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Pakistan’s Ex-President Pervez Musharraf hasn’t made these statements about India becoming a Muslim state - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 6, 2019
Few Facebook users are posting that Pakistan’s Ex-President Pervez Musharraf has made statements about India becoming a Muslim state and it becoming the strength of Pakistan. Let’s try to analyze the authenticity of the statements and also how true they are.
Pervez Musharraf has said “Biggest strength of Pakistan is Indian Muslims, not the nuclear bombs. They are converting India into an Islamic nation by population explosion. India can repeal article 370 from Kashmir, India can build Ram Temple, India can win war against Pakistan, but India cannot prevent itself from becoming an Islamic nation”.
Fact: Pervez Musharraf hasn’t made any such comments. No credible source was found to authenticate the claim. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When googled to check if Musharraf has made such comments, no results were found. If he had really made such statements, owing to their sensitivity, they would have been reported by the major newspapers and channels in India. So, the statements posted on Facebook has no relevance to Musharraf.
Hence, it can be concluded that Pervez Musharraf hasn’t made any statements about India becoming a Muslim state.
Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


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No, Pathirana did not touch MS Dhoni's feet before bowling during IPL 2024 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 3, 2024
A video has gone viral on various social media platforms (here, here, here & here), claiming that the young Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who is playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), took blessings from MS Dhoni by touching his feet before bowling his over. In this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: During an IPL 2024 match, Sri Lankan cricketer Matheesha Pathirana sought blessings from MS Dhoni by touching his feet before bowling.
Fact: A different angle of the same incident reveals that Pathirana did not touch Dhoni’s feet but instead bent down to pick up the bowling marker which was placed near MS Dhoni feet. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To learn more about the viral video, we conducted a Google reverse image search using the keyframes from the footage. This search led us to a video (archived link) posted on X (formerly Twitter) on 29 March 2024, showing a different angle of the same incident.
To people who thought Pathirana was taking blessings from Thala 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/BKfQdPVx03
It clearly depicts Pathirana bending down to pick up the bowling marker placed near Dhoni’s feet. Here is a comparison of viral video with the X (Twitter) video.
During this search, we also came across an article by ‘Sports Keeda’ published on 29 March 2024, with the headline ‘Matheesha Pathirana did not touch MS Dhoni’s feet during CSK vs. GT IPL 2024 match.’ Sports Keeda exclusively provides sports updates. Additional reports clarifying this viral video can be seen here, here, & here.
To sum it up, Pathirana did not touch MS Dhoni’s feet before bowling; instead, he was picking up the bowling marker which was near MS Dhoni’s feet.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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No, people protesting Nupur Sharma’s comments had not killed this police officer in Kolkata; He shot himself - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 15, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that people protesting Nupur Sharma’s comments had killed a police officer in Kolkata. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing people protesting Nupur Sharma’s comments, killing a police officer in Kolkata.
Fact: Though the video is from Kolkata, the police constable shot himself dead; nobody killed him. A police constable named Choudup Lepcha opened fire indiscriminately from his rifle on 10 June 2022. Before he shot himself, his firing killed a woman and injured two others. The incident happened at Lower Range Road in Kolkata, which was 500 metres from the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission. A kilometre from the incident, hundreds of Muslims were holding protests against Nupur Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammed. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, a video report with similar visuals was found. According to the report, it was the police constable who shot himself. He fired multiple rounds, which hit a woman before he shot himself. The police constable was posted at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.
According to various news reports, a police constable opened fire indiscriminately from his rifle on 10 June 2022. Before he shot himself, his firing killed a woman and injured two others. The incident happened at Lower Range Road in Kolkata, which was 500 metres from the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission. Why the police constable, named Choudup Lepcha, started firing indiscriminately is still not known. Hardly a kilometre from the incident, hundreds of Muslims were holding protests against Nupur Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammed.
To sum it up, video of a police constable who shot himself dead is falsely shared claiming that people protesting Nupur Sharma’s comments had killed a police officer in Kolkata.


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No petitions have been filed recently regarding the pension of politicians; the Supreme Court dismissed a PIL filed in this regard in 2018 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 23, 2024
A post claiming that a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court regarding pensions to politicians is being widely shared across social media platforms (here, here, & here). In this post, the individual expresses their opinion on why politicians should not receive pensions. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recently, a petition regarding the pensions of politicians has been filed in the Supreme Court.
Fact: The Supreme Court had previously dismissed a PIL on the same issue, affirming the legality of salaries, pensions, and other perks of MPs. In 2022, the Madhya Pradesh High Court also dismissed a PIL filed on the same issue. Since then, there have been no reports of any such petition being filed regarding the salaries or pensions of politicians in recent times. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
First, let us look at the laws and acts in our country that govern salaries and other perks of MPs.
The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954:
Article 106 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to make laws regarding salaries and other allowances of MPs. Accordingly, The Salary, Allowances, and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 was enacted. This Act originally made no mention of pensions for MPs but only salaries and other allowances. However, in 1976, an amendment to this Act provided pensions to former MPs for the first time. The 1954 law has been amended many times since then.
Until 2018, Parliament periodically passed laws to revise the salaries of MPs. In 2018, through the Finance Act (archived link), Parliament amended the law setting the salaries for MPs. It revised their salaries and stipulated that the salary, daily allowance, and pension of MPs shall be increased every five years, based on the cost inflation index provided under the Income-tax Act, 1961. Furthermore, in 1985, Parliament enacted a law that delegated the power to set and revise certain allowances for MPs, such as constituency allowance, office allowance, and housing allowance, to the central government. In April 2020, an ordinance was passed reducing the salaries of MPs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, MPs (both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) currently receive a salary of one lakh rupees per month. In addition, the government provides ₹70,000 as a constituency allowance and ₹60,000 as a secretarial and office allowance to MPs.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat released a circular in January 2021 revising the meal prices in the Parliament canteen.
According to the Income Tax Department, the salary received by an MP or MLA will be taxed under ‘other sources of income.’ While the constituency allowances, office allowances, and other allowances received from the government are exempt from tax, the central government also has made it clear that the money received as basic salary by MPs will be taxed under ‘other sources of income.’
In 2017, a PIL seeking the cancellation of MPs’ pensions was filed in the Supreme Court:
In 2017, a voluntary organization named ‘Lok Prahari’ filed a PIL in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of certain earlier amendments to The Salary, Allowances, and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, which pertained to the provision of salaries and other perks to MPs. The petition also argued that providing pensions and other benefits to MPs even after retirement violates Article 14 of the Constitution, and Parliament lacks the authority to grant pensions and other benefits to members of the legislature without enacting any law.
When the Supreme court questioned the central government’s stance on the matter, the Center informed the Supreme Court that the entitlement of former Members of Parliament (MPs) to receive pension and other benefits is justified, as it is necessary to safeguard their dignity even after the conclusion of their tenure.
The Supreme Court, upon scrutinizing the constitutionality of the laws cited in this PIL, dismissed it in 2018. In its verdict, the Supreme Court affirmed that Parliament has the authority to enact laws concerning the provision of pensions to former MPs. The dismissal of the PIL was based on the Supreme Court’s judgment in the case of Common Cause, A Registered Society vs. Union of India.
In 2022, another PIL was filed in The Madhya Pradesh High Court, urging it to direct both the Madhya Pradesh and Central governments to grant a lifetime pension only to individuals who have served as MPs/MLAs for a minimum of five years. However, upon examination, the court dismissed this PIL, citing that the Supreme Court had already issued an unfavourable judgment on the raised issues (as seen in the 2018 Lok Prahari PIL mentioned above).
There are no recent reports of any such petition being filed regarding the salaries or pensions of politicians in recent times.
To sum up, no petitions have been filed recently regarding the pension of politicians. The Supreme Court dismissed a PIL filed in this regard in 2018.


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No, PM Modi was not waving at an empty crowd in this video - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 22, 2022
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows PM Modi waving at an empty crowd. Some social media users are sharing the video sarcastically by saying that they have never seen so much crowd in their life. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of PM Modi waving at an empty crowd.
Fact: In a better-quality version of the same video, the crowd can be seen in the background. Also, in the shared video, the audio of the crowd has been replaced to portray as if there is no crowd. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, a similar video was found to be uploaded by the ‘ANI News’ on their YouTube channel. The channel has uploaded a better-quality video in which the crowd can be seen in the background. Also, the title of the ‘ANI News’ video is – “People throng terraces near helipad to welcome PM Modi in Unnao”. The same video can be also seen on the official Twitter account of ‘BJP Uttar Pradesh’.
Also, in the published video, the audio of the crowd has been replaced to portray it as if there is no crowd. The pictures of the same place published by several news agencies show that there is a significant crowd in the video. Some of those pictures can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, PM Modi was not waving at an empty crowd in this video.

created: February 22, 2022


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Polygamy is not legal in Eritrea; this story is a hoax - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 10, 2022
A post on social media claims that every man in the African country Eritrea must marry two women. Otherwise, they will go to jail. Let’s fact-check the claims.
Claim: Men in Eritrea should marry two women, else, they will go to jail.
Fact: This is a hoax that started in 2016 by a gossip website. Back then, the Eritrean government, in response, said that the story was fabricated. Polygamy is illegal in Eritrea according to the country’s penal code. Hence the claims made in the post are FALSE.
We searched the internet with relevant keywords, that led us to a few media reports on this story from 2016. As per a report by BBC, this hoax story was first published by a Kenyan satirical column named Crazy Monday. The story went on to trend on social media for several days. Few other media reports on this story can be read here, here and here.
Response of the Eritrean Government
Responding to this in 2016, Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane G. Meskel tweeted, ‘Media frenzy to parrot this ludicrous, fabricated & trite story of the Mufti’s presumed religious decree on mandatory polygamy is appalling.’ Another Eritrean official told the BBC that ‘”Even a madman in [the Eritrean capital]Asmara would know that this story was not true.”
According to the penal code of Eritrea, Polygamy is illegal. From this evidence, we can conclude that this is an old hoax which has resurfaced now, and the claims made in the post are false.
To summarise, polygamy has not been legalised in Eritrea; this is a hoax.


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No, President Droupadi Murmu did not talk about justice to protesting wrestlers - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 7, 2023
A video featuring President Droupadi Murmu discussing the importance of ensuring justice is circulating with a claim attributing her words to the wrestler’s protest. Sharing the video, a post claims that it marks the first occasion where Droupadi Murmu openly advocates for justice for women wrestlers. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of President Droupadi Murmu, supporting protesting wrestlers.
Fact: The viral excerpt is from President Murmu’s speech during the inauguration of Jharkhand’s new High Court on 24 May 2023. On this occation, she spoke about ensuring justice to the public. She urged the government and the Chief Justice of India to ensure implementation of court orders so that people get justice in the true sense. These comments of Murmu are falsely attributed to the wrestler’s protest. However, throughout her speech, she did not address the issue of the wrestlers’ protests. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon noticing the presence of the ‘News 24’ logo in the viral video, we conducted a search on the News 24 YouTube channel and discovered the complete footage of Murmu’s speech, from which the viral excerpt was extracted.
During the inauguration of Jharkhand’s new High Court on 24 May 2023, she delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of justice for the public. However, throughout her speech, she did not address the issue of the wrestlers’ protests.
Further, multiple news agencies reported the President’s speech (here & here). According to one such report, ‘President Droupadi Murmu urged the government and the Chief Justice of India to ensure implementation of court orders so that people get justice in the true sense. Even after getting a favorable verdict, people’s happiness is sometimes short-lived, as the court orders are not implemented sometimes.’
Her speech is available on the President’s official YouTube channel, and at no point during her speech, she spoke about wrestlers’ protests. Thus, it is evident that Murmu’s comments were taken out of context and attributed to the wrestlers’ protests.
To sum it up, President Droupadi Murmu did not talk about justice to protesting wrestlers.


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No, President Putin has not announced Islam as the second State religion of Russia - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 3, 2022
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Russian President Putin has announced Islam as the second State religion of Russia. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: President Putin has announced Islam as the second State religion of Russia.
Fact: No such announcement has been made by Russian President Putin. Russia is a secular State with no State religion. Also, the posted photo is an old one. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on the internet if President Putin has announced Islam as the second State religion of Russia, no related reports were found. If he has really made such an announcement, many reputed news agencies would have reported about it. But none of the news agencies reported any such announcement by President Putin. Some of the recently reported articles by a Russian news agency on the topics – ‘Putin, Islam’ can be seen here.
In the ‘2021 Report on International Religious Freedom: Russia’, it can be read that – “the constitution stipulates the state is secular and provides for religious freedom, freedom of conscience, and freedom of religious worship, including the right to “profess, individually or jointly with others, any religion, or to profess no religion.”……It states all religious associations are equal and separate from the state.  The law acknowledges Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism as the country’s four “traditional” religions, constituting an inseparable part of the country’s historical heritage.  The law recognizes the “special role” of Russian Orthodox Christianity in the country’s “history and the formation and development of its spirituality and culture”.” Similar statements can be also found in the Russian constitution.
According to the ‘2021 Report on International Religious Freedom: Russia’, “a poll conducted in 2020 by the independent Levada Center found that 63 percent of the population identified as Orthodox Christian and 7 percent as Muslim, while 26 percent reported having no religious faith…..According to Mufti Ravil Gaynutdin, chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, there were 25 million Muslims in 2018, approximately 18 percent of the population. Immigrants and migrant workers from Central Asia, which experts estimate at six to seven million, are mostly Muslim”.
The posted photo is also an old one. The photo was taken in 2012. Some of the old articles which published the same photo can be seen here, here, and here.
To sum it up, President Putin has not announced Islam as the second State religion of Russia.


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No, President Ram Nath Kovind did not make those statements on Reservations - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 8, 2019
A Facebook post with a newspaper clip containing a news that President Ram Nath Kovind  made the following statement, ‘now there is no need for reservations’ is being shared widely. In the post, there is also an image that has a statement purportedly made by Kovind – ‘to progress, there is no necessity of reservations’. Let’s try to analyze the authenticity of the claims made in the post.
President Ram Nath Kovind has said ‘now there is no need for reservations; to progress, there is no necessity for reservations’
Fact: President Ram Nath Kovind hasn’t made those statements. No credible source was found to authenticate the claim. The newspaper clip seen in the post is a digitally created one. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A newspaper-clip with the date December 16, 2017, was used in the post. When searched for that clip, nothing was found. When googled to check if President Kovind has made the statements claimed in the post, no supporting information was found. If President Kovind had really made such statements, owing to their sensitivity, they would have been reported by major newspapers and channels in India. So, the clip posted on Facebook isn’t an authentic one, it is a digitally manufactured clip.
When the photo in the post is cropped and subjected to reverse image search technique, it was found in a YouTube video of President Kovind addressing Andhra University in Visakhapatnam on December 7, 2017. In the video, Kovind hasn’t made any statements attributed to him in the post.
During the search process, it was found that, in 2010 when Kovind was BJP’s spokesperson, he opposed the recommendation of Ranganath Misra commission that proposed to offer reservations in government jobs for the religious minorities. Ranganath Misra Commission was constituted by the Government of India in 2004 to look into various issues related to Linguistic and Religious minorities in India.
To sum it up, President Ram Nath Kovind did not make those statements on reservations.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Parliament?

created: August 8, 2019


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No, pressing cancel button twice on ATM machine will not secure your transaction - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 16, 2019
An image has been shared by a Facebook user claiming that RBI has issued an instruction regarding securing an ATM transaction. Other Facebook users are believing it to be true and sharing the post. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The archived version of the post can be found here.
Important message from RBI: “Press ‘cancel’ button twice before inserting the card. If anyone has setup the key pad to steal your PIN code, this will cancel that setup.”
No such instruction has been given by RBI. Hence the claim made in the post is
When searched for ‘RBI ATM Instructions’ on Google, a link to RBI FAQ section on ATMs can be found in the search results.  According to the information provided on that webpage, there is no specific instruction regarding pressing ‘cancel’ button twice to secure an ATM transaction. There is a precaution regarding extra device connected to ATM machines but nothing related to the claim made in the post. Also, when checked for any such instruction on RBI’s Twitter page, no instruction was found.
A similar claim was made last year in India and other countries by many users on Facebook which was debunked by many fact-checkers, like Snopes and Africa Check, across the world.
Finally, RBI did not specify any such instruction for securing an ATM transaction.


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No, Priyanka Gandhi hasn’t made those statements about Pakistan Army. False quotes are being attributed to her - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 21, 2019
A Facebook post claims that Priyanka Gandhi has said- ‘if anyone attacks Pakistan without a proper reason, then their army will destroy them’. Let’s try to verify the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Priyanka Gandhi has said- ‘if anyone attacks Pakistan without a proper reason, then their army will destroy them’.
Fact: Priyanka Gandhi hasn’t made any such comments. Information from no credible source was found to authenticate the claim. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When googled to check if Priyanka Gandhi has made such comments, no results with relevant information was found. If she had really made such statements, owing to their sensitivity, they would have been reported by all the major newspapers and channels in India. But no news agency has reported anything about Priyanka Gandhi making such statements.
Those statements attributed to her are in circulation on social media since the past 2-3 days. When one visits Priyanka Gandhi’s official Twitter account to check if she has said anything about the Pakistan army in the past 3 weeks, it was found that she hasn’t tweeted anything about it.
To conclude, Priyanka Gandhi hasn’t made those statements about Pakistan Army. False quotes are being attributed to her.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Parliament?


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No, Priyanka Gandhi was not posing in front of Modi’s poster. It’s a photoshopped image - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 20, 2019
A post with an image of Priyanka Gandhi in front of PM Modi’s poster is being shared on Facebook by many users. Let’s try to check the authenticity of the image in the post.
Priyanka poses with the victory symbol in front of the Modi’s poster.
Fact: The image has been photoshopped. Priyanka’s head has been placed over some other woman’s head. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When Priyanka’s face in the image is cropped and ran through Google Reverse Image Search, a Huffing Post article with the same image is found in the search results. The face of Priyanka has been taken from the image in the article and was placed on someone else in the posted photo. The identity of the person and the source of the original photo was not found on the internet. So, the photo posted on Facebook is photoshopped.
To sum it up, Priyanka Gandhi was not posing in front of Modi’s poster. It’s a photoshopped image.
Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


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No pro-Pakistan slogans were raised by Samajwadi Party workers in this Video - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 7, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of Samajwadi Party workers chanting pro-Pakistan slogans during a rally in Bithoor town in Uttar Pradesh. This post claims that SP supporters in a rally chanted, “Cycle ka button dabana he, Pakistan Banana he” (when translated to English: press the button on cycle to make Pakistan). BJP leader Y. Satya Kumar made a similar claim on Twitter by sharing the link of the ‘Nava Bharat Times’ video. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Samajwadi workers chanting pro-Pakistan slogans during a rally in Bithoor, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The Samajwadi Party Bithoor Constituency leader Munindra Shukla shared a clearer version of the rally video on his Facebook page and clarified that a false narrative is being spread about it.  The Assistant Returning officer (ARO) of the Bithoor constituency released a video clarifying that slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ were not raised during the SP leader Munindra Shukla’s rally in Bithoor. ‘Nava Bharat Times’ deleted their tweet and published an article clarifying that the news report on Samajwadi Party workers chanting Pakistan Slogans was turned out to be false. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The ‘Nava Bharat Times’ tweeted (now deleted) this video reporting it as the visuals from Samajwadi Party leader Munindra Shukla’s rally in Tikra village in Bithoor constituency. When we searched for more sources of this video using relevant keywords, a clearer version of this video was found posted on the Facebook page of Samajwadi Party Bithoor Constituency leader Munindra Shukla. In the original video, Samajwadi workers made the following slogans – “mohar maaro taan ke, cycle ko pehchan ke, maati chor bhagana hai”. SP leader Munindra Shukla released a video clarifying that a video of his rally was circulating on social media with misleading information. Sharing the video, Munindra Shukla appealed to people not to fall prey to misleading posts on social media.
Regarding the viral video, SP leader Munindra Shukla filed a complaint at the Bithoor police station. In the complaint, Munindra Shukla accused opposition parties of spreading misinformation against him and his political rallies. Bithoor constituency Assistant Returning officer (ARO) released a video clarifying that slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ were not raised during the SP leader Munindra Shukla’s rally in Bithoor.
कानपुर प्रशासन ने अपनी जांच में पाया –
'बिठूर विधानसभा के सपा प्रत्याशी मुनींद्र शुक्ला की रैली के दौरान 'पाकिस्तान जिंदाबाद' के नारे नहीं लगाए गए #UPElections2022 #Kanpur pic.twitter.com/uujv6GwkaW
The ‘Nava Bharat Times’ published an article clarifying that the news report on Samajwadi Party workers chanting Pakistan Slogans turned out to be false. According to the news reports, the Kanpur district Flying Squad Team (FST) investigated the viral video and confirmed that no slogans in favour of Pakistan were raised during the Samajwadi Party rally in Bithoor.
To sum it up, no pro-Pakistan slogans were raised by Samajwadi Party workers in this video.

created: February 7, 2022


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No more Public Funds to propagate the Symbol of the Party in Power
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 10, 2016
Following the directions of Delhi High Court, the ECI has now directed all the political parties not to use public funds or public place to carry out any activity that would amount to propagating the party symbol
Following the directions of Delhi High Court in a Writ Petition concerning the BSP, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has now issued directions that no political party shall  either use or allow the use of any public funds or public place or government machinery for carrying out any activity that would amount to advertisement for the party or propagating the election symbol allotted to the Party.
The Background
In 2009, the ECI received three petitions raising the issue that statues of ‘Elephant’ (reserved symbol of BSP) and ‘Ms. Mayawati’ (President of that party and the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh) have been installed in various places, including public parks, in Uttar Pradesh at Government expense. All the three petitions prayed for freezing of the party symbol ‘Elephant’. One of the petitioners also approached the Supreme Court in 2010 asking for directions to not open the statues and not spend public money on the glorification of a party’s symbol.
The Supreme Court asked the ECI to take an appropriate decision on the earlier petitions. The BSP on its part responded by saying that the statues of ‘Elephant’ being installed are not an exact replica of the party symbol and that the party symbol has an elephant with trunk lowered while the statues are of an elephant with its trunk raised in a welcome pose. BSP also mentioned that such elephant statues are found in many public places, temples etc. BSP also added that the Indian National Congress (INC) had named many programs, projects and public places after its leaders. The BSP’s written statement also added that earlier governments of INC and BJP had also built such statues.
The BSP also reminded that the jurisdiction of the ECI is to superintend, direct and control elections during the elections only and that the ECI has nothing to do with the day to day functioning of the government in a state during non-election period.
After hearing both the sides, the ECI said that the petitioners have not pointed out any violation of any direction or instruction of the ECI within the meaning of para 16A of the Symbols Order by BSP. Hence the question of freezing the symbol does not arise. While the ECI did not find any violation of the Model Code of Conduct by the installation of statues, it did mention that such activities vitiate the level playing field and are a violation in spirit if not in letter. The ECI also mentioned that it would take appropriate steps and measures at the time of elections to see that the statutes of Ms. Mayawati and BSP’s symbol ‘elephant’ do not disturb the level playing field and give undue advantage to BSP vis-à-vis other political parties.
The Delhi High Court Order
The Delhi High Court while disposing a writ petition on this issue directed that the ECI should detect the lacunae and issue relevant directions so that no political party in power exploit such rules in future. The HC in its order said that “A political party in power cannot use development activities carried out by it and which the government in any case is expected to perform, to propagate its symbol or its leaders so as to come in the way of a free and fair election. The performance of a political party in governance should be allowed to speak for itself”
The court directed the ECI to issue appropriate guidelines to prevent ‘recognised political party in power from using public places and public funds for propagating its reserve symbol and / or its leaders, so as to come in the way of conducting of free, fair and peaceful election and to safeguard the interest of the general public and the electorate in future’
Following these directions from the Delhi High Court, the ECI sought the views of the recognized parties on the issue. The parties supported the idea of having guidelines. The ECI directed that no political party will use any public funds or public place to propagate the election symbol of the party. It also mentioned that any such violation would be treated as a violation of the directions of the ECI and that appropriate action would be initiated.
Featured Image: www.dailymail.co.uk

created: October 10, 2016


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No, Putin did not respond to the suspension of the Russian football team as claimed in this post - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 8, 2022
In light of FIFA and UEFA expelling Russia from all international competitions, a social media post quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying that ‘Russia will be part of the World Cup or there will be no World Cup’ is going viral across social media platforms. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: ‘Either Russia will be at the World cup 2022 or there will be no World cup’ – Vladimir Putin.
Fact: Earlier, FIFA & UEFA suspended Russian football teams from all international competitions. Responding to the suspension, Russian Football Association has announced that they will appeal the suspension with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).  However, there are no reports of President Putin responding to the suspension. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Following the military action of Russia on Ukraine, earlier on 28 February 2022, FIFA & UEFA (Union of European Football Association) announced that they are suspending Russian football teams (both national representative teams and club teams) from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions.
FIFA/UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions
▶ https://t.co/Q2htzW3W9z pic.twitter.com/LFo1bUtqmm
Responding to this, the Russian Football Association has announced that they will appeal the suspension of Russian teams in international competitions imposed by the FIFA & UEFA with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Multiple news articles have also reported the Russian response, news articles can be read here and here. The press release of the Russian Football Union (RFU) in this regard, shared by a journalist can be viewed here.
However, there are no reports of Putin responding to the suspension of Russian football teams. If indeed Putin had spoken about the suspension as claimed in the post, the media would have reported it, however, we could not find any such reports.
To sum it up, Putin did not respond to the suspension of the Russian football team as claimed in this post.


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No, PVR is not charging higher amount for the seat adjacent to the reserved Hanuman seat for the movie Adipurush - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 14, 2023
The movie Adipurush is scheduled to release this week, and the film’s team has recently declared that a seat will be reserved for Lord Hanuman in every theater. In this context, a piece of news is going viral on social media platforms stating that the seat adjacent to the reserved Hanuman seat would be priced at Rs. 500. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: The seat next to the reserved Hanuman seat at the Adipurush movie would be priced at Rs. 500.
Fact: T-Series, the production company of Adipurush movie clarified that there would be no variation in rates for seats adjacent to the one specifically reserved for Lord Hanuman. Additionally, PVR did not categorize the seat adjacent to the reserved seat with different prices. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Adipurush, an adaptation of Ramayana is all set to release on 16 June 2023. Earlier the movie production group had decided to reserve one seat in every theatre screening the movie in honour of Lord Hanuman.
It is in this context reports suggesting that the cost of the reserved seat would be higher than regular seats came into light. Box office World, a portal related to movie updates mentioned in a tweet that the seat next to Lord Hanuman seat would cost Rs. 500 in PVR cinemas.
PVR ticket rates for #Adipurush
NORMAL SEAT : 250
TICKETS NEXT TO HANUMAN SEAT : 500
[Shared]
However, T-Series, the production company behind the movie, responded on Twitter to deny these allegations. Through a tweet, T-Series clarified that the information circulating in the media about the ticket pricing for ‘Adipurush’ was misleading. They affirmed that there would be no variation in rates for seats adjacent to the one specifically reserved for Lord Hanuman.
#FraudAlert 🚨
There are misleading reports circulating in the media regarding #Adipurush ticket pricing. We want to clarify that there will be no differences in rates for seats next to the one reserved for Hanuman Ji! Don't fall for false information!
Jai Shri Ram! 🙏🏹
Additionally, PVR has opened pre-bookings of tickets for the movie in a few cities. However, there is no categorization of seats adjacent to the reserved Hanuman seat on the ticketing portal of PVR. This suggests that PVR is not applying different pricing for the seats adjacent to the reserved seat. For that matter, there are no reports of any cinema chains, pricing the seats in question differently.
To sum it up, PVR is not charging higher amount for the seat adjacent to the reserved Lord Hanuman seat for the movie Adipurush.


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No question was asked about the loan waiver scheme of Madhya Pradesh in Kaun Banega Crorepati. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 20, 2023
An alleged video clip from the TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) has gone viral on social media in which a question about the loan waiver scheme of the Madhya Pradesh government was asked as the seventh question for 40,000 rupees. The question in Hindi translates to “What is the total number of farmers that benefited from the loan waiver provided by the government of Kamal Nath that was formed in Madhya Pradesh in 2018.” The contestant gave a correct answer, which is 27 Lakhs, after which the host of KBC, Amitabh Bachchan, can be seen saying that the Kamal Nath’s government in MP waived loans of 27 lakh farmers when they were in power for 15 months but Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s government stopped this scheme after they came to power.
Claim: A question about the Madhya Pradesh loan waiver scheme was posed on KBC.
Fact: The original episode’s question was unrelated to the loan waiver scheme. The viral video is an edited one. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To investigate the authenticity of the viral claim, we conducted an internet search using relevant keywords, including the contestant’s name mentioned in the video, Rahul Kumar. This led us to the full episode on the official YouTube channel of Sony Entertainment Television (SET India). Contrary to what is shown in the viral clip, the original episode’s seventh question was about the geography of Karnataka and Gujarat.
It became evident that the viral video had been manipulated. The original episode was tampered with by overlaying a dubbed audio of Amitabh Bachchan asking a question about loan waivers by different governments (Congress’s Kamal Nath and BJP’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan). The question graphic was also altered to align with the fabricated narrative.
Sony Entertainment Television addressed the issue in a statement on 17 November 2023 on Facebook, confirming that the videos circulating on social media are misleading. The statement clarified that these videos “overlay fabricated voiceovers of the host and contestants, presenting a distorted version of the original content.”
To sum up, the viral claim about a question regarding the Madhya Pradesh loan waiver scheme on Kaun Banega Crorepati is false. The original episode’s content was manipulated.

created: November 20, 2023


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No, Raghuram Rajan did not make comments criticizing Modi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 19, 2023
A social media post claiming that former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has made some sharp comments critical of Prime Minister Modi is being widely circulated across social media platforms. In the post, Rajan asserts that Modi has set India back by 40 years during his four-year tenure and accuses him of being casteist.  Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Modi has set India back by 40 years during his four-year tenure – Raghuram Rajan
Fact: While there are instances of Raghuram Rajan making critical observations on Modi government’s economic policies, there are no reports however, attributing the viral comments to Raghuram Rajan. These fabricated comments are falsely arrtibted to Rajan. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the viral post, supposedly aimed at criticizing Modi, Raghuram Rajan, the former RBI Governor, is said to have highlighted the numerous accomplishments made by the country over the last 70 years under previous administrations.
Although there have been numerous occasions where Raghuram Rajan has criticized the Modi government’s economic policies, there are no documented reports of Rajan making these particular remarks, highlighted in the viral post, specifically targeting Modi.
Back in 2019, Raghuram Rajan voiced his criticism of the Modi government for its centralized decision-making and planning. More recently, Rajan has expressed his disapproval of the Modi government’s Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing, specifically highlighting concerns regarding mobile manufacturing. These viewpoints were shared by Rajan through research notes published on LinkedIn.
Nevertheless, we could not find reports attributing the viral comments shared in the post to Raghuram Rajan suggesting that the viral post is fabricated and being falsely attributed to Raghuram Rajan.
To sum it up, no, Raghuram Rajan did not make comments criticizing Modi.


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No, Raghuram Rajan had not been appointed as the Governor of Bank of England - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 9, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Raghuram Rajan had been appointed as the governor of Bank of England. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Raghuram Rajan is appointed as the Governor of Bank of England.
Fact: Andrew Bailey is the present Governor, Bank of England. He was announced as the Governor of the Bank of England on 20 December 2019, and he began his term on 16 March 2020. When there were reports that Raghuram Rajan was in the race to become Governor of the Bank of England, he reportedly denied this in an interview to the BBC. Raghuram Rajan said that he did not apply to become the Governor, Bank of England, as he felt that central banking had become more political in the recent times. Raghuram Rajan was the 23 Governor of the Reserve Bank of India between September 2013 and September 2016. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Andrew Bailey is the present Governor, Bank of England. He was announced as the Governor of the Bank of England on 20 December 2019, and he began his term on 16 March 2020.
Raghuram Rajan’s name is not seen in the list of past governors of the Bank of England which is given on the website of Bank of England.
When there were reports in 2019 that Raghuram Rajan was in the race to become Governor of the Bank of England, he reportedly denied this in an interview to the BBC. Raghuram Rajan said that he did not apply to become the Governor, Bank of England, as he felt that central banking had become more political in the recent times. Raghuram Rajan was the 23 Governor of the Reserve Bank of India between September 2013 and September 2016. He once served as Chief Economist of International Monetary Fund and presently teaches at the Chicago Booth School of Business.
To sum it up, Raghuram Rajan had not been appointed as the Governor of Bank of England.


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No, Rahul Gandhi wasn’t having his lunch with Imran Khan. It’s a photoshopped image - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 6, 2019
An image is being shared on Facebook by some users claiming that Rahul Gandhi was dining with Imran Khan (Prime Minister of Pakistan). Let’s try to check the authenticity of the image posted.
Rahul Gandhi was seen eating with Imran Khan on the same dining table.
Fact: It is a photoshopped image. In the original picture, Imran Khan’s wife can be seen sitting beside him on the dining table. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the image posted on Facebook is cropped (keeping only Imran Khan) and ran through Yandex Reverse Image search, the original picture can be found in the search results. In the original picture, beside Imran Khan, his wife Reham Khan can be seen. This photo is edited to misguide people.
When googled for Rahul’s photo that has been cropped and put alongside Imran Khan, it was found in “The Hindu” article. The photo was taken when Rahul Gandhi was having his food along with Karnataka’s the then CM Siddaramaiah at Indira Canteen in Jayanagar, Bengaluru in the year 2017.
Earlier, a similar claim of Modi eating with Imran Khan on the same dining table was shared on Facebook. Factly has debunked it and the article can be found here.
To sum it up, Rahul Gandhi was not having lunch with Imran Khan. It’s a photoshopped image.


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No, Ratan Tata did not comment on Modi’s rising popularity after the Pulwama attack - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 22, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook by some users claiming that Ratan Tata has commented on the increase in Modi’s popularity in the country after the Pulwama attack. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The archived version of the post can be found here.
Ratan Tata: “In a country, if Prime Minister’s popularity increases due to the death of 65 soldiers, then nobody can save that country from getting destroyed”
The tweet attributed to Ratan Tata is from a fake Twitter handle. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When checked for the tweet on Ratan Tata’s official Twitter handle, it is found that no such tweet was made from his handle. Also, if looked closely, it can be found that official Ratan Tata Twitter handle user name is ‘@RNTata2000’ whereas the username in the post is ‘@Rntata200’. When searched for the ‘@Rntata200’ account, nothing was found on Twitter with such name. So, it can be concluded that the tweet is from a fake account and the blue tick might have been photoshopped.
Finally, the tweet in the post is from a fake twitter handle.


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No, Ratan Tata hasn’t announced that Tata Group will not recruit JNU students - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 25, 2020
A piece of news claiming that Ratan Tata has announced Tata Group of companies will not recruit any of the JNU students from now is going viral on social media. Let’s check the authenticity of that news.
Ratan Tata has announced that Tata Group of companies will not recruit any of the JNU students from now.
Fact: Ratan Tata did not make any such announcement regarding the recruitment of JNU students by the Tata Group. It is fake news. So, the claim is FALSE.
When searched if Ratan Tata has made any such announcements, no corroborating information was found. It is quite unlikely that such an announcement would have gone unnoticed by the media. When searched on the Tata Group’s website, no information was found about Ratan Tata’s decision to stop hiring the JNU students.
During the search process, a 2016 article of ‘Economics Times’ was found in the results. In the article, it can be read that, in 2016, when similar news has got circulated in the wake of the arrest of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of sedition, the Tata Group has clarified through a tweet that Mr. Tata hasn’t made any such statement. When searched on the Twitter account of ‘Tata Group’, the tweet was found and it can be seen here. So, the same news has now resurfaced in the wake of recent violence at JNU.
To conclude, Ratan Tata hasn’t announced that the Tata Group of companies will not recruit JNU students.
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created: February 25, 2020


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No, Ratan Tata hasn’t made any statement comparing his or Tata Group’s wealth with that of Mukesh Ambani - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 12, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming that the former chairman of Tata Group, Ratan Tata while responding to a reporter’s question, explained why he hasn’t become as rich as the Reliance Group Chairman, Mukesh Ambani. This video shows the visuals of a couple of Ratan Tata’s interviews. The post claims that Ratan Tata described himself as an industrialist rather than a businessman like Mukesh Ambani. Also, this post claims that Ratan Tata in these interviews expressed his desire to see India as a happy nation rather than an economic superpower. Let’s verify the claims made in the post.
Claim: Ratan Tata’s response on why he hasn’t become as rich as Mukesh Ambani.
Fact: In both these interviews, Ratan Tata hasn’t made any statement comparing the Tata Group’s wealth with that of the Reliance Group Chairman, Mukesh Ambani. Ratan Tata is an industrialist who served in different positions for both the Tata Group and Tata Sons. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, we found full versions of these interviews on ‘CNBC-TV18’ and ‘Stanford Graduate School of Business’ YouTube channels. They can be seen here and here. When we searched to check whether Ratan Tata has made any such statements in these interviews, we found that he has not made any such statement comparing his or Tata Group’s wealth with that of Reliance Group Chairman, Mukesh Ambani. In both these interviews, Ratan Tata explained the ideology of the TATA Group in serving customer needs and improving the qualities of the communities they serve globally. While responding to a question in the ‘CNBC-TV18’ interview, Ratan Tata explained the choices that the Tata family could have made to become tremendously wealthy rather than setting up institutions for the country.
In 2011, ‘The Times’ news website in London has published an article alleging that Ratan Tata had made a controversial statement on Mukesh Ambani’s opulent lifestyle. But Ratan Tata had immediately clarified that the statements published by ‘The Times’ news website are misinterpreted. The statement, “I do not want India to be an economic superpower. I want India to be a happy country.”, was made by J.R.D Tata, not Ratan Tata.
Tata Group is a conglomerate with many companies under its fold such as Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals Limited, and others. The stock information of these companies can be seen here. ‘Tata Sons’ is the principal investment holding company and promoter of Tata group of companies. 66% of the equity share capital of Tata Sons is held by philanthropic trusts, which support education, health, livelihood generation, and art and culture. Ratan Tata is an industrialist who served in various positions in the Tata group of companies. But Ratan Tata does not own the Tata Group.
To sum it up, Ratan Tata hasn’t compared his or Tata Group’s wealth with that of Reliance Group Chairman Mukesh Ambani.


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No, Ratan Tata hasn’t said that human motivation and determined efforts will make experts’ predictions go wrong regarding the Indian economy - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 10, 2020
A message with a few lines purportedly written by Ratan Tata is being shared on social media and the crux of the message is that experts predictions will go wrong regarding the downfall of the Indian Economy, due to COVID-19, as history shows that human motivation and determined efforts have made many such experts’ predictions go wrong. In the message, he is confident that India will defeat COVID-19 and bounce back in a great manner. ‘FACTLY’ hasn’t found any information which suggested that the lines in the message were written by Ratan Tata. And, when ‘News Sense’ contacted Mr. Debasis Ray (Tata Trust – Corporate Communication), they were told that Ratan Tata hadn’t penned any such post or article.
Update (April 11, 2020):Ratan Tata through his official twitter account has confirmed that the viral message on WhatsApp and social media platforms is neither been said, nor written by him.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact – https://newssense.in/2020/04/10/fact-check-ratan-tata-has-not-wrote-well-overcome-financial-crisis-after-the-pandemic/
https://twitter.com/RNTata2000/status/1248850442030907398
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No, RBI hasn’t approved 5-day work week for banks. It’s a fake news - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 19, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post which alleges that banks will remain closed on every Saturday from 1st June as RBI has approved 5 day work week for banks. Let’s try to analyze the veracity of the news posted.
RBI has approved 5-day work week for banks from 1st June.
Fact: The last press release from RBI regarding bank holidays is on August 28, 2015. As per that press release, all scheduled and non-scheduled banks – public, private, foreign, cooperative, regional rural and local area banks – will observe a public holiday on second and fourth Saturdays from September 01, 2015. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
When searched for any information from RBI regarding the changes in bank working days, it is found that news regarding 5-day work week for banks has been doing rounds since 2017. On visiting RBI’s website, the last press release from it regarding the bank holidays is on August 28, 2015. As per that release, all the banks will observe a public holiday on second and fourth Saturdays from September 01, 2015.  Since then, there is no change in the bank timetable as alleged in the post.
Also, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in a press release has clarified that no such instructions have been issued with regards to a 5-day work week.
Hence, the news regarding RBI approving 5-day work week for banks from 1st June is fake.


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No, RBI is not taking back all the Rs. 2000 notes - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 17, 2019
Update (22 May 2023): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 19 May 2023 has announced withdrawal of Rs 2000 notes from circulation. Details related to these have been announced. It also said that 2000 rupee notes can be exchanged before 30 September 2023.
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is taking backing all Rs. 2000 notes and will release new Rs.1000 notes on 01 January 2020. Also, the post asks people to exchange Rs. 2000 notes immediately as there is a limit of Rs. 50,000. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
RBI is releasing new Rs.1000 notes and taking back all the Rs. 2000 notes.
Fact: RBI has not announced any such measures. Also, the new Rs. 1000 rupee note photos in the post are just an ‘artistic imagination’ and were shared before as well. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for recent announcements made by RBI, it was found that the RBI has not made any such announcement on its website. While it is true that the RBI has reduced the printing of Rs. 2000 notes in the last two years, they have not made any announcement about taking back all the Rs. 2000 notes in circulation and that they will be releasing new Rs. 1000 notes.
It is also being claimed that Rs. 2000 notes will not come from SBI ATMs and the cassette (box) which holds 2000 notes in ATM machines are being removed. FACTLY spoke to a SBI official and he replied, on the condition of anonymity, that the SBI did not take any such decision and the ATM machines were being filled with Rs. 2000 notes as usual. Also when we tried for Rs. 2000 notes at an SBI ATM in Hyderabad, FACTLY was able to get Rs. 2000 notes from an ATM of SBI.
In the post, there are two photos of Rs. 1000 note. On observing the photo with Gandhi’s picture, the text ‘Year 2017’ and ‘Artistic Imagination’ can be found. Also, the note has Gandhi’s signature on it, whereas the other new currency notes have the RBI Governor’s signature. So, an old artistic design is being shared as the new design of Rs. 1000 note.
To sum it up, RBI has not made any announcement about taking back the Rs. 2000 notes. Also, there is no official announcement on the new Rs.1000 note.
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created: October 17, 2019


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No, Remdesivir cannot be purchased directly from the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras at ₹899 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 15, 2021
A post claiming that Remdesivir can be purchased directly via Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra at ₹ 899 as against ₹ 4000 charged by medical shops is being shared on social media platforms. Let us verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Remdesivir Injection can be purchased directly from Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra for ₹899 as against ₹4000 charged by medical shops.
Fact: Remdesivir cannot be purchased directly from Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra. This anti-viral drug is not part of the list of generic medicines given on the Jan Aushadhi government website. The claim that Remdesivir can be purchased at ₹899 is also misleading, as only one Indian manufacturer (out of seven) has slashed its price earlier in March. Hence the claim is MISLEADING.
If one goes through the list of generic medicines given on PM Jan Aushadhi Website, it is clear that Remdesivir is not part of this list.  Further, the news agency ANI quoted Dr. VK Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog, who said that Remdesivir should not be procured from chemist shops.
There is no question of use of Remdesivir in home setting. This is required for those individuals who require hospitalisation & are on oxygen. Not to be procured from chemist shops. We appeal that there should be rational use of Remdesivir: Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog pic.twitter.com/GnzHWsV8EZ
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has also urged doctors to administer Remdesivir only to hospitalized patients low on oxygen. The newspaper reports of which can be seen here, here.
What is a Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra?
The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras are generic drug stores set up across the country under the scheme by the same name. They provide generic drugs, available at lower prices but equivalent in quality & efficacy as expensive branded drugs. These Janaushadhi Kendras have been setup under the scheme Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana, launched in the year 2008.
A list of all the generic drugs available in these kendras is can be found online. Remdesivir is not part of the list of drugs available in these stores. Further, the list of these stores across the country is available here.
Claim that Remdesivir costs ₹899 is also Misleading.
Another claim that was made regarding cost of Remdesivir injection is also misleading. There are a total of seven Indian pharmaceutical companies that manufacture Remdesivir. Their combined production capacity is 3.9 million vials a month. Recently, in the month of March, Zydus Cadila – one of the manufacturers – slashed the price for a 100mg vial from ₹ 2800 to ₹ 899. Hence, the claim that Remdesivir is simply available at a price of ₹ 899 is misleading. Only Zydus Cadila had reduced the price, not the other manufacturers of Remdesivir. An article by the Mint talks about the situation of Remdesivir in the country including the details of manufacturers and prices of various brands.
To sum it up, Remdesivir cannot be directly purchased from the Jan Aushadhi Kendras as it is not available in these stores. Further, the cost of a Remdesivir injection need not be ₹ 899, because the cost depends on the manufacturer. Only Zydus Cadila had slashed its price to ₹899 earlier in the month of March.


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No reports indicating Maldives ministers seeking financial assistance from India on X (Twitter); the viral post is from a fictional character's X account - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 20, 2024
In the context of diplomatic tensions between India and Maldives, a post is being circulated, sharing tweets from Hassan Kurusee’s X (Twitter) account, claiming that Maldives ministers who criticized India are now seeking assistance as the nation faces bankruptcy. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim:  A tweet from the X handle named Hassan Kurusee indicates that Maldives ministers who insulted India are currently seeking India’s assistance due to the country’s economic situation.
Fact: The bio of Hassan Kurusee’s X handle states that the individual is a fictional character and does not represent any specific person. The News reports by Maldivian media reported that the Criminal Court had ordered the identification of ‘Hassan Kurusee’, a Twitter account known for anti-government tweets. On the other hand, Media reports indicate that while Maldives is burdened with debt, it has not yet reached the point of bankruptcy. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On conducting a relevant keyword search related to the claim made in the post, we discovered that the bio of the X handle identified as Hassan Kurusee states, “I am a fictional character residing in the hearts of people. I do not represent any specific individual. Instead, I embody an ideology. My belief lies in values, not in a person.” We found the tweet shared in the viral post with the details of the transfer of funds on this X account. In other words, the X post seeking funds from India is from an account that identified itself as a fictional character and not from any minister of the Maldives.
Subsequent research led us to news reports published by Maldivian Media (here, here, and here) sharing the screenshot of the bio of Hassan Kurusee’s X page. The reports stated that the Criminal Court had ordered the identification of ‘Hassan Kurusee’, a Twitter account known for anti-government tweets alleging corruption. The order follows a police petition, and authorities are pursuing the matter with Twitter. Former president Mohamed Nasheed, previously speculated to be Kurusee, denied any affiliation and filed a complaint citing harm from the anonymous account. The account was suspended later as per the reports (here and here).
Further, Media reports indicate that while Maldives is burdened with debt, it has not yet reached the point of bankruptcy (here and here).
To sum up, there are no reports of Maldives ministers seeking financial assistance from India; the viral post is from a fictional character’s X account.

created: February 20, 2024


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Videos do not show migration from Pirana village; Viral claims are an exaggeration of ongoing protests - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 2, 2022
A news report claiming that RSS has encroached on the Pirana Dargah and trying to convert the Dargah into a Temple is being widely circulated across social media platforms. The report further alleges that people belonging to the RSS threatened the local Muslims which led to their exodus from the village. Another social post shared videos, which appear to be of protests claiming that Muslim families of Pirana village are migrating in fear of attack by RSS men. Let’s fact-check the veracity of the claim made in these posts.
Claim: RSS men encroached the Pirana Dargah and converted it to a Temple; Muslim families of Pirana village migrated in fear of an attack by RSS men.
Fact: Villagers of Pirana, mostly Saiyed Muslims have been protesting over the construction of a wall replacing the wired fence separating the shrine from Mosque and graveyard. This incident is misconstrued as RSS men encroaching the Pirana Dargah and converting it into a Temple. Moreover, visuals of the protesting Muslim families marching towards the Collectorate and their detention by police are being falsely shared as Muslim exodus from the village fearing the RSS. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Pir Imam Shah Bawa Dargah which is also known as Pirana Dargah in Ahmedabad is a Sufi shrine, which attracts devotees from Hindus, Muslims, and other religions as well. The shrine is managed by the Imam Shah Bawa Sanstha Trust. The majority of the trust members are Satpanthis, who are mostly Hindu followers, while three members of the committee are Saiyed Muslims, the descendants of Imam Shah Bawa, after whom the Dargah is named.
RSS men encroached the Pirana Dargah and converted it to a Temple?
The shrine has been in the news recently following the construction of a wall replacing a wired fence that separates the shrine from the Mosque and the graveyard on the premises by the Imam Shah Bawa Sanstha Trust, which is the custodian of the shrine.
According to the news reports, the trust has constructed the wall following the committee’s resolution passed by majority approval. In addition to the committee’s resolution, the trust has also obtained the district collector’s permission in this regard.
This incident of construction of a wall replacing a wired fence in Pirana Dargah is misconstrued as RSS men encroaching the Pirana Dargah and converting it into a Temple. The ongoing protests are related to the recent construction of a wall and there are no reports of RSS encroaching the shrine.
In this context, it is noteworthy to mention that there are reports dating back to 2004, alleging that the Hindu sect namely the Satpanthis has been trying to take control of the shrine over the years.
Muslim families of Pirana village migrated in fear of an attack by RSS men?
Following the recent developments, villagers, mostly the Saiyed Muslims have been protesting the construction of the wall alleging that construction of the wall would change the nature of the shrine by cutting off the access to the Dargah from the Mosque & graveyard.
Protests were made in front of the shrine, the protesters also marched towards the Collectorate to complain and they were later detained by the police. The videos shared in one of the viral posts show these protests and police detention of the protesters, as the Pirana Dargah is clearly visible in the videos. Other visuals of the protests in Pirana can be viewed on the Facebook page of the Dargah. News reports related to these protests can be read here and here.
These visuals of Muslims marching toward the Collectorate are misconstrued as Muslims migrating from Pirana and have been shared on social media alleging the same. However, a couple of news reports (here & here) quoted locals saying few Muslims have migrated from the village following the recent developments. There are no other official reports or news reports of mass Muslim exodus from Pirana as claimed in one of the viral posts.
Recently, a Muslim man named Nasir Sheik shared a video of people marching in a large group with a claim that the visuals show Muslim exodus in Pirana village following the attack of 200-300 RSS men. Following this video, many social media users shared videos of Muslims protesting as Muslims migrating from Pirana village.
However, Nasir Sheik later shared another video, wherein he clarified that the earlier video he shared is actually of Muslim protesters of Pirana village marching towards the Collectorate in order to complain about the construction of the wall. He further clarifies that the video does not show any Muslim exodus in Pirana as claimed he claimed earlier.
1/3 अहमदाबाद के पिराना से मुस्लिमो के पलायन का विडिओ रिकॉर्ड करने वाले नासिर ने आज एक दूसरा विडिओ जारी करके बताया की उसने विडिओ में जिन लोगों को हिजरत करते हुए दिखाया दरअसल वो लोग कलेक्टर ऑफिस आवेदन पत्र देने जा रहे थे..एक ट्रस्ट के विवाद को उसने कौमी रंग दे दिया ये है आज का बयान pic.twitter.com/5AAwm5uOLy
From the above, the instances of villagers protesting over the construction of a wall replacing a wired fence in Pirana Dargah are misconstrued as RSS men encroaching the Pirana Dargah and converting it into a Temple. The news is being shared on social media platforms in a provocative manner which could flare up the communal tensions.
To sum it up, the videos do not show Muslim migration from Pirana village; Viral claims are exaggeration of ongoing protests.

created: February 2, 2022


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Republic TV did not publish any exit poll related to the first phase of the 2024 General Elections - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 25, 2024
The first phase of the ongoing general elections concluded on 19 April 2024, with the second phase scheduled for 26 April 2024. In this context, a purported exit poll related to the first phase, attributed to Republic TV, is circulating widely. This poll indicates Congress is in a leading position in the first phase. This article aims to verify the credibility of the poll.
Claim: Republic TV exit poll pertaining to the first phase of the 2024 general elections.
Fact: In accordance with the existing legal provisions, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has prohibited the dissemination of the exit poll results from 7 am on 19 April 2024, until 6:30 pm on 01 June 2024. It is highly improbable that any news agency would release an exit poll in violation of the law. The supposed exit poll attributed to Republic TV appears to be fabricated, as we found no reports supporting its existence. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Firstly, according to the current legal provisions, the exclusive authority to mandate the release or ban on exit poll rests with the Election Commission of India (ECI). Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 grants this authority to the ECI. The section stipulates that “No person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or publicize by means of print or electronic media or disseminate in any other manner whatsoever, the result of any exit poll during such period as may be notified by the Election Commission in this regard.”
In accordance with the aforementioned legal provision, the ECI has banned the publication of exit poll results until about half an hour after the polls close for the last phase in all states. A notice from the ECI dated 16 March 2024, explicitly states that “Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, prohibits the conduct of an exit poll and the dissemination of its results through print or electronic media during the period specified, i.e., from the hour fixed for the commencement of polling in the first phase to half an hour after the closing time of polls for the last phase in all the states. Any violation of Section 126A of the R.P. Act, 1951 is subject to imprisonment for up to two years, a fine, or both.”
Given these legal provisions, it is highly improbable that any news agency would release an exit poll in violation of the law. Additionally, the supposed exit poll attributed to Republic TV appears to be fabricated, as we found no reports supporting its existence. Moreover, according to the reports, the ECI has prohibited the release of exit polls from 7 am on 19 April 2024, until 6:30 pm on 01 June 2024.
To sum up, Republic TV did not publish any exit poll related to the first phase of the general elections 2024.


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No, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not call Pakistan just a cemetery for Pakistan citizens - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 6, 2022
A quote attributing it to Russian President Vladimir Putin is being widely shared on social media claiming that he recently described Pakistan as land just used as a cemetery for Pakistanis. This alleged statement from Vladimir Putin talks about how rich citizens in Pakistan utilise their land only for cemetery purposes. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Russian President Vladimir Putin called Pakistan a land just used as a cemetery for Pakistanis.
Fact: Vladimir Putin did not make any such statement about Pakistan. When a similar quote with the text, “Africa is just a cemetery of Africans”, was attributed to Putin in 2018, the Ministry of Ghana through a Facebook post clarified that the message was fake. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether Russian President Vladimir Putin had made any such statement on Pakistan, we could not find any such on-record or official statement from Vladimir Putin. If Vladimir Putin had made such a statement, several Pakistani news websites would have published articles reporting that information. But we could not find a single news report about this alleged statement. This fake statement of Putin is circulating on social media from at least 2018.
In 2018, a Facebook page named ‘Al Jazeera West Africa’ had posted another version of the same quote attributing to Putin. The text in this other version quote reads, “Africa is just a cemetery of Africans”.
When this version of the quote with Africa went viral on social media, the Ministry of Information – Ghana issued a clarification confirming that the Facebook page with the name ‘Al Jazeera West Africa’ is a fake one. Several African fact-checking websites published articles reporting this information.
To sum it up, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not call Pakistan just a cemetery for Pakistan citizens.


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No, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince hasn’t threatened to convert all the Hindus in his country to Muslims - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 27, 2019
On Facebook, a post is being shared alleging that Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has threatened that if Muslims in India are forced to say ‘Jai Sri Ram’, then he would convert all the Hindus in his country to Muslims and also cancel their visas. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has threatened that if Muslims in India are forced to say ‘Jai Sri Ram’, then he would convert all the Hindus in his country to Muslims and also cancel their visas.
Fact: Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Salman hasn’t made any such comments. Information from no credible source was found to authenticate the claim. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE .
When Googled if Saudi Arabia Crown Prince has made any comments as alleged in the post, no relevant information was found. If Prince Salman has made any such bizarre remarks, it would have been reported by all the major newspapers in India and also in Saudi Arabia. But nothing concrete was found on the internet to solidify the claim. It was also checked if he had posted any such news on any of the social media platforms,  it was found that he doesn’t have any Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Finally, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince hasn’t threatened to convert all the Hindus in his country to Muslims and also cancel their visas if Indian Muslims are forced to say ‘Jai Sri Ram’ slogans.
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No scientific basis for claims of curing cancer with a sugar-free diet, drinking hot lemon water, and organic coconut oil - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 10, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook with a claim that Dr. Gupta has suggested a diet to cure cancer. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
Drinking hot lemon water or three spoons of organic coconut oil daily in addition to not taking sugar can cure cancer.
Fact: No research studies were found to substantiate the claims (curing cancer with sugar-free diet, drinking hot lemon water, and organic coconut oil) made in the post. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the doctor with the name ‘Dr Guru Prasad Reddy B.V.” at the Osh State Medical University, no such person was found on the internet. Also, the Osh State Medical Facility was found to be in Kyrgyzstan, not in Russia.
In the post, there are majorly three specific diets prescribed to cure/prevent cancer.
1. Avoiding sugar intake will lead to the death of cancer cells?
When searched on Google with the keywords ‘without sugar cancer cells die’, some articles related to the claim can be found in the search results. According to Cancer Research UK, ‘there’s no evidence that following a “sugar-free” diet lowers the risk of getting cancer, or boosts the chances of surviving if you are diagnosed.’ The CEO of Cancer Council Australia, Professor Sanchia Aranda in an interview to ABC News says, “Stopping sugar getting to cancer cells would also mean that your body’s healthy cells get starved of necessary sugars. I think that would make you lose weight, [and]would make your immune system less efficient and more likely that a cancer would progress.” So, avoiding sugar totally might sometimes affect negatively too. A similar article by American Institute for Cancer Research can be read here.
There is some research done by a few scientists from Singapore and Austria which found that only some cancer cells could be killed by sugar starvation under the conditions of elevated calcium. But, according to Asian Scientist article, ‘the team aims to further their research to develop a new cancer treatment in the future.’ The research article can be read here.
2. Drinking hot lemon water can prevent cancer?
When looked for any information on this claim, it was found that the ‘National Centre for Health Research’ published an article with the title, ‘Do Lemons Prevent Cancer?’ on its website. According to the article, “the claims that ‘lemons are a proven remedy against cancer of all types’ and ‘lemons are 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy’ are certainly false.” Also, a fact-check article by Snopes, back in 2011, rating the claim as false can be found in the search results. Some more articles on this issue by medical organizations can be read here and here.
3. Drinking 3 spoons full of organic coconut oil daily, at morning and night, can cure cancer?
When searched Google with the keywords ‘Coconut oil cures cancer’, no proper research on this specific issue was found on the internet. Some articles reporting that few components of coconut oil had an effect on some forms of cancer can be read here and here. But, even those articles pushed for further studies on the topic. The Harvard School of Public Health on its website writes, ‘Many of the health claims for coconut oil refer to research that used a special formulation of coconut oil made of 100% medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), not the commercial coconut oil most available on supermarket shelves.’ So, even if some research studies claim that the coconut can cure cancer, then they may not be based on coconut oil readily available in the market for consumers.
Some more myths on Cancer debunked by Cancer Research – UK can be read here.
To sum it up, there is no scientific basis for claims of curing cancer with a sugar-free diet, drinking hot lemon water, and organic coconut oil.
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No Scientific Basis to State that Pandemics Repeat Every 100 Years - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 3, 2023
An infographic that has been circulating on social media claims that the  COVID-19 pandemic is part of a recurring pattern of viral outbreaks that occur once every 100 years. The graphic indicates that pandemics have occurred roughly every hundred years since 1720, with previous outbreaks including the Cholera Outbreak in 1820 and Spanish Flu in 1920. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Pandemics follow a regular pattern by repeating every 100 years.
Fact: The Marseille Plague, which is considered an epidemic, was an outbreak in the French region of Provence that occurred between 1720 and 1722. The first Cholera Pandemic was reported between 1817 and 1824, while the Flu Pandemic began in 1918 and ended in 1919. However, it is important to note that pandemics do not occur in regular intervals of 100 years. In fact, there have been several major pandemics throughout history, including the Asian Flu (1957-1958), Hong Kong Flu (1968-1969), and Swine Flu (2009-2010), which the post conveniently ignores. Therefore, it is inaccurate to suggest that pandemics occur in a predictable pattern. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A pandemic is an outbreak of infectious disease that occurs over a wide geographical area and that is of high prevalence. A pandemic generally affects a significant proportion of the world’s population, usually over the course of several months. To begin with, we verified the accuracy of the pandemic dates mentioned in the viral post.
Marseille Plague (1720- 1722)
The Great Plague of 1720, also known as the Marseille Plague, was an outbreak of Bubonic plague that primarily affected the city of Marseille, France, from 1720 to 1722. While it caused significant mortality and social disruption within the city, it did not spread widely beyond the region. Therefore, it is classified as an epidemic rather than a pandemic. The book titled ‘The Great Plague Scare of 1720’ describes it as an epidemic that hit the French region of Provence and surrounding areas during the same period.
First Cholera Pandemic (1817- 1824)
The post’s claim that the cholera pandemic began in 1820 is not accurate, as historical records indicate that the first recorded pandemic of cholera began three years earlier than the claimed date. The cholera outbreak that began in 1817 in the Ganges Delta region of India lasted until 1824 and spread to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa and Europe during this period. The exact number of deaths caused by the outbreak is unknown but estimates range from 1 to 6 million people.
The Great Influenza Pandemic (1918- 1919)
According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, The Influenza Pandemic, also known as the Spanish Flu (a misnomer as the origin of the virus is still unknown), was first identified in military personnel in the United States in 1918. Although there is no universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919. Hence, the Flu pandemic started two years earlier than the date claimed in the post.
COVID-19 Pandemic (2019)
While the first cases were reported at the end of 2019, the World Health Organization did not officially declare it a pandemic until March 2020. Furthermore, the viral post selectively ignores the numerous pandemics throughout history, such as the Asian Flu (1957-1958), Hong Kong Flu (1968-1969), and Swine Flu (2009-2010), among others. This cherry-picked approach creates the false impression that pandemics occur with regularity every 100 years, which is not supported by the available evidence. A list featuring the major Epidemics and Pandemics can be seen here.
To sum it up, there is no empirical evidence to support the claim that pandemics occur in cycles of 100 years.


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No scientific evidence to prove eating eggplant alone would melt belly fat - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 17, 2022
A video is being shared on social media with a weight loss claim which reads ‘1 eggplant, you will melt your belly fat in 7 days without diet or exercises, You will lose up to 10 kg in a week #weightloss #bellyfat #homemade #diy #drinks.’ In the video, the juice is made out of eggplant; according to the video, it will dissolve belly fat. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: One eggplant alone will melt your belly fat in seven days without diet or exercise.
Fact: It is true that eggplant is a high-fibre, low calorie food item, and this can create fullness in the stomach and reduce calorie intake. However, there is no credible scientific evidence to prove that consuming one eggplant alone in any shape or form would vanish belly fat without any other diet or exercise. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Factly has observed a growing trend of unscientific weight-loss claims being shared on social media. The recent one is related to eggplant claim which says consuming one eggplant will miraculously melt belly fat. We looked for relevant scientific studies related to the claim to find its truthfulness. This study shows that eggplants can be useful in treating Metabolic syndrome, categorised by ‘the co-occurrence of multiple changes in high blood glucose, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity, correlated with an enhanced risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and mortality.’ The study recommends further research on understanding the mechanisms of the actions of eggplant. Healthline says Eggplant is a high-fibre and low-calorie diet; adding them to any weight loss regimen is excellent.
Besides this, no substantial scientific evidence proves the effectiveness of Brinjal/Eggplant in aiding weight loss or that one eggplant will vanish belly fat without the need for any exercise or diet. Losing weight just by drinking a certain juice and not complementing it with proper physical exercise may sound fancy and easy, but work needs to be actively put in to achieve results while trying to lose weight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), ‘Achieving healthy weight loss isn’t about a “diet” or “program” but a lifestyle with healthy eating patterns, regular physical activity, and stress management.’
CDC acknowledges that people wanting to lose weight would want it to happen quickly, but ‘ people with gradual and steady weight loss (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more likely to keep the weight off.’ For people starting their weight loss journey, CDC has provided a step-by-step guide which can be read here. The National Institute on Aging also provide some guidelines for maintaining a healthy weight; this can be read here.
To sum it up, the process of losing weight can be daunting, and the desire to make it happen quickly pushes one to make irrational choices, and believe in claims that promise shortcuts to weight loss. Factly recommends its readers check with their physician before following any weight loss recommendations they see online. Factly has also debunked similar weigh-loss claims earlier, which can be read here and here.

created: October 17, 2022


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No scientific evidence to prove lemon drops taken into your nose can kill Coronavirus - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 3, 2021
A video accompanying a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that taking lemon drops directly into your nose will kill Coronavirus in 5 seconds. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Taking lemon drops into your nose kills Coronavirus.
Fact: There is no scientific evidence to prove that taking lemon drops into your nose can kill the coronavirus that is the reason for COVID-19. According to the World Health Organisation and other credible health institutions, lemon cannot prevent or cure COVID-19. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
According to the National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine based in the USA, the acid in lemon juice will not kill coronaviruses in your body. Though lemon contains Vitamin C which is an essential nutrient that is important for overall health, there is no evidence so suggest that lemons protect humans from infections.
Harvard Medical School in its article about the treatments for COVID-19, does not mention anything about the lemon drops used in nostrils. When it comes to Vitamin C, it states that there is no clear or convincing evidence that it works for COVID-19 infections.
According to the World Health Organisation, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that lemon prevents COVID-19. Also, to date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the coronavirus except the vaccines.
The claims regarding lemons have been prominent, made especially recently because a former MP claimed two drops of lemon juice in the nose can increase oxygen saturation levels. The news article regarding which can be seen here. Vijay Sankeshwar, the former MP said “he suggested it to his colleagues whose oxygen levels were low and within half an hour, their oxygen levels rose from 88% to 96%”. He went on to say that 80% of India’s oxygen shortage could be solved by using this remedy. There is no evidence, according to the article, however, of this treatment having any effect on oxygen saturation levels in the blood.
It is true that there are many potential health benefits of lemon juice, like anti-bacterial effects, lowering blood pressure, etc. which can be seen here. But there is no sufficient evidence to suggest that lemons can kill coronavirus or cure COVID-19. Even PIB Fact-check had asserted its finding regarding the video accompanying the post and termed it fake.
सोशल मीडिया पर साझा किए जा रहे वीडियो में दावा किया जा रहा है कि नाक में नींबू का रस डालने से #कोरोनावायरस तुरंत ही खत्म हो जाएगा#PIBFactCheck:- वीडियो में किया गया दावा #फर्जी है। इसका कोई वैज्ञानिक प्रमाण नहीं है कि नाक में नीबू का रस डालने से #Covid19 को खत्म किया जा सकता है pic.twitter.com/cXpqzk0dCK
To sum it up, there is no scientific evidence to prove that taking lemon drops into your nose can kill coronavirus.


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No Scientific evidence to prove that Ghee Used in Homas/Yagnas Produces Propylene Oxide, Essential for Rain - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 23, 2023
A social media post claiming that ghee used in Homas/Yagnas produces a chemical compound known as Propylene Oxide, which is supposedly essential for rain, is being shared on social media. This article aims to fact-check this claim by examining the scientific evidence and exploring the process of rain formation.
Claim: Ghee used in Homes/Yagnas produces Propylene Oxide, which is essential for rain.
Fact: Burning ghee and wood during Homas/Yagnas primarily release carbon dioxide and other gases, not Propylene Oxide. Additionally, no scientific evidence supports the notion that Propylene Oxide is essential for rain formation. Therefore the claim made in the post is False.
Combustion of ghee and wood
When ghee, which is made of fatty acids, is added to the fire altar during Homas/Yagnas, along with wood burning, carbon dioxide and other gases are released (here and here).
The combustion of wood (here and here) primarily produces carbon dioxide and water vapour, not Propylene Oxide.
Rain formation process
Rain is formed when clouds become saturated with water droplets, which then fall to Earth (here and here). This process does not involve the presence or importance of Propylene Oxide.
Cloud formation occurs when water vapour condenses on tiny particles, such as dust, salt, bacteria, or pollution, known as Cloud Condensation Nuclei. (here, here and here).
Role of external agents in artificial rain generation
In artificial rain generation techniques, various compounds are used to induce precipitation (here, here and here). These can include substances like common salt, silver Iodide, dry ice (a solid form of carbon dioxide), calcium chloride, etc. However, Propylene Oxide is not among the agents used for artificial rain formation. (here)
Propylene Oxide’s properties and uses
Propylene Oxide is a volatile liquid used to produce polyethers and propylene glycol. While it has various industrial applications, it is not recognised as a rain-forming agent or an essential component of rain formation.
To sum up, the claim that ghee used in Homas/Yagnas produces Propylene Oxide, which is essential for rain, is false.


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No scientific evidence to prove that inhaling dry ginger powder could cure COVID-19 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 11, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of India’s famous neurologist Dr. Sushil Razdan, advising people to inhale dry Ginger powder (also called as shonti) as a home remedy to cure the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. Amid the rising Omicron variant cases in India, the person in the video suggested it as a scientifically approved home remedy to cure the COVID-19 virus. In the video, he explains that a highly Alkaline natured Ginger with a good pH value could kill all the acidic infections present in the nostrils instantly. The same information is being shared in other languages in the name of well-known pulmonologist Dr. Zarir Udwadia. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Neurologist Dr. Sushil Razdan suggesting dry Ginger powder as a home remedy to prevent or cure COVID-19.
Fact: The person suggesting dry Ginger powder as a home remedy for curing COVID-19 in the video is not Dr. Sushil Razdan. Dr. Sushil Razdan through a few Kashmiri media platforms made it clear that he has nothing to do with the viral video circulating on social media. Dr. Sushil Razdan confirmed that the remedy shared by the man is unscientific and informed people to maintain COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to avoid getting infected with the virus. We could not find the details of the person advising this home remedy in the video. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for the details of the claim made in the post, it is found out that Dr. Sushil Razdan is a well-known neurologist working at Medanta hospital in Gurgaon, India. Dr. Razdan is well known for his epidemiological work in South Kashmir focused on deaf-mutism as well as disability in children. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in India, Dr. Sushil Razdan had interacted with several media channels and shared his knowledge and understanding of COVID-19. They can be seen here, here, and here. But on comparing the pictures of Dr. Sushil Razdan with that of the person seen in the photo, it can be confirmed that the man advising dry Ginger powder as a remedy for the COVID-19 virus is not Dr. Sushil Razdan.
When this video went viral on social media, Dr. Sushil Razdan through a few Kashmiri media platforms clarified that the man advising COVID-19 home remedy in the video was not him. Dr. Sushil Razdan confirmed that the remedy shared by the man is unscientific and made it clear that he has nothing to do with the viral video circulating on social media. Confirming the news as fake, Dr. Sushil Razdan reportedly informed people to maintain COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to avoid getting infected by the virus. Reporting this news, several Kashmiri news websites have published fact-check articles. They can be seen here and here. Though we could not find the details of the person who advised this home remedy in the video, it is confirmed that the man is not Dr. Sushil Razdan.
Regarding the cure mentioned in the post, many health studies confirmed that sticking garlic cloves into nostrils will not relieve stuffy noses and inflamed sinuses. They can be seen here and here. It is not scientifically proven that inhaling dry Ginger powder could cure COVID-19. Doctors warned people about complications that could arise after using ginger cloves inside the nostrils. It is widely known that mixture (Pepper powder + Honey + Ginger juice) is a good remedy for cold, cough, and to boost immunity. Those reports can be seen here, here, and here. But none of these reports claimed it as the remedy to cure COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) had debunked several similar myths that are being spread around COVID-19.
Earlier, when similar home remedies for COVID-19 went viral on social media, FACTLY published fact-check articles debunking those claims. They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, there is no scientific evidence to prove that snorting dry ginger powder could cure COVID-19; the person suggesting it in the video is not Dr. Sushil Razdan.

created: January 11, 2022


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No scientific evidence to prove that intake of raw onions with rock salt can cure the COVID-19 virus - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 24, 2021
A message is being circulated on social media claiming that consuming raw onions with rock salt can cure the COVID-19 virus. This post claims that a person consuming this mixture would get COVID-19 test negative in 15 minutes.  Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Consuming raw unions with rock salt can cure the Covid-19 virus.
Fact:  World Health Organization (WHO) has not approved any such home remedy to cure the COVID-19 virus. There is also no scientific evidence to prove that the intake of raw onions with rock salt could cure the COVID-19 virus.  The Government of India and PIB called this homemade remedy a myth. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check if any such home remedy could cure the COVID-19 virus, we found several news websites publishing articles about this message circulating on social media. They can be seen here and here. These articles reported that there is no authentic information to prove that the intake of raw onions with rock salt can cure the COVID-19 virus in the body.
Press Information Bureau (PIB) through a tweet, clarified that there is no scientific evidence that proves consuming onions with rock salt can cure the COVID-19 virus. ‘MyGov Corona Hub’ called this home remedy a myth on their Facebook page.
In our further research, we found out that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not approved any such home remedy to cure the COVID-19 virus. WHO did not mention such a diet in the ‘Healthy Diet’ section on their website.
To sum it up, there is no scientific evidence to prove that intake of raw onions with rock salt can cure the COVID-19 virus.


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No scientific evidence to suggest that inhaling hot water steam can kill Coronavirus - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 9, 2020
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that inhaling hot water steam kills coronavirus. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Inhaling hot water steam can kill coronavirus.
Fact: While hot water steam inhalation may provide some temporary relief for the symptoms in some cases like common cold and flu, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that it can kill coronavirus. Also, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) clarified the same. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched on the internet, it was found that neither the World Health Organization nor the Indian Government has suggested any such measure. On some medical websites, it can read that steam inhalation may provide some temporary relief for the symptoms in some cases like common cold and flu. But there is no scientific evidence to suggest that inhaling hot water steam can kill coronavirus.
Also, when a similar message went viral, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has clarified that the message is ‘fake’.
There is no scientific evidence to prove that inhaling hot water steam kills #Coronavirus.
Remember: Respiratory hygiene, social distancing and washing hands are effective measures to prevent #Covid19
Let’s spread facts, not fear and contribute to #IndiaFightsCoronavirus pic.twitter.com/fD6PYI68Ds
To sum it up, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that inhaling hot water steam can kill coronavirus.
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