report states the protests were held by a large number of villagers gathered in Khera village in Sarghana for the maha panchayat to protest against the arrest and slapping of National Security Act on local BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som in connection with the Muzaffarnagar violence.
When searched with relevant keywords, we found an article from The Hindu which has the same image in their article. This article also mentions that the image was captured during the violence that erupted at Khera village after supporters of the jailed BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som clashed with the security forces on 29 September 2013.
The same photo was also found in an article published by ‘The Pioneer’ news website on ‘30 September 2013’.  The then Uttar Pradesh Home Secretary  Kamal Saxena in a media report stated that the wife and the brother of MLA Sangeet Som were responsible for the violence in Khera village on ‘ 29 September 2013’.
Sangeet Som was booked under the National Security Act (NSA) for allegedly making hate speech and distributing a fake video which led to the massive Hindu- Muslim riots in Muzaffarnagar.
To sum it up, an 2013 photo is now falsely shared as the photo of on going farmers protest against the Agriculture amendment bills passed by the Government of India.

created: September 21, 2020


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2013 photo of Bhojpuri actor Irfan Khan’s arrest shared now with ‘Naayi Jihad’ narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 27, 2023
A post is being shared on social media claiming that Mumbai police have exposed Naayi (Barber) Jihad in Mumbai’s Bandra. Sharing a picture of two arrested men, this post claims that the accused men have confessed before the police that Mosques are funding them to spread HIV/AIDS disease to the Hindu customers who visit their barber shops. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of two Muslim barbers who were arrested on the charges of spreading HIV/AIDS disease to Hindus in Mumbai’s Bandra.
Fact: The post shared an old picture of Bhojpuri actor Irfan Khan and his friend Sanjay Yadav when they were arrested on the charges of credit cards theft in 2013. The photo does not show accused of any ‘Naayi Jihad’ crime. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found in an article published by the ‘India TV’ news website on 18 July 2013. ‘India TV’ reported it is as the picture of Bhojpuri actor Irfan Khan and his friend Sanjay Yadav when they were arrested on the charges of credit cards theft in 2013. The description of the photo states, “Mumbai Police have arrested from Bihar’s Chhapra district, a renowned Bhojpuri actor Irfan Khan and his friend Sanjay Yadav on charges of stealing credit cards, cheque books and bill books,  and then purchasing valuables.”
‘India TV’, ‘ABP News’ and ‘TV9 Bharatvarsh’ news channels published videos reporting the arrest of Bhojpuri actor Irfan Khan’s arrest in 2013. Lately, there are no news reports about Mumbai police exposing the so-called ‘Naayi Jihad’ crime in Bandra or any other place in Mumbai.
To sum it up, an unrelated old photo is shared as Muslim barbers caught by Mumbai police on the charges of spreading AIDS to Hindus.

created: February 27, 2023


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2013 picture of Pragya Singh Thakur getting admitted to a hospital shared with false narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 26, 2021
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as the recent picture of BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur getting admitted at a hospital in Mumbai. This post claim that Pragya Singh Thakur had become ill after drinking cow urine. Pragya Singh Thakur had recently made a statement that drinking cow urine every day has offered her protection against lung infection and the COVID-19 virus. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent photo of Pragya Singh Thakur getting admitted to a hospital after drinking cow urine.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is an old one. This photo was captured in January 2013 when Pragya Singh Thakur was taken for medical examination at the Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. However, Pragya Singh Thakur recently got admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben hospital, after she complained of a problem in breathing. It is nowhere mentioned that the reason for her illness was drinking cow urine. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found in an article published by ‘The Hindu’ on 10 January 2013. The description of the photo states, ‘In this January 9, 2013 photo, 2008 Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is being taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital for medical examination, in Bhopal’. So, this photo is from 2013 when Pragya Singh Thakur was taken for a medical examination to Jawaharlal Cancer Hospital in Bhopal.
The same image is also used as a representative image in some old news articles published on Pragya Singh Thakur. They can be seen here and here. In March 2021, Pragya Singh Thakur was admitted to Kokilaben hospital in Mumbai, after she complained of a problem in breathing.  But, she was admitted to the hospital much before her statement about cow urine. It is nowhere mentioned that the reason for her illness was drinking cow urine.
To sum it up, 2013 photo is currently shared as BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur getting admitted to a hospital after drinking cow urine.


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2013 Russian Proto-M rocket explosion video shared as a failure of an Indian test missile - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 14, 2020
A video is being shared on social media claiming it to be the footage of Indian test missile explosion. In the video, it is seen that a space missile explodes minutes after its launch. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Indian test missile explosion.
Fact: Footage shared in the post shows Russian Proto-M rocket explosion in Khazakistan during the year 2013. The footage is old and not related to India. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On revere image search of screenshots in the video, similar visuals were found in a video posted by a YouTube user on ‘07 July 2013’. In the description of the video, it is mentioned as the footage of Russian Proto-M missile launch failure and explosion. The same video is posted on YouTube by another user with the same description. On searching for information from credible sources using these keywords, photos with the same visuals as in the video were found in an article published by ‘Electronic Products’ website on ‘10 July 2013’. In the article, it is mentioned as the visuals of Russian Proto-M rocket explosion at a spaceport in Kazakhstan. It is mentioned that the Proto-M rocket carrying three navigation satellites disintegrated itself and fell back to the Earth piece by piece in Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome. It is reported that human error of putting sensors upside down caused this massive rocket explosion. The same visuals with a similar context were found in an article published by ‘Russia Today (RT)’ news network website.
Article published by ‘NASA’ space website about the Russian Proto-M rocket explosion in 2013 can be seen here.  Videos posted by ‘The Telegraph’ and ‘Euro news’ about the Russian Proto-M rocket explosion on YouTube can be seen here and here.
On ‘05 October 2020’, DRDO successfully tested Supersonic Missile assisted release of Torpedo, SMART. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a tweet congratulated the DRDO officials and its stakeholders after the successful missile test. Earlier, when the videos related to the Russian Proto-M rocket explosion went viral as failed Indian missiles, FACTLY published fact-check articles about them. They can be seen here and here.
Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh has congratulated @DRDO_India and other stakeholders for the successful flight test of Supersonic Missile assisted release of Torpedo, SMART. pic.twitter.com/BLPjNGZ0eY
To sum it up, an old video related to the Russian Proto-M missile explosion is falsely shared as the failed Indian test missile.

created: October 14, 2020


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2013 Video from Egypt passed off as Palestinian ‘corpses’ posing for media - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 21, 2021
A video accompanying a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Palestinians were posing as ‘corpses’ for media. The alleged ‘corpses’ were arranged for the funeral, but the bodies keep moving under the white sheets. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Palestinians posing as ‘corpses’ for media.
Fact: A video with the same visuals was uploaded on YouTube on 28 October 2013 by Al-Badeel Newspaper claiming it to be from demonstrations by students at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. There are news articles published confirming the demonstrations by students. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we performed a reverse image search on the screenshots of the video, we firstly found a Buzzfeed article-cum-quiz in German containing a screenshot of the video. A question with the heading read in English as, A video with “living corpses” from Syria shows that some people, acting as extras, only pretend to have died in a poison gas attack, the answer to the question was given as false and there is a subsequent explanation in the article how it was not from Syria but Egypt. A link given in the article takes us to a website that explains how the video was not from Syria but Egypt.
Taking a cue from the information in the Buzzfeed article, we found a YouTube video uploaded on 28 October 2013 by a channel named in Arabic translated to English as Al-Badeel Newspaper which belongs to Egypt. The title of the video in Arabic is translated to English and read as A representative presentation of the bodies inside Al-Azhar University. The description in the YouTube video again in Arabic read in English says that Dozens of Muslim Brotherhood students at Al-Azhar University organised a mass demonstration in front of the college administration building. There is another YouTube video uploaded on the same day with the title Al-Azhar students stormed the university’s administrative building in Nasr city containing similar visuals.
When we further searched for news regarding the demonstrations in Egypt in 2013, we found multiple news articles. Students at Al-Azhar University in Cairo’s Nasr City district staged what they called “anti-coup” demonstrations on campus on Saturday 26 October 2013 says a news article. Another article leading to these incidents in the City can be seen here.
Even earlier, the video accompanying the post was used in several other countries with different misleading claims, and several outlets have fact-checked and debunked them. Snopes had debunked the same video in 2018 when it was claimed to be of Palestinians. Another fact-check was done by AFP earlier in April 2021.
To sum it up, 2013 Video from Egypt passed off as Palestinian ‘corpses’ posing for media.


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2013 video of a fireworks simulation is shared as visuals of fireworks displayed in Kerala - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 14, 2023
A social media post shares a video of fireworks lighting a night sky, claiming it as visuals of a fireworks display on 30 January 2023 in Kuravilangadu, Kerala.
Claim: Visuals of fireworks displayed in Kerala on 30 January 2023.
Fact: This video is a digital creation. In 2013, a fireworks simulation was created by a YouTube user named ‘mediabyjj‘ and uploaded on YouTube, which the viral post falsely claims is from Kerala. Hence, the claim made in the pot is False.
We performed a reverse image search on a few keyframes to learn more about the viral video. This search led us to a YouTube video uploaded in 2013 on a channel named ‘mediabyjj, which is a clearer version of the viral video.
It is titled ‘New Years 2013 – Synchronized Epic Music (Heart of Courage) – FWSim Fireworks Display – HD‘. According to the video description, it is a digital simulation created using the software FWSim. A simple search on Google about FWSim revealed that it is a fireworks simulation software.
To sum up, a 2013 video of a fireworks simulation is peddled as visuals of fireworks displayed in Kerala.

created: February 14, 2023


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2013 video of a woman protestor being slapped by Delhi police is being shared with a misleading narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 23, 2019
A post with a video is being widely shared on Facebook with the claim that it shows a woman protestor being slapped by Delhi police during the protests against the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Let’s analyze the authenticity of the claim in the post.
Video of a woman protestor being slapped by Delhi police during the protests against the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Fact: The video shows a woman protestor being slapped by Delhi police during the protests against the rape of a five-year-old ‘Gudiya’ in 2013. So, the claim is MISLEADING.
The video in the post has the watermark of ‘NDTV’. So, when searched on YouTube with the keywords ‘Delhi police slapped woman protestor ndtv’, the same video was found. The video had the timestamp ‘April 19, 2013’ and it had the following description- ‘Amid large protests at the Delhi hospital where a five-year-old rape survivor is fighting for her life, a police officer has been filmed slapping a woman demonstrator’.
From the April 20, 2013 article of ‘India Today’, it was found that demonstrations were held at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Delhi) against the rape of a five-year-old girl ‘Gudiya’ in East Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar.
To summarize, 2013 video of a woman protestor slapped by Delhi police is being shared with a misleading narrative.
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created: December 23, 2019


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2013 video of Dilip Kumar in hospital is falsely shared as his last video before death - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 9, 2021
A post is widely shared on social media claiming that the attached video of Dilip Kumar was his last one before his death. In the video, Dilip Kumar was being fed by his wife, on a hospital bed. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Dilip Kumar’s last video before his death.
Fact: This video is from September 2013 when Dilip Kumar was admitted to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital due to a heart attack. He was later discharged after getting recovered. Dilip Kumar passed away at the age of 98 on 07 July 2021. So, the video in the post is 8 years old and not a recent one. There are a few videos of Dilip Kumar on the internet even after the 2013 incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, a YouTube video was found with similar visuals. This video was uploaded on 22 September 2013 with the title, ‘Dilip Kumar Video Hospital Room Recuperating’. The description of the video is read as, ‘Dilip Kumar recuperating in a hospital in Mumbai, India Sep 21,2013’. The same YouTube video was published in a post from Dilip Kumar’s official Twitter handle. ‘Thank you for your prayers and love. Resting in the hospital. Video from yesterday’ says the Twitter post, which too, was published on 22 September 2013.
Dilip Kumar was admitted to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital on 15 September 2013 due to a heart attack. A screenshot of the video can be seen in the article. Upon improvement of his condition, he was discharged on 26 September 2013.
Dilip Kumar passed away at the age of 98, on 07 July 2021. Dilip Kumar was an adopted screen name, he was born Mohammed Yusuf Khan.
The video in the post is not the last video of Dilip Kumar. In fact, there are a couple of videos in his Twitter and Facebook timelines after the incident of 2013.
To sum it up, a 2013 video is falsely shared as Dilip Kumar’s last video before his death.


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2014 Prices of essential commodities listed in the post are much higher than the actual prices - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 26, 2021
A post that compares the LPG gas cylinder prices from 2011 to 2021 and the essential commodities prices between 2014 and 2021 is being shared on social media. This post claims that the prices of essential commodities in 2014 are much higher when compared to the prices in 2021. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The prices of essentials commodities in 2014 are much higher when compared to the prices in 2021.
Fact: The 2014 prices of essential commodities mentioned in the post are much higher than the actual prices reported on the Department of Consumer Affairs website. The essential commodities prices in 2014 are not higher as mentioned in this post. For example in 2014, a kg of Moong Dal cost 97.26 rupees. But, it is mentioned as 180 rupees in the post. Similarly, a kg Urad Dal cost 79 rupees in 2014 but is mentioned as 179 rupees. When compared to the essential commodities prices in 2014, the prices are higher in 2021. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The price Monitoring Division (PMD) in the Department of Consumer Affairs is responsible for monitoring the prices of select essential commodities. The Department of Consumer Affairs monitors the retail and wholesale prices of 22 essential commodities (which includes rice, sugar, oil, and others)  from 115 centres across the country. We calculated the all-India average of month-end prices on essential commodities as reported by the Department of Consumer Affairs website. The details of our findings shown in the table below.
The 2021 essential commodities prices mentioned in the post are almost close to the actual prices. But the 2014 essential commodities prices in the post vary from the actual prices by a great amount. According to the Department of Consumer Affairs, Moong Dal’s cost is 97.26 rupees per Kg in 2014. But, it is mentioned as 180 rupees in the post. Similarly, a kg Urad dal cost 79 rupees in 2014 which is mentioned as 179 rupees. A kg of Tur dal cost 75.83 rupees in 2014 but is mentioned as 210 rupees in this post. The difference in the essential commodities prices between 2014 and 2021 is shown in the table below. From all these, it can be concluded that the 2014 essential commodities prices mentioned in the post are much higher compared to the actual prices.
The prices of essential commodities depend on the inflation rate in the respective years. In the post, Urad Dal and Tur Dal are the only essential commodities that have witnessed an annual increase in their prices from 2014 to 2021. The price increase is minimal for the remaining essential commodities. For example, the Urad Dal price in 2014 is 79.09 rupees per Kg which increased to 108.96 rupees in 2021. Similarly, the 75.83 rupees per Kg cost of Tur Dal in 2014 increased to 104.96 rupees in 2021. From all these, it can be understood that the prices of essential commodities in 2021 are higher compared to the prices in 2014.
The claim about the LPG gas cylinder prices was already debunked by FACTLY. The fact-check article published on it can be seen here.
To sum it up, 2014 prices of essential commodities listed in this post are much higher compared to the actual prices as reported by the Department of Consumer Affairs.

created: February 26, 2021


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2014 image falsely shared as PM Modi’s visit to hospital on the birth of Ambani’s grandson - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 14, 2020
A post accompanying an image of Narendra Modi along with Mukesh Ambani and his wife in a hospital is being widely shared across social media platforms with a claim that the PM visited Ambani’s newborn grandson at the hospital. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: PM Modi visited Ambani’s grandson at the hospital.
Fact: The image was actually clicked during the inauguration of HN Reliance Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai back in 2014. The image has nothing to do with the birth of Ambani’s grandson. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to a 2014 news article which carried a flipped image of the image in the post. According to this article, the image was clicked back in 2014 when Modi inaugurated the HN Reliance Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai.
Another news article shared the same flipped image mentioning it to be related to the Reliance Hospital inauguration by Modi. Further, PMO India’s official YouTube channel uploaded the video of the event which can be seen here. Also, we could not find any news articles saying that the PM visited Ambani’s grandchild at the hospital.
In the light of the ongoing protest by farmers against the new farm bills, posts like these are being widely circulated across social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, the image was actually clicked during Reliance hospital inauguration back in 2014.

created: December 14, 2020


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2014 image from Germany is being shared as ‘Coronavirus victims in China’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 3, 2020
A post with a photo is being widely shared on Facebook with the claim that it shows the Coronavirus victims in China. Let’s analyze the claim made in the post.
Image of Coronavirus victims in China.
Fact: The image is from Germany and it shows people lying down in a pedestrian zone, as part of an art project in Frankfurt, in remembrance of victims of the Katzbach Nazi concentration camp. So, the claim is FALSE.
When the image in the post is subjected to reverse image search technique, an article of ‘South China Morning Post’ was obtained in the search results. The article is dated 26 March 2014 and the image was found with photo credits to Reuters. When searched on the ‘Reuters’ website, the image was found with the following description- ‘People lay down in a pedestrian zone as part of an art project in remembrance of the 528 victims of the Katzbach Nazi concentration camp, in Frankfurt, March 24, 2014. The inmates of the Katzbach concentration camp, a part of the former Adler industrial factory, were forced into a death march to the concentration camps of Buchenwald and Dachau on March 24, 1945. Some 528 victims of Katzbach are buried at Frankfurt’s central cemetery’. So, the image is related to an event in Frankfurt (Germany) in 2014.
To summarize, an image from Germany is being shared as ‘Coronavirus victims in China’.
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created: February 3, 2020


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2014 photo is shared as Kyiv’s Independence Square after the Russian invasion of Ukraine - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 28, 2022
A collage of images is being shared on social media claiming it as the before and after pictures of the Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine after the Russian invasion. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Before and after pictures of the Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
Fact: The second photo shared in the post was taken in 2014 when violent clashes erupted between the anti-government forces and Ukraine Security forces in Kyiv. The picture shared in the post is old and has nothing to do with the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Hence, the post shared in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the second photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found in an article published by the ‘ABC’ news website on 20 February 2014. According to the article, in February 2014, violent clashes erupted between the anti-government protestors and Ukraine Security forces in Kyiv, the Capital city of Ukraine. These protests reportedly started in 2013 after the then Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych spurned a European trade and political deal and instead sealed a $15 billion bailout from Russia. Several demonstrators and Police reportedly lost their lives in these violent clashes that took place in Kyiv. The photo shared in the post shows the International Square (also called Maidan Square) after the Kyiv riots in 2014.
Reporting the same, several news websites have published articles in February 2014. They can be seen here, here, and here. Amie Ferris-Rotman, a journalist who worked in several international news organizations had compared pictures of Kyiv’s International Square before and after the violent riots similarly in 2014.
The latest visuals of Kyiv’s Maidan Square after the Russian advance in Ukraine can be seen here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the image shared in the post is old and has nothing to do with the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
To sum it up, a 2014 photo is being shared as the picture of Kyiv’s Independence Square after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

created: February 28, 2022


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2014 photo of PM Modi’s public meeting in Kolkata shared as Yogi's public meeting in Bihar. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 22, 2020
A photo which shows a huge crowd gathered at a public meeting is being shared on social media claiming it as the picture of Bihar public meeting where people are eagerly waiting for the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s speech. Ahead of Bihar Assembly elections, this photo is going viral on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: People waiting for the Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath speech in Bihar at a public meeting.
Fact: Photo in the post shows the helicopter view of PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Janchetna sabha’ held in Kolkata in the year 2014. This meeting was in the run-up to the 2014 Loksabha elections. This photo has nothing to do with the Bihar elections and the Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search, a similar photo was found to be posted by social media users at least since February 2014. They can be seen here, here and here. In these posts, they mentioned this photo as the aerial picture of Narendra Modi’s ‘Jan Chetan Sabha’  held in Kolkata in 2014.
When we searched for the official sources of information using these keywords,  a similar photo was found in an article published by the ‘Desh Gujarat’ news website on ‘05 February 2014’. In the article, it is mentioned as the crowd gathered at the Narendra Modi’s  ‘Jan Chetan Sabha’ rally in Kolkata. This public meeting was held on ‘05 February 2014’ in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.  India Today’s article about this meeting can be read here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the photo in the post is not related to the Bihar elections and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.
To sum it up, a 2014 photo of PM Narendra Modi’s public meeting in Kolkata is falsely shared as the Yogi Adityanath’s public meeting in Bihar 2020.

created: October 22, 2020


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2014 photo of Shahrukh Khan greeting fans on his birthday is linked to Aryan Khan’s recent drug case - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 3, 2021
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan waving at his fans who gathered near his house to celebrate his son Aryan Khan’s release from Jail. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent photo of Shahrukh Khan waving at his fans gathered to celebrate his son Aryan Khan’s release from Jail.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is an old one. This photo was taken when Shahrukh Khan thanked his fans gathered outside his house on his 49 birthday in 2014. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo, similar photos were found in an article published by ‘The Times of India’ in 2014. This article reported it as visuals of Shahrukh khan waving at his fans gathered outside his house, Mannat on his 49 birthday on 02 November 2014. Reporting the same, several news websites published similar photos of Shahrukh Khan greeting his fans on the occasion of his 49 birthday in 2014. A few old social media posts and articles sharing the same photo can be seen here and here. ‘The Bollywood News Villa’ YouTube channel published a video showing the complete video of Shahrukh Khan cheering his fans on his birthday in 2014.
Shahrukh Khan had tweeted a similar photo on 02 November 2014 mentioning, ‘So much happiness…so many people to share it with. Hope I am ‘enough’ to do so…all my life’. Before 2020, every year, Shahrukh celebrated his birthday with media and fans gathered at his house Mannat.
So much happiness…so many people to share it with. Hope I am ‘enough’ to do so…all my life. pic.twitter.com/u7v4dWpui9
On 03 October 2021, Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with the Mumbai cruise ship drug case. Aryan Khan was arrested on charges of consumption, and sale of illegal substances. After several bail rejections from the NCB special court, on 28 October 2021, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Aryan Khan. Following the Bombay High Court’s decision, Shahrukh Khan’s fans gathered at Mannat and celebrated the Aryan Khan’s release from jail. But, the photo shared in the post is old and not related to the current events.
To sum it up, an old photo of Shahrukh Khan greeting fans on his birthday in 2014 is falsely linked to Aryan Khan’s recent drug case.

created: November 3, 2021


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2014 photos of vandalized Hanuman idol in Eluru shared as a recent incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 21, 2021
A collage with the images of a damaged Hanuman idol is shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of a vandalized Hanuman temple near TEKU bank in Eluru. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent pictures of vandalized Hanuman idol in Eluru.
Fact: This incident took place in 2014. The accused in this assault was arrested and punished by the court in 2015. West Godavari police through their tweet clarified that few social media users were sharing this 2014 incident photos as related to a recent incident and were spreading false news. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched for the details of photos shared in the post, we found that West Godavari Police recently made a clarification through a tweet about these photos. In the tweet, West Godavari police clarified that these photos show an old incident that took place at Eluru one Town police station range in 2014. The accused in this assault was arrested and punished by the court in 2015. West Godavari Police shared the same information on their official Facebook page.
It came to our notice that some persons on social media are using this 2014 incident as propaganda material for spreading fake news. We have registered a case in Cr. No. 24/2021 U/s 153-A, 295-A IPC against such people. (2/2) @AndhraPradeshCM @AndhraPradeshHM @FactCheckAPGov pic.twitter.com/i7hmKxica3
West Godavari police also said that the images of vandalized Hanuman idol going viral on social media are old and that they have filed an FIR on a social media user for spreading false news.
The Court Judgement on 2014 Hanuman idol assault in Eluru can be seen below.
To sum it up, 2014 photos of vandalized Hanuman idol in Eluru are being shared as the recent ones.

created: January 21, 2021


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2014 video is being falsely shared as ‘Delhi Police thrashing a student at Jamia University’. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 19, 2019
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows Delhi Police thrashing a student at Jamia Millia Islamia University. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Delhi Police thrashing a student at Jamia Milia Islamia University.
Fact: The video was taken at Red Fort (New Delhi) in January-2014. Delhi Police has suspended 3 policemen after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has posted the same video on their Facebook account in 2014. So, the video is not related to Jamia University or the recent anti-CAA protests. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through the Yandex Reverse Image Search, the same video was found to be in circulation since 2014. ‘News 18’ has posted the same video in January-2014 with the following description: ‘Delhi: 3 policemen suspended for beating civilian’.
In the ‘NDTV’ article, it can be read that the Police claimed that the man in the video was a pickpocket. The same video posted by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on their official Facebook account in January-2014 can be watched here. The video is not related to Jamia University or the recent anti-CAA protests.
To sum it up, 2014 video is being falsely shared as ‘Delhi Police thrashing a student at Jamia University’.
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created: December 19, 2019


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2014 video of Mi-8 crash in Russia shared as recent crash landing of an Indian army helicopter - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 7, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming that it shows recent visuals of an Indian Army helicopter crash. In the wake of the recent incident of an Indian Army Cheetah Helicopter crash in Arunachal Pradesh, this video is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video showing the crash visuals of an Indian Army helicopter.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows old visuals of the Mi-8 helicopter crash during an airshow in Russia. The incident took place in September 2014. The video shared in the post is old and does not show the Indian Army’s helicopter crash visuals. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found published on a YouTube channel on 05 September 2014. The description of the video states, “Disastrous Mi-8 Helicopter Crash in Gelendzhik, Russia (Sep-5-2014 )”. When we searched for further sources using these keywords, we found the complete details of this helicopter crash in an article published by the ‘Military.com’ website on 07 September 2014. This article reported it as the visuals of a Mi-8 Helicopter crash during an airshow in Russia.
While taking part at the Gelendzhik Air Show in Russia, a chopper belonging to the Russian “Panh Helicopters” air company crash landed on the airfield. Two people were killed and one was seriously injured in the accident. Reporting the same, a few other news websites have also published articles. They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, 2014 video of Mi-8 helicopter crash during an airshow in Russia is shared as recent visuals of an Indian army helicopter crash.

created: October 7, 2022


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2014 video shared as recent visuals of Smriti Irani falling off the stage during an election rally in Amethi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 23, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of BJP leader Smriti Irani falling off the stage during an election rally in Amethi. Amid the ongoing 2022 UP Assembly Elections, this video is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of Smriti Irani falling suddenly from a rally stage in Amethi.
Fact: The video shared in the post is an old one. This incident took place during Smriti Irani’s election campaign in Amethi during the 2014 General Elections. The video has nothing to do with the ongoing UP Elections. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched for the video using relevant keywords, a video with similar visuals is found published by the ‘NDTV’ news channel on 07 April 2014. ‘NDTV’ reported that Smriti Irani, the BJP candidate from Amethi in 2014 had taken a tumble while getting off a stage in Amethi. Smriti Irani reportedly had no injuries during this incident.
In the 2014 General Elections, BJP leader Smriti Irani contested against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. A few pictures of Smriti Irani’s rally on 07 April 2014 can be seen here. 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 ongoing UP Elections.
To sum it up, an old video is being shared as recent visuals of Smriti Irani falling off from the stage during an election rally in Amethi.

created: February 23, 2022


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2014 Vs 2019: Andhra Pradesh is the only state where the number of Voters has decreased
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 13, 2019
There has been an increase of 6.37 crores in the number of registered voters in India between 2014 & 2019, an increase of 7.6%. Andhra Pradesh happens to be the only state where the total number of registered voters has actually decreased between 2014 & 2019.
During the announcement of the elections to the 17 Lok Sabha, the Election Commission of India (ECI) noted that the total electorate in the country as of 01 January 2019 was around 90 crores. Data released by the ECI (E-Roll data of 2019) suggests that the number of registered voters as of January 2019 is around 89.78 crores compared to 83.4 crores who were eligible to vote in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, an increase of around 7.6%. Of all the States/UTs, Andhra Pradesh happens to be the only state where the total number of registered voters in 2019 has decreased compared to the number in 2014.
19 States/UTs with more than 1 crore voters each
As per the ECI data of 2019, more than 1 crore voters are registered in each of 19 States/UTs. As expected Uttar Pradesh leads with 14.43 crores followed by Maharashtra with 8.74 crores. There are seven (7) states with more than 5 crore registered voters each. Lakshadweep is the smallest constituency in the country with only 54388 registered voters.
Nine (9) States/UTs have registered a growth of more than 10%
The number of registered voters increased by around 7.6% at an All-India level between 2014 & 2019, from 83.4 crores in 2014 to 89.78 crores in 2019. Among States/UTs, the growth in the number of registered voters is more than 10% in 9 States/UTs whereas the growth is between 5% & 10% in 20 other States/UTs. Among all the States/UTs, Andhra Pradesh is the only state that registered a decrease in the number of voters between 2014 & 2019. Compared to 3.67 crore registered voters in in 2014, the number has come down to 3.66 crore in 2019. Among the states, Meghalaya registered the highest growth of 21% followed by Assam where the number of registered voters increased by close to 16%.
What about Service Voters?
The ECI had earlier noted that there is a substantial increase in the number of service voters. As per available data, the number of service voters increased from 13.65 lakh in 2014 to 16.62 lakh in 2019, an increase of more than 20%. The greatest number of service voters are registered in Uttar Pradesh (2.54 lakh) followed by 1.39 lakh in Bihar. Further, more than 1 lakh service voters are registered in each of the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, West Bengal & Punjab. In terms of increase, the growth in the number of registered service voters is more than 100% in eight (8) different states. At the same time, the number of registered service voters has decreased in 10 States/UTs. In Andhra Pradesh where total number of registered voters has decreased, the number of service voters has registered an increase of 45%.


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2015 లో తెలంగాణలో తీసిన ఫోటో పెట్టి ‘జగన్ పాడె మోస్తున్న ఆశా వర్కర్లు’ అని తప్పుగా ప్రచారం చేస్తున్నారు - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 9, 2019
తమకు జీతాలు ఇవ్వట్లేదని ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ ముఖ్యమంత్రి జగన్ పాడె మోస్తున్న ఆశా వర్కర్లు అని చెప్తూ ఒక ఫోటోతో ఉన్న పోస్ట్ ని ఫేస్బుక్ లో చాలా మంది షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు. ఆ పోస్ట్ లో ఎంతవరకు నిజముందో విశ్లేషిద్ధాం.
జీతాలు ఇవ్వట్లేదని జగన్ పాడె మోస్తున్న ఆశా వర్కర్లు.
పాడె మోస్తున్న ఫోటో 2015 లో తెలంగాణ ప్రభుత్వం తమ డిమాండ్లు అంగీకరించనందుకు నిజామాబాద్ లో ఆశా వర్కర్లు చేసిన ర్యాలీ కి సంబంధించినది. జగన్ కి ఆ ర్యాలీ కి ఎటువంటి సంబంధం లేదు. కావున పోస్ట్ లో చెప్పింది తప్పు.
పోస్ట్ లో పాడె మోస్తున్న ఫోటోని క్రాప్ చేసి గూగుల్ రివర్స్ ఇమేజ్ సెర్చ్ లో వెతకగా, అదే ఫోటోతో ఉన్న ‘The Hindu’ ఆర్టికల్ ఒకటి సెర్చ్ రిజల్ట్స్ లో వస్తుంది. ఆ ఆర్టికల్ లో పాడె మోస్తున్న ఫోటో 2015 లో తీసినట్టు ఉంటుంది. తమ డిమాండ్లను ప్రభుత్వం అంగీకరించనందుకు, ఆశా వర్కర్లు నిజామాబాద్ లో తెలంగాణ ప్రభుత్వం బొమ్మని పాడె మోసారు. తెలంగాణ లో జరిగిన ఈ ర్యాలీ కి, ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ ముఖ్యమంత్రి జగన్ కి ఎటువంటి సంబంధం లేదు.
చివరగా, 2015 లో తెలంగాణ లో తీసిన ఫోటో పెట్టి ‘జగన్ పాడె మోస్తున్న ఆశా వర్కర్లు’ అని తప్పుగా ప్రచారం చేస్తున్నారు.
ఏది ఫేక్, ఏది నిజం సిరీస్ లో మా వీడియోస్ మీరు చూసారా?

created: August 9, 2019


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2015 article shared as Google CEO Sundar Pichai's comments on NRC and CAB - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 18, 2019
A post claiming that Google CEO Sundar Pichai has stated that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) are anti-Muslim is going viral on social media. In the post, an article of ‘The Economic Times’ was also attached. Let’s try to check the veracity of the claim made in the post.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has stated that NRC and CAB are anti-Muslim.
Fact: Sundar Pichai hasn’t stated that NRC and CAB are anti-Muslim. The article in the post is from 2015 and has nothing to do with the recent NRC or CAB. Information from no credible source was found which confirms that Pichai has made such comments. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
The post claims that Sundar Pichai has stated that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) are anti-Muslim and also has an article of ‘The Economic Times’ with the title ‘Must support Muslims and other minorities: Google CEO Sundar Pichai’. The article is from 2015 and has nothing to do with the recent NRC and CAB. The article is about Sundar Pichai coming out in support of the Muslim community when the then-Republican Presidential hopeful candidate Donald Trump has made comments seeking a ban on entry of Muslims into the US.
When searched on Google if Pichai has made the statement claimed in the post, information from no credible source was found which confirms Pichai saying so.
Earlier, when a post went viral saying Sundar Pichai has posted on his Facebook account about changing the Indian Political system, ‘FACTLY’ has debunked it and the article can be read here.
To conclude, Google CEO Sundar Pichai hasn’t said NRC and CAB are anti-Muslim. The fake quote is being attributed to him.
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created: December 18, 2019


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2015 encounter photo is shared as that of a recent encounter in Hyderabad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 10, 2019
A post with a photo is being shared on Facebook with a claim that the photo in the post is related to the recent encounter of the accused in the Disha rape case by the Hyderabad police. Let’s try to analyze the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Encounter photo of accused in Hyderabad Veterinarian Disha rape case.
Fact: The photo in the post is not related to the recent Hyderabad encounter. It’s a photo of an encounter in Chittoor district in the year 2015, where AP police killed few red sanders smugglers. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photo in the post was searched using Google reverse image technique, a similar photo was found in an article published by the ‘The Hindu’ newspaper in 2015. From the article, it is understood that it is a photo related to the encounter of red sanders smugglers by AP police in Chittoor district.
To summarize, a photo of a 2015 encounter of red sanders smugglers by AP police in Chittoor district is being circulated as the encounter photo in Hyderabad Veterinarian Disha rape case.
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created: December 10, 2019


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2015 Human shield photo of Norwegian Muslims is falsely linked to Sweden - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 1, 2020
A post is being shared on social media with a claim that Muslims of Sweden formed human chains to protect Sweden churches and Synagogues. In the post, we can see a human chain formed by Muslim women. During the recent violent protests in Bangalore, we come across news of similar human chain formation by Muslims to protect a Hindu temple. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Photo of Muslims forming human chains to protect Churches and Synagogues in Sweden.
Fact: Photo in the post shows a group of Muslim women forming the human shield at a Synagogue in Oslo, Norway in the year 2015. In 2015, over 1000 Muslims formed the human chains at a Synagogue in Oslo city to express their solidarity against the anti-Jewish violence in Denmark. It has nothing to do with the recent Sweden riots. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search, we found the same image in an article published on 23 February 2015, by ‘+972 Magazine’ website. In the article, it is mentioned that the photo is related to a solidarity protest organized by the Muslim youth at a Synagogue in Oslo, Norway. In 2015, over 1000 Muslim youth formed the human chains in front of a Synagogue in Oslo to express their solidarity against the anti-Jewish violence in Denmark.
Sharing the same photo along with multiple other photos from the event, the ‘INDEPENDENT’ also published an article about this human chain organized by Muslims in Norway. It is mentioned in this article that over 1000 Muslim supporters chanted ‘No to anti-Semitism, no to Islamophobia’ while they form a human shield which they call ‘ring of peace’ around the Jewish place of worship.
For context, on ‘25 August 2020’, violence erupted in the Swedish city of Malmo where over 300 Muslims gathered to protest against anti-Islamic activities. Protests began after a copy of the Quran was burned in Malmo by the members of far-right Danish party Stram Kurs (Hard Line). Various reports suggest that protesters threw objects at the police and burnt car tyres. Following the riots in Sweden on ‘26 August 2020’, clashes broke out in an anti-Islam rally conducted near the Parliament building by the ‘Stop Islamisation of Norway (SIAN)’ in Oslo City, Norway.
To sum it up, an old 2015 photo related to the solidarity protest in Norway is falsely shared as the Muslims of Sweden forming human chains to protect Churches and Synagogues.
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created: September 1, 2020


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2015 image of civil activist Surat Singh Khalsa falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protests - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 28, 2020
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as the picture of civil activist Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa during his fast in support of farmers. Amid the ongoing farmers’ protest over the new farm laws, this post is going viral on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of Surat Singh Khalsa on hunger strike in protest of new farm laws passed by the Government of India.
Fact:  Photo shared in the post is an old one. This photo was shot during Surat Singh Khalsa’s hunger strike for the release of political Sikh prisoners in 2015. This photo has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found in an article published by ‘Sikh 24’ website on ‘04 May 2017’. In the article, it is mentioned as the photo of civil and political activist Surat Singh Khalsa while on a hunger strike for the release of political Sikh prisoners who have completed terms of their life sentences. Surat Singh Khalsa began this hunger strike on ‘16 January 2015’ in protest of human rights violation in Punjab. Similar images of Surat Singh Khalsa were shared in an article published by Sikh relief news website. More details about Surat Singh Khalsa’s hunger strike can be read here and here.
According to another article published by ‘Sikh 24’ website on ‘29 September 2019’, 1717 days of Surat Singh Khalsa’s hunger strike was forcibly ended by the government. The government announced to release eight Sikh Political prisoners and commute the death sentence of a prisoner to life sentence.
In the wake of recent farmers protest over the new farm laws, Surat Singh Khalsa expressed his support to the farmers through his Facebook page. They can be seen here and here. But, there is no announcement from Surat Singh Khalsa about going on a hunger strike in support of the farmers.
To sum it up, 2015 image of Surat Singh Khalsa’s hunger strike is being falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protests.

created: December 28, 2020