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No, this video doesn’t show Ganesh idols being left at Sabarmati riverfront - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 12, 2019
A video showing many idols left at a riverfront is being shared widely on social media. The claim with the video is that the idols seen in the video are of Lord Ganesh and they were left at the footpath of Sabarmati riverfront as they weren’t allowed for visarjan. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of Ganesh idols left at Sabarmati riverfront as they weren’t allowed for visarjan.
Fact: Video is a month old and it shows ‘Dashama’ idols left on the footpaths of Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad. As part of the Ganesh visarjan too, people of Ahmedabad were requested to not immerse Ganesh idols in the river Sabarmati. Hence, the claim is MISLEADING.
When the video in the post was run through ‘InVid’ plugin, several keyframes of it were obtained. On subjecting these keyframes to reverse image search, a certain keyframe lead to the tweet that has the same video. In the tweet, the user mentioned that it is a one-month-old video and the idols seen in it weren’t of Lord Ganesh but  of Goddess ‘Dashama’. With this information, when searched on Google with keywords, an article of “Patrika” published on August 11, 2019, was found. From the article, it was found that the people of Ahmedabad have left the ‘Dashama’ idols on the Sabarmati riverfront to protect the cleanliness of the river and these idols were later immersed in artificial ponds made for this purpose by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. It is also found that the Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra has lauded people’s efforts through a tweet in this regard.
Something amazing is happening in #Ahmedabad today.
Ordinary citizens have decided to keep #Sabarmati river clean.
Instead of immersing Dashama idols in the river, they have respectfully left them on the banks!!
Thousands and Thousands of them. Unbelievable change 🙏 pic.twitter.com/t5f0yh9ywr
Recently, in an interview with ‘India Tv’, AMC Commissioner Vijay Nehra has clarifiedthat the video is a month old one and the idols seen in it were of Goddess Dashama and not of Lord Ganesh.
As part of the Ganesh visarjan too, Vijay Nehra has urged the people of Ahmedabad not to immerse Ganesh idols in the river Sabarmati and instead asked them to carry out visarjan in the temporary ponds made by AMC for that purpose.
વ્હાલા અમદાવાદીઓને મારી નમ્ર અપીલ…#સ્વચ્છસાબરમતી#સ્વચ્છઅમદાવાદ pic.twitter.com/EM6IpNwWo4
To sum it up, the video doesn’t show Ganesh idols being left at Sabarmati riverfront, they are the idols of Goddess Dashama.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Indian Rivers?

created: September 12, 2019


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No, this video doesn’t show Police personnel beating men for not wearing a helmet - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 10, 2019
A video of Police personnel beating a few men is being shared with the claim that the Police were beating them for not wearing a helmet. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of the men beaten by the Police personnel for not wearing a helmet.
Fact: The men were beaten by the Police in an election-related issue of Raj Rishi college in Rajasthan. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
When the video in the post was run through the ‘InVid’ plugin, several keyframes were obtained. On subjecting these keyframes to Yandex search, a certain keyframe led to the same video uploaded on YouTube on August 28, 2019. From the description of the video, it was found that the video is related to an election-related issue of Raj Rishi college in  Alwar. When searched with keywords on Google, a news video of Aaj Tak, reporting about the incident was found. As per this article, the students of Raj Rishi college who protested alleging rigging in the student union elections were beaten up by the Police, when the students were on their way to meet Collector to appraise him of the unfair campus elections. In the lathicharge, a retired army man Amarchand Meena was also found to have been injured.
The news report of “Patrika” regarding the Police lathicharge on the Alwar college students can be read here. Also, in another article from the same news agency, it was found that the S.I. related to this incident was suspended for such an act.
Ever since the implementation of the new traffic rules from 1st September, many old and unrelated videos are being passed off linking them to Police arrogance on public. Earlier, when a video of Police beating two young men was viral with a similar claim, ‘FACTLY’ had fact checked it and the article can be read here.
To conclude, this video doesn’t show Police personnel beating few men for not wearing a helmet, they were beaten in an election-related incident of Raj Rishi college of Alwar
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Indian Rivers?

source: news-factly

created: September 10, 2019

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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No, this video doesn't show the US army band playing the Indian National anthem in preparation for Modi's ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event at Houston
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 23, 2019
A video is being shared on social media with the claim that the American Army band is playing Indian National Anthem in preparation for Modi’s ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event in Houston. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Claim: American Army band is playing Indian National Anthem in preparation for Modi’s ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event in Houston.
Fact: The video indeed has the American Army band playing the Indian National Anthem. But the Indian National Anthem was played during the ‘Yudh Abhyas 2019’  Exercise. So, the claim that this is done in the preparation for the Howdy Modi event is FALSE.
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The video from ANI clearly mentions that the band’s performance was at Yudh Abhyas 2019. Yudh Abhyas is a joint military exercise between India and the US is hosted alternatively between two countries. This was the 15th edition of ‘Yudh Abhyas’.
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Here’s a screenshot of the video’s description from ANI’s website:
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To conclude, American Army band playing Indian National Anthem during the Exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas 2019’ at Joint Base Lewis, McChord is shared as USA will be playing Indian National Anthem on Modiji’s arrival at ‘Howdy Modi!’, Texas.
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created: September 23, 2019


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This video of airport flooded with rainwater is not related to Hyderabad Airport (RGIA). - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 15, 2020
The city of Hyderabad received a huge amount of rainfall on 13 October 2020 (with some areas receiving more than 20 cm rainfall). A lot of videos and photos are being shared on the internet claiming those to be of Hyderabad. While some of them show the actual visuals, the others are just picked up from other places and shared as recent and related to Hyderabad. A video is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows rainwater at Shamshabad Airport [i.e. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA)] in Hyderabad. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (Shamshabad, Hyderabad) flooded with rainwater.
Fact: It is an old 2017 video from Mexico. The video shows the Mexico City International Airport flooded with rainwater, not the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport- Hyderabad. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, many similar videos were found in the search results. It was found that the video is on the internet at least since August 2017. Several media outlets have reported that the video is related to Mexico City International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez). Those posts can be found here and here. Also, in one of the frames in the video, the flag colors of Mexico can be seen.
The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (Hyderabad) authorities have also clarified on their official Twitter account that the viral video ‘does not belong to RGI Airport’.
Previously, the same video went with viral as flood video of airports in multiple cities (Singapore, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Miami, etc.) and has been fact-checked by multiple media agencies across the globe. Some of those articles can be found here, here and here.
To sum it up, an old unrelated video is being falsely shared as the Hyderabad Airport (RGIA) flooded with rainwater. The video is actually from Mexico.

created: October 15, 2020


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No, this video of Kanchi Mutt Elephant has nothing to do with PETA - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 4, 2020
A video of an elephant being transported through a truck and the elephant jumping off the vehicle is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows how PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) took away the Kanchi Mutt elephants by torturing them. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of Kanchi Mutt elephants torturously being taken away by PETA.
Fact: The video shows ‘Sandhya’, an elephant, being transferred to a rehabilitation centre by ‘Tree Foundation India’ and ‘Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre’ on the request of ‘Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam’. ‘PETA India’ has nothing to do with the incident in the video. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, a video with similar visuals was found in the search results. A user has tweeted the same video with a similar claim to which ‘PETA India’ has responded that it is fake news and the video has nothing to do with PETA India. Let’s check for more information regarding the video. The above user has also tweeted the same video previously in June 2020 with the claim – ‘This is how the NGO took the Sandhya few years ago’ and also, posted other related videos in the thread.
This is fake news as it has nothing to do with PETA India and we have reported it to Twitter as fake.
So, when searched with the keywords, news reports in 2016 regarding the transfer of three elephants belonging to ‘Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam’, for rehabilitation were found. In the ‘Deccan Chronicle’ article, it can be read that ‘Tree foundation’ will facilitate medical aid for three months. The article also mentions the incident in the video – ‘Sandhya jumped off the truck and is currently sheltered at a nearby village to join the other two animals at Marakkanam’ (Sandhya is the name of the elephant). In the article, it can also be read that ‘tension prevailed at the temple as the mahouts families objected the move alleging “foul play.”  But members of the foundation said the ‘drama’ was because they had lost their livelihood from seeking alms through animals’.
Also, some news reports regarding the Madras High Court order of transferring those three elephants from the facility of private institutions (‘Tree Foundation India’ and ‘Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre’) to an elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre run by the forest department in 2019 were found. Without going into much details of the judgement, it can be observed that there is no mention of PETA anywhere in the judgement. Also, in the judgement, a letter is enclosed where the ‘Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam’ have themselves requested permission from the forest authorities for the transfer of elephants for a temporary period as they do not have the infrastructure for the rehabilitation of elephants.
In the judgement, there is also a mention of the incident in the posted video. The petitioner told the court that ‘Tree Foundation India’ and ‘Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre’ took delivery of the elephants from the ‘Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam’ and loaded them in lorries and in that process, one of the elephants, namely “Sandhya” sustained injuries. So, PETA has nothing to do with the incident in the posted video.
Some photos of three elephants during their stay with ‘TREE Foundation India’ can be seen here.
Video 2: (archived)
A similar claim regarding PETA was made by a user on Twitter with respect to Lakshmi, an elephant belonging to Manakkula Vinayagar temple. ‘PETA India’ has replied to the tweet saying that they did not move Lakshmi but will say she and all animals deserve to live unchained and in the company of others of their species. While it is true that PETA India has previously requested the officials to free Lakshmi and continues to do so, it can be read from multiple news reports that the elephant was  ‘shifted to the premises of Kirshi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) at Kurumambet from the premises of Eswaran Koil temple, on orders issued by the Directorate of Forests and Wildlife on June 4, following concerns over its health. The Directorate had acted on a complaint from BJP Lok Sabha member Maneka Gandhi to Lt Governor Kiran Bedi alleging repeated abuse and violations of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.’ Later, the elephant has been returned to the temple. Further details can be read here.
To sum it up, the video of Kanchi Mutt elephant has nothing to do with PETA. In the second incident, while PETA did not take away the elephant, it actively advocates freeing the elephant.
Did you watch our new video?

created: August 4, 2020


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No time capsule is being placed under the Ram Mandir construction site in Ayodhya - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 10, 2020
Social media is abuzz with the claim that a time capsule is being buried at 2000 feet below in the vicinity of Ayodhya Ram mandir in which all the documents related to the Mandir are kept. Also, according to the claim the time capsule is not supposed to be opened until the year 2957 under any circumstances. Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post.
A time capsule is buried  2000 feet below in the vicinity of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Fact: According to a tweet by Champat Rai, General Secretary, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, no time capsule is being buried below Ram Mandir construction site in Ayodhya. Also, the image in the claim is the image of a time capsule which was unearthed in 2015 while laying the foundation for a new building in America’s prestigious MIT University. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for more information regarding the claim, we came across a tweet by Champat Rai, General Secretary, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra clearing the air about the issue. According to his tweet, news that a time capsule is being buried under Ram Mandir construction site is fake and he advised not to believe such news. News article which reported his tweet can be read here.
"Some news items are being circulated which suggest that a time capsule will be placed beneath the temple construction site in Ayodhya. Any such news is fake & should not be believed." : Shri Champat Rai, General Secretary, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra. pic.twitter.com/5wO5Tu7NvX
When we ran a reverse image search of the image in the claim, we found that the image was of a time capsule which was unearthed in 2015 while laying the foundation for a new building in America’s prestigious MIT University. On the time capsule, it was written: “Please do not open until 2957 A.D”. Video related to this can be seen here.
Showing this image, news that a time capsule has been buried under 2000ft in the vicinity of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and under any circumstances the time capsule should not be opened until the year 2957 is being falsely shared. with this, we can conclude that the image in the claim has nothing to do with the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Talking to media Kameshwar Chaupal, another member of Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said that ‘a time capsule will be placed 2000ft under Ram Mandir construction site’ on 27 July 2020. News article which reported this can be read here and video of the interview can be seen here. It is in this background news like that of in the claim are being widely shared on social media platforms. But like it is explained earlier in this article, this was debunked by the official twitter handle of the trust.
To sum it up,  we can say for sure that a time capsule is not being placed under the Ram Mandir construction site.
Did you watch our new video?


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Time Magazine did not call PM Modi a ‘Super Spreader’ amidst the rise of COVID-19 cases in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 27, 2021
A social media post is being shared widely amidst the rise in COVID-19 cases in India, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been called by the Time magazine as a ‘Super Spreader’. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Time magazine calls PM Modi, a ‘Super Spreader’, amidst the rise of COVID-19 cases in India.
Fact: There has been no issue released recently by the Time magazine that has Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its Cover. The Time magazine cover on 17 July 2006 (the date mentioned on the top left corner of the photo) is ‘The end of cowboy diplomacy. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Super Spreader, according to Merriam Webster dictionary, is an individual who is highly contagious and capable of transmitting a communicable disease to an unusually large number of uninfected individuals. The word ‘super spreader’ has become well known ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In relation to the ongoing pandemic, this post has been circulating widely. On observing the photo in the post, we can see the date on the top left corner which is ‘July 17, 2006’.
A simple google search ‘time magazine covers’, took us to the Vault, the Time Magazine’s online archive where all the covers published by the magazine are stored. When we searched for the Magazine cover dated July 17, 2006, we can see that the cover says, ‘The end of cowboy diplomacy’ and not the one mentioned in the post. So clearly, the photo in the post is edited to include the PM’s picture using the original cover of 2006.
To sum it up, Time magazine did not call Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘super spreader’, amidst the rise of Covid-19 cases in India. The image shared in the post is an edited one.


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No truth in these re-match between India and England rumours as the tournament has already ended - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 14, 2022
Following India’s defeat in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Semi-final on 10 November 2022 against England, several videos went viral claiming that Indian PM Narendra Modi and other former cricketers are demanding a re-match between India and England. Let’s verify the claims made in each case.
Claim: Several people including PM Modi, former Pakistani cricketers, ICC CEO have demanded a re-match between India and England and India paid ₹25 crores to reach final directly.
Fact: The Final match of the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2022 was held between Pakistan and England on 13 November 2022. By chasing down the target of 138 runs in 19 Overs, England won ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2022. No reports to suggest that PM Modi, ICC CEO, and former Pakistani crickets has demanded for a re-match of the semi-final between India and England. Also, there is no report of India paying ₹25 crores to ICC to reach finals. Hence the claims made in all these posts are FALSE.
India paid ICC ₹25 crores to reach final ?
A video is being shared on social media claiming that even though India lost the semi-final match against England, Indian team has managed to reach the final by paying a sum of ₹25 crores to International Cricket Council (ICC). Let’s verify the claim made in the video.
According to T20 world cup’s official website, the Final match was held between Pakistan and England on 13 November 2022. By chasing down the target of 138 runs in 19 Overs, England won ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2022. Further, there is no such news about India paying ₹25 crores to ICC to reach finals.
Former Pakistani Cricketers in support of Team India?
Another video claims that the former Pakistan Cricketers like Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, etc., declared that England has won the match by cheating. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
According to Times Now, after England’s victory against India, Shoaib Akhtar said, “ India did not deserve to meet us in MCG or allowed to take a flight to come to Melbourne because their cricket has been exposed today”. Shahid Afridi tweeted, “What an incredible performance England. A semi-final turned into a no-contest, stunning batting that India has no answers to.” Further, there were no reports about Pakistani players accusing England of doing foul-play in this game.
PM Modi demanded re-match ?
Another video is being shared claiming that Indian PM Narendra Modi has demanded ICC for a rematch between England and India. Let’s verify the claim made in the video.
We couldn’t find any media reports or official announcements supporting this claim. Moreover, according to T20 world cup’s official website, the Final match was held between Pakistan and England on 13 November 2022. By chasing down the target of 138 runs in 19 Overs, England won ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2022.
ICC chief announced re-match?
Another video is being shared claiming that ICC Chief Dave Richardson has ordered a re-match between India and England. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
First, according to ICC’s official website, Geoff Allardice is the current CEO of ICC. Dave Richardson stepped down as CEO in 2019. Also, there is no such announcement of a re-match between and England. Besides, by chasing down the target of 138 runs in 19 Overs in the final match played by England and Pakistan, England won ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2022.
To sum it up, there is no truth in the re-match rumours between India and England as the tournament has already ended with England winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 trophy.

created: November 14, 2022


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దళిత అధ్యయనాలకు నిధులు కట్ అంటూ షేర్ చేస్తున్న ఈ వార్తలో నిజం లేదు; కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వం దళిత అధ్యయనాలకు ఇంకా నిధులు కేటాయిస్తూ ఉంది - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 25, 2024
దళిత అధ్యయనాలకు నిధులు కట్ చేసిన కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వం అంటూ ఒక న్యూస్ పేపర్ క్లిప్ సోషల్ మీడియాలో విస్తృతంగా షేర్ అవుతోంది (ఇక్కడ & ఇక్కడ). యూనివర్సిటీల్లోని దళిత స్థితిగతులపై అధ్యయనం కోసం ఏర్పాటైన కేంద్రాలకు నిధుల పంపిణీని నిలిపివేయనున్నట్టు MHRD ఆదేశాల మేరకు పలు యూనివర్సిటీలకు UGC లేఖ పంపిందని ఈ వార్త సారాంశం. ఈ కథనం ద్వారా ఆ వార్తకు సంబంధించి నిజమేంటో చూద్దాం.
క్లెయిమ్: యూనివర్సిటీల్లోని దళిత స్థితిగతులపై అధ్యయనం కోసం ఏర్పాటైన కేంద్రాలకు నిధుల పంపిణీని నిలిపివేయనున్నట్టు UGC తెలిపింది.
ఫాక్ట్(నిజం): 2017లో మొదటిసారి ఈ వార్త వైరల్ అయినప్పుడు తాము ఇలాంటి నిర్ణయం ఏది తీసుకోలేదని, సాంఘిక అసమానతలు, వివక్షపై అధ్యయనాలకు నిధుల కేటాయింపు యదావిధిగా కొనసాగుతుందని స్పష్టం చేసింది. UGC వార్షిక నివేదికల ప్రకారం ప్రతీ సంవత్సరం వీటికి కేటాయింపులు జరుగుతున్నాయని స్పష్టంగా తెలుస్తుంది. కావున పోస్టు ద్వారా చెప్పేది తప్పు.
ముందుగా ఇది 2017కు సంబంధించిన వార్త. ప్రస్తుతం షేర్ అవుతున్న క్లిప్‌లో  అయిదు రాష్ట్రాల ఎన్నికల గురించి ప్రస్తావించారు, దీన్నిబట్టి ఈ వార్త ఇప్పటిది కాదని తెలుస్తుంది. 2017లో ఇదే క్లిప్‌ను షేర్ చేసిన పలు సోషల్ మీడియా పోస్టులు ఇక్కడ మరియు ఇక్కడ చూడొచ్చు.
సాంఘిక అసమానతలు, వివక్షపై అధ్యయనం జరిపే కేంద్రాలకు నిధుల విడుదలను నిలిపివేయాలని కేంద్ర మానవ వనరుల అభివృద్ధి మంత్రిత్వ శాఖ నిర్ణయించిందని, ఈ నిర్ణయానికి అనుగుణంగా జవహర్లాల్ నెహ్రూ యూనివర్శిటీకి UGC లేఖ రాసిందంటూ అప్పట్లో ఒక లెటర్ షేర్ అయ్యింది. ఐతే ఈ వార్త హెడ్లైన్‌లోకి  ఎక్కడంతో UGC దీనిపై స్పందిస్తూ తాము అలాంటి నిర్ణయం ఏది తీసుకోలేదని, ప్రస్తుతం షేర్ అవుతున్న లేఖ ఎవరో ఫోర్జరీ చేశారని స్పష్టం చేసింది. సాంఘిక అసమానతలు, వివక్షపై జరిగే అధ్యయనాలకు నిధులు యధావిధంగా కొనసాగుతాయని తెలిపింది.
ఆ తరవాతి సంవత్సరాలలో UGC ఈ అధ్యయనాలకు యధాతదంగా నిధులను కేటాయించింది. UGC వార్షిక నివేదికలు పరిశిలిస్తే కూడా ఈ విషయం స్పష్టమవుతుంది (ఇక్కడ). 2017లో మొదటిసారి UGC ఇలా నిధుల ఆపేసిందని వార్త మొదలైనప్పట్టి నుండి 2022-23 మధ్య ఈ అధ్యయనాల కోసం విడుదల చేసిన నిధులకు సంబంధించిన వివరాలు కింది టేబుల్‌లో చూడొచ్చు.
చివరగా, దళిత అధ్యయనాలకు నిధులు కట్ అంటూ షేర్ చేస్తున్న ఈ వార్తలో నిజం లేదు; కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వం దళిత అధ్యయనాలకు ఇంకా నిధులు కేటాయిస్తూ ఉంది.


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No, Uddhav Thackeray was not bowing and paying tributes to Sonia Gandhi’s portrait in the photo - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 29, 2019
A photo of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray bowing and paying tributes to a portrait of Sonia Gandhi is being shared widely on social media. Let’s try to check the authenticity of the image in the post.
Image of Uddhav Thackeray bowing and paying tributes to a portrait of Sonia Gandhi.
Fact: The image posted is a photoshopped one. In the original photo, the Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was paying tributes to party founder & his father Balasaheb Thackeray, after being selected as the CM candidate. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the image was run through the Google Reverse Image Search, the same photo was found in a tweet by ‘ANI’ on 26 November 2019. In the photo, it can be seen that Uddhav Thackeray was paying tributes to Shiv Sena party founder & his father Balasaheb Thackeray. The same photo can be also found in the articles published by ‘The Hindu’ and ‘India Today’. In ‘The Hindu’ article, the photo has the following description: ‘Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray pays tribute to party founder and father Balasaheb Thackeray at his residence Matoshree in Mumbai on November 26, 2019”.
To sum it up, a photoshopped image is being shared as Uddhav Thackeray bowing and paying tributes to Sonia Gandhi’s portrait.
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created: November 29, 2019


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No, UNESCO hasn’t declared Islam as ‘the most peaceful religion of the world’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 2, 2019
On Facebook, a few users are sharing a photo of ‘Certificate of Peace’ purportedly issued by UNESCO declaring Islam as ‘the most peaceful religion of the world’. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
UNESCO has issued a “Certificate of Peace” declaring Islam as ‘the most peaceful religion of the world’.
Fact: UNESCO has denounced that it has declared Islam as ‘the most peaceful religion of the world’. It also clarified that the certificate doing the rounds on the organisation’s name is a fake one. Hence, the claim made in the post stands FALSE.
When searched if ‘United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO)’ has issued any ‘Certificate of Peace’ declaring Islam as ‘the most peaceful religion of the world’, a notice of UNESCO denouncing such a statement was found. In the notice, it said, “UNESCO has never had any official relationship with the entity referred to as ‘International Peace Foundation’, nor has it ever supported such a statement or granted any diploma of this kind. In line with its mandate, the Organization has the responsibility to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue on a global scale, with the unerring support of its Member States, partners and networks. In doing so, UNESCO promotes respect on equal grounds for all traditions and faiths, always striving to build bridges and strengthen ties whenever possible.” This notice was issued July 2016.
To conclude, UNESCO hasn’t declared Islam as ‘the most peaceful religion of the world’.
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No, Unnao rape convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar has not been granted bail by the High Court - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 25, 2020
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the convict in the Unnao rape case, has been granted bail by the High Court. FACTLY has found no information about bail being granted to him. No media agency has reported anything about Kuldeep Singh being granted bail. As it is a high-profile case, any such grant of bail would have been widely reported by media. Previously, he was convicted of Unnao minor’s rape and killing the victim’s father. Also, he was expelled from BJP in 2019. While there is no information regarding Kuldeep Singh getting bail, it was found that Mahesh Singh, the uncle of Unnao rape survivor, was granted bail in a forgery case by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court. The bail order can be read here. The posted photo is also an old one.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. News article – https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/uttar-pradesh-unnao-rape-survivors-uncle-gets-bail/articleshow/75917163.cms
2. Mahesh Singh’s bail order – https://drive.google.com/file/d/12ZF3dZK-7BljkhUR3W6O6NJJwwuIUryp/view
3. News article – https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/unnao-rape-case-expelled-bjp-mla-kuldeep-sengar-convicted/articleshow/72750747.cms
4. News article – https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/unnao-rape-case-kuldeep-sengar-victims-father-death-1655073-2020-03-13
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No, UP CM Yogi Adityanath has not taken a decision to convert Taj Mahal into a Shiva Temple - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 16, 2022
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken the big decision to convert the Taj Mahal into a Shiva Temple. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: UP CM Yogi Adityanath has taken a big decision to convert the Taj Mahal into a Shiva Temple.
Fact: No such decision has been taken by the UP CM. If any such decision was taken, then all the reputed news agencies would have reported about it but none of them reported any such news. Also, the UP government recently opposed a petition filed by a BJP leader asking for a fact-finding committee to study the history of the Taj Mahal and open its closed doors. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on the internet to check if the UP CM has made any such decision, no such reports were found in the search results. If any such decision was taken, then all the reputed news agencies would have reported about it but none of them reported any such news. One of the old speeches of Yogi Adityanath on the Taj Mahal can be seen here.
We also found that the UP government recently opposed a petition filed by a BJP leader asking for a fact-finding committee to study the history of the Taj Mahal and open its closed doors. In the ‘Live Law’ article, it can be read that – “While opposing the plea, the State of Uttar Pradesh raised a preliminary objection regarding the territorial jurisdiction of the matter and also informed the court that there’s already a suit pending before Agra court on the issue.” Other news reports can be read here and here.
The Allahabad HC order on the recent ‘Taj Mahal’ petition can be read here.
To sum it up, UP CM Yogi Adityanath has not taken any decision to convert the Taj Mahal into a Shiva Temple.


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No, UPA government did not initiate the execution of the new Parliament building with Rs. 3,000 crores - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 23, 2021
A post claiming that the UPA government had initiated the project of new Parliament building with a cost of Rs. 3000 crores back in 2012, whereas the BJP government planned to complete it in just Rs. 970 crores is being widely shared across social media platforms. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: UPA government initiated the project of new Parliament building with a cost of Rs. 3000 crores back in 2012.
Fact: While it is true that former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has accorded approval to the proposal for construction of a new Parliament building, these deliberations did not reach the stage of estimating the project cost and allocation of funds. The amount of Rs. 3000 crores, the purported cost of new Parliament building, estimated during the UPA regime as claimed is a fictitious number. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
During the UPA regime, in view of maintaining the heritage character and grandeur of the Parliament building, the then Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar had constituted two committees. The first is the Joint Parliamentary Committee on ‘Maintenance of Heritage Character and Development of Parliament House Complex’. The second is the Standing Technical Committee (STC) consisting of technical experts in the field, to act as an advisory to the JPC. However, the committee reports are currently not available on the Lok Sabha website.
In July 2012, considering the steep rise in the number of parliamentary staff, security personnel, media visitors, and parliamentary activities, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar had accorded approval to the proposal for construction of a new Parliament building.
Accordingly, Meira Kumar’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) wrote a formal letter to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs stating “The Parliament building was constructed in the 1920s and commissioned in 1927. It has been declared a Heritage Grade 1 building. Over the decades, on account of ageing and overuse, the Parliament House building has started showing signs of distress at various places.”
However, this attempt of building a new Parliament House came to a standstill and did not reach the stage of preparing a detailed report of the project including the cost estimates and allocation of funds as claimed in the post. In fact, those deliberations did not even decide as to where the new Parliament building has to be constructed. By this, we can infer that the amount of Rs. 3000 crores, the purported estimated cost for new Parliament building during UPA tenure is a fictitious number.
The current Central Vista project which involves constructing a new triangular Parliament building, a common central secretariat, new buildings for the Prime Minister and Vice-President residence, and revamping of Rajpath is a Rs. 20,000 crore project out of which the estimation for the construction of new Parliament building amounts to Rs. 971 crores.
FACTLY has filed an RTI request with Ministry of Housing & Urban affairs seeking information related to the deliberations for a new Parliament house during UPA tenure, and this article will be updated accordingly upon receiving the information.
To sum it up, UPA government did not initiate the execution of the new Parliament building with Rs. 3,000 crores.


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No, US President Joe Biden did not snub Modi at the QUAD summit - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 25, 2022
A social media post accompanying a video from the recent QUAD meeting in Japan, which purportedly shows US President Joe Biden ignoring Modi and just talking to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, is being shared widely with a claim that Biden snubbed Modi at the QUAD summit. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals showing US President Joe Biden snubbing Modi at the QUAD summit in Japan.
Fact: US President Biden did not snub PM Modi at the QUAD summit. In fact, as per the news reports, Biden praised Modi for successfully handling the COVID-19 situation in India. The lengthier version of the viral video clearly shows Biden talking to Modi, immediately after he is done talking to his Australian counterpart. The viral video is clipped, which edited out the part showing Biden’s interaction with Modi. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The viral visuals are from recently held QUAD summit in Japan. However, US President Joe Biden did not snub Modi at any point of time during the summit. In fact, there are reports saying Joe Biden praised Modi for successfully handling the COVID-19 situation in India.
As far as the viral clip is concerned, Google search led us to a news video which reported the same scene of Biden welcoming Anthony Albanese but from a different angle. This video clearly shows Biden talking to Modi in a jovial manner after he was done talking to Albanese. Visuals clearly indicates that Biden and Modi shared a good rapport when all the four QUAD leaders met.
Lengthier version of the viral video also shows Biden interacting with Modi immediately after he is done talking to Albanese. Thus, it evident that Biden did not snub Modi, but spoke to Modi and shared a good rapport through out the summit.
To sum it up, the US President Joe Biden did not snub Modi at the QUAD summit.


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No, US President Joe Biden had not made any such critical comments about Modi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 5, 2021
A social media post claiming that American President Joe Biden has made critical comments on Modi is being shared widely. Further, the post claims that the US will send medical aid directly to State governments due to lack of faith in Modi. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Joe Biden’s critical comments on Modi about extending medical aid to India.
Fact: The US President had not made any such critical comments on Modi as claimed in the post. In fact, he did not make any such comments even in the past. In his recent telephonic conversation with Modi, Joe Biden has assured quick deployment of aid to India, and accordingly, the first shipment of aid from the US was also received. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Joe Biden did not make any such comments against Modi as claimed in the post. If at all Joe Biden made such comments, all major news agencies would have reported the same. However, we could not find any such media reports. Search on Joe Biden’s official social media handles (here & here) did not yield any such comments. Also, there are no reports stating that Joe Biden has made such comments against Modi even in the past.
In fact, Modi and Biden had a telephone conversation recently on 26 April 2021 over the situation of COVID-19 in their respective countries. In their conversation, Joe Biden assured Modi that the US would quickly deploy critical medicines, ventilators, therapeutics, and raw materials required for the manufacture of the Covishield vaccine. News articles that reported the same can be read here and here.
There are also no news articles or information that aid from the US would directly reach states. As of now, aid from any country would be handed over to the central government which would then distribute it to states. In fact, the Union Health Minister has tweeted on 30 April 2021 thanking the US government after receiving the first tranche of aid from the US. News articles regarding this can be read here.
The bond between the oldest democracy🇺🇸 & the largest one🇮🇳 keeps getting fortified.
Appreciate the USA for extending help in the form of oxygen cylinders, equipment and other medical supplies to fight #COVID19 @PMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA #Unite2FightCorona pic.twitter.com/UB6i9UhOVc
In view of the travel ban imposed by US president Joe Biden on people arriving from India, posts like these are being shared across social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, US President Joe Biden had not made any such critical comments about Modi.


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No, Venkaiah Naidu did not break down because of the forceful passage of the bill aiming to sell off LIC - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 16, 2021
A social media post claiming Venkaiah Naidu, Vice Chairman of Rajya Sabha cried in the wake of the forceful passage of a bill in the parliament, immediately after the passage of the OBC bill, that is aimed at selling off the LIC. The post also shares an image of Venkaiah Naidu crying. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Venkaiah Naidu, Vice Chairman of Rajya Sabha cried in the Parliament after forceful passage of a bill aimed at selling off the LIC.
Fact: On 12 August 2021, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu while addressing a session broke down into tears expressing his anguish over the protest created by the opposition MPs the previous day.  His breakdown has nothing to do with government selling its stake in LIC, which was done through the Finance Act, 2021 earlier in March. Whereas on 12 August 2021 Rajya Sabha passed “The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021“, which allows private participation in the public sector insurance companies and this bill has nothing to do with LIC. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
According to news reports (here & here) on 11 August 2021, during the monsoon session of the Parliament in Rajya Sabha, opposition MPs expressed their protest against the farm laws by climbing tables, throwing off books & files. It is in this light Vice President Venkaiah Naidu while addressing a session the next day broke down into tears expressing his anguish over the protest by the opposition MPs.
The Union government did not pass any bill in this monsoon session of the Parliament which entails selling off the LIC. However, earlier in March 2021 during the budget session, the Union government through the Finance act, 2021  amended the ‘Life Insurance Corporation act, 1956 which provides for the dilution of government stake in LIC by allowing Initial Public Offer (IPO).
On 11 August 2021, the Rajya Sabha passed “The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021“, which allows private participation in the public sector insurance companies. However, the opposition protested against the passing of this bill and demanded that the bill should be referred to a select committee.
This bill amended the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, 1972 which established the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) with National Insurance, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance, and United India Insurance as its subsidiaries. It is noteworthy to mention that these are the only public sector insurers created with this bill and LIC is not a part of this.
In all likelihood, the passage of this General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021 could have been misconstrued as the passage of a bill that aims at privatising the LIC.
To sum it up, Venkaiah Naidu did not break down because of the forceful passage of the bill aimed at selling off the LIC.


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No, WEF did not suggest a limit of drinking not more than 2 or 3 cups of Coffee per year - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 1, 2024
A screenshot is circulating widely on social media, displaying a report with a headline that reads, “WEF Declares War on Coffee: ‘No More Than 2 or 3 Cups Each Per Year.’” In support of this claim, a news article is also being shared. This article aims to fact-check the assertion presented in the post.
Claim: WEF suggested a limit of not more than 2 or 3 cups of Coffee each per year.
Fact: No recommendation to limit coffee consumption was made at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland in January 2024. During a session titled “Putting a Price On Nature” , guest panelist Hubert Keller mentioned the average CO₂ emissions per ton of coffee consumed but he did not advocate for limiting coffee consumption. The viral claim is false and sourced from an article published by “The People’s Voice” website, known for spreading “false news”. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we first checked the article link provided. The article, titled “WEF Declares War on Coffee: ‘No More Than 2 or 3 Cups Each Per Year,'” is sourced from The People’s Voice website. Subsequently, we checked the article published by The People’s Voice. In this news article, it is reported that World Economic Forum Agenda Contributor Hubert Keller, in a recent WEF meeting held in January 2024, stated, “The coffee that we all drink emits between 15 and 20 tons of CO₂ per ton of coffee… Every time we drink coffee, we are putting CO₂ into the atmosphere. Most of the coffee is produced by monoculture, and monoculture is also affected by climate change. The quality of these natural assets is deteriorating rapidly.” The article claims that according to the World Economic Forum, coffee drinkers will have to limit themselves to two or three cups of coffee per year in the future.
In support of this, the report carried a post from X (formerly Twitter), which showed a clip of Keller’s speech from a recent panel discussion. However, the clip did not show him specifying a limited consumption of coffee.
To learn more about this panel discussion, we visited the WEF’s official website and found the extended video of the discussion. At the 24:40 timestamp, Keller was asked about the environmental impact of coffee, to which he responded, “Coffee is really interesting because you have the nature dimension of coffee and then you have the economics of coffee, the value chain side of coffee. On the nature side, basically, the coffee that we all drink emits between 15 to 20 tons of CO₂ per ton of coffee, so we should all know that. This is every time we drink coffee, we are basically putting CO₂ into the atmosphere. The other reason, that most of the coffee plantations are produced from monoculture and it is also affected by climate change. The quality of these nature assets is deteriorating quite rapidly.” He further suggests transforming monoculture coffee assets into a regenerative agroforestry model. Nowhere does he mention consuming only two to three cups of coffee every year, as claimed in the article. We also checked the WEF’s website for any press release regarding the claim but found none.
The People’s Voice has a lengthy history of publishing false stories in the past. This website has been listed as a “fake news website” by several fact-checks.
To sum up, WEF did not suggest a limit of drinking not more than 2 or 3 cups per year.


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No, WHO did not say that ‘no vegetarian has been infected with COVID-19’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 4, 2020
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that a WHO report mentioned that not even one vegetarian has been infected with COVID-19. A quote by a WHO Representative has been added in the post to substantiate the claim. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
WHO report – ‘No vegetarian in the world was found to have been infected with COVID-19’.
Fact: No such statement was made by any WHO representative or report. Also, WHO has advised people that they can consume meat products if they are cooked thoroughly and properly handled during food preparation. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched if there is any such report by WHO that made such a statement, no such report was found. Also, when FACTLY has contacted WHO regarding the quote mentioned in the post, the WHO Representative in China has clarified that his quote was taken out of context. He said – ‘The statement was part of a longer discussion about the continued global risk of zoonotic diseases and the potential for ‘spill-over’ into human populations.  The intent was not to endorse any particular diet nor to condemn any other, but to recognise that as long as people eat meat, there is a need to rear animals, to slaughter them, and to distribute and sell the products. The proximity of animals and humans thus generated will create the opportunity of animal-human spill-overs of infectious disease. It is important therefore that the trade in all livestock, from farm to table, be regulated in a One-Health approach, looking at animal and human health as one continuum, with all sectors involved acting in unison. This applies to an even greater extent to the illegal trade in wild animals for food where other considerations, from law enforcement to quarantine and conservation, will also apply’. He did not say that no vegetarian was infected by COVID-19.
WHO has also advised people that they can consume meat products if they are cooked thoroughly and properly handled during food preparation. Also, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in one of its reports, mentioned that ‘there is no evidence that animals or food of animal origin can transmit the virus COVID-19 to humans’.
Some news reports and research articles suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 viruses ‘latch onto a protein called ACE2, which is found on the surface of our cells, and like a key fitting into a lock that is the first step to launching an infection.’ ACE2 is found in humans in different organs. An interactive visualization by ‘The News York Times’ on ‘How Coronavirus Hijacks Your Cells’ can be seen here.
To sum it up, WHO did not say that ‘no vegetarian has been infected with COVID-19’.
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No, Countries signing the WHO's pandemic treaty do not cede their sovereignty - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 20, 2024
Before the United Nations World Health Assembly, anticipated for May 2024, a widely circulated video features a man cautioning about Prime Minister Modi’s apparent readiness to endorse the WHO’s pandemic treaty. In the video, the man asserts that upon the treaty’s activation, the WHO gains authority over the Indian constitution, rendering it null and void. This article aims to fact-check the assertion presented in the video.
Claim: WHO’s pandemic treaty gains authority over the Indian constitution ; PM Modi decided to sign the treaty.
Fact: The draft pandemic policy does not include any provision for overriding the sovereignty of individual nations during pandemics. The draft upholds the sovereignty of individual nations to determine and manage their approach to public health. This claim has been refuted by both the WHO and experts. Furthermore, no reports indicate that Modi is expected to sign the treaty. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
WHO’s Pandemic Treaty :
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, in March 2021, a group of world leaders announced an initiative for a new treaty on pandemic preparedness and response. This proposal was brought forth to the World Health Organization (WHO) and will be negotiated, drafted, and debated by a newly established Intergovernmental Negotiation Body.
In October 2021, the Working Group on Enhancing WHO Preparedness for and Response to Health Emergencies (WGPR) released a preliminary report, known as the ‘zero draft,’ detailing an evaluation of the advantages of a potential new WHO convention, agreement, or alternative international instrument regarding pandemic preparedness and response.
The primary objective of this treaty is to promote a comprehensive approach involving all levels of government and society, bolstering national, regional, and global capabilities and resilience against forthcoming pandemics. This entails significantly augmenting international collaboration to enhance alert systems, facilitate data-sharing, advance research, and enhance local, regional, and global manufacturing and dissemination of medical and public health countermeasures like vaccines, medications, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment.
The treaty does not override the sovereignty of nations:
The Zero Draft of the treaty, identified as the Zero Draft of WHO CA+, was released on 01 February 2023. Nevertheless, the draft treaty does not contain any provisions indicating that the sovereignty or constitution of individual nations will be disregarded by the WHO during pandemics.
The draft begins by “Reaffirming the principle of sovereignty of States Parties in addressing public health matters, notably pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and health systems recovery.”
Moreover, a specific section of the draft titled “Sovereignty” explicitly states that states have “the sovereign right to determine and manage their approach to public health, notably pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery of health systems, pursuant to their own policies and legislation, provided that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to their peoples and other countries.”
WHO refuted the claim.
When rumours circulated on social media suggesting that the treaty would relinquish the sovereignty of signatory nations to the WHO during any pandemic, the WHO denied the claim, categorically stating that “No country will cede any sovereignty to WHO.”
Experts and individuals involved in drafting the policy clarified that the draft does not advocate for such provisions; instead, it encourages nations to collaborate. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed in a statement that the draft does not supersede any nation’s individual health or domestic policies.
Amidst the circulation of rumours, the Intergovernmental Negotiation Body is anticipated to present its findings for review during the World Health Assembly in May 2024. However, we found no reports that indicate that Prime Minister Modi has shown readiness to sign the treaty. It’s crucial to note that the policy is still in the drafting phase, and numerous negotiations may occur before all nations ratify the policy framework.
To sum it up, WHO’s pandemic treaty does not cede the sovereignty of signatory nations.

created: February 20, 2024


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The woman arrested for possession of a pistol in Uttar Pradesh is neither a teacher nor a Muslim - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 14, 2022
UPDATE (15 November 2022): On the occasion of children’s day, a lot of social media users have shared the same video with a claim that the woman caught with the pistol is a teacher. The article has been updated with the FIR copy and the clarification from the police that she is not a teacher.
A social media post accompanying the video that shows a female police officer frisking a woman and taking out a pistol from her trouser’s pocket is being widely shared with a claim that the woman found with a pistol is a Muslim teacher. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of  police finding a pistol hidden in the pocket of a Muslim teacher in UP.
Fact: It is true that Kotwali police of Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh arrested a woman for possession of a pistol in April 2022. However, the woman is not from Muslim community. As per the news reports, police identified the woman as Karishma Singh Yadav from Ferozabad. Also, the police have clarified that she is not a teacher. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral visuals are related to a recent incident where the Mainpuri police of Uttar Pradesh seized a pistol from a woman. However, the woman is not from the Muslim community as claimed in the viral post.
Google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple news reports that reported the viral video (here, here & here). As per these reports, acting on a tip-off, the Kotwali police of Mainpuri district arrested a woman for possession of a pistol and was also presented in court.
As per the reports, police identified the woman as Karishma Singh Yadav, a woman from Firozabad who came to Mainpuri for some work. The name of the woman suggests that she is not from the Muslim community.
Mainpuri police through a tweet shared a press report related to the incident. The tweet shared a news clip that reported the arrest. The news clip shared by the police also reported the name of the woman as Karishma. Further in our correspondence, Kotwali police confirmed that the woman held for possession of a pistol is not a Muslim.
#UPPolice #UPPInNews #MainpuriPoliceINNews pic.twitter.com/a9NueC2MkN
The FIR filed on the incident can be found here. The Mainpuri Police have clarified that the woman caught with the pistol is not a teacher as claimed in the post, though some news reports mentioned her as a teacher.
उक्त प्रकरण में जांच उपरांत ज्ञात हुआ कि तमंचा के साथ पकड़ी गई महिला शिक्षिका नही है। तमंचा कहां से लेकर आयी थी ,किस प्रयोजन के लिए लायी थी इस संबंध में थाना कोतवाली में अभियोग पंजीकृत कर जांच की जा रही है।
To sum it up, the woman arrested for possession of a pistol in Uttar Pradesh is neither a teacher nor a Muslim.


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No, Yogi Adityanath does not have 138 criminal cases against him - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 16, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that UP CM Yogi Adityanath has 138 criminal cases against him. The post compares the educational background and the number of criminal cases filed against Akhilesh Yadav, Jayant Chaudhary, and Yogi Adityanath respectively. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: UP CM Yogi Adityanath has 138 criminal cases against him.
Fact: According to the election affidavits filed for the 2022 UP assembly elections, Akhilesh Yadav has one pending criminal case (with no conviction yet) and Yogi Adityanath has none. Jayant Chaudhary has no criminal cases according to his election affidavit from the general elections in 2019. However, according to the affidavits filed in 2014 and 2017, Yogi Adityanath had 3 and 4 criminal cases respectively. In 2017, Yogi Adityanath government had issued orders to withdraw a case against Yogi Adityanath which was filed in 1995 in Pipiganj police station. In 2019, a 20-year-old murder case against Yogi Adityanath was dismissed by a special court. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Jayant Chaudhary studied M.Sc. Accounting and Finance from London School of Economics and Political Science in 2002. He has no criminal cases according to his election affidavit from the general elections in 2019. The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary is not going to contest the 2022 UP Assembly elections. RLD is in alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the upcoming election in UP.
Akhilesh Yadav (the chief of Samajwadi Party) studied B.E. in Civil Environment Engineering at Mysore University. According to the recent affidavit filed by Akhilesh Yadav to the election commission, he has one pending criminal case against him but has not been convicted. Akhilesh is contesting in the assembly elections for the first time. He is contesting from the Karhal seat.
Similarly, Yogi Adityanath is also contesting in the assembly elections for the first time. He is contesting from Gorakhpur (Urban) constituency. According to the recent affidavit filed by Yogi Adityanath to the election commission, he has no pending criminal case against him.
However, according to the affidavits filed in 2014 and 2017, Yogi Adityanath had 3 and 4 criminal cases respectively. In 2017, the Yogi Adityanath government had issued orders to withdraw a case against Yogi Adityanath which was filed in 1995 in Pipiganj police station. In 2019, a 20-year-old murder case against Yogi Adityanath was dismissed by a special court.
To sum it up, Yogi Adityanath does not have 138 criminal cases against him.

created: February 16, 2022


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Yogi Adityanath's face was not intentionally blurred in this video to highlight Narendra Modi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 16, 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi before filing his nomination for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. A video depicting Modi’s prayer with Yogi Adityanath seated behind him has been widely shared. The video shows Adityanath’s face blurred, leading to speculation that it was intentionally blurred to highlight Modi (here & here). This article aims to fact-check this claim.
Claim: A video showing Modi’s visit to the Kashi Vishwanath temple with Yogi Adityanath’s face blurred.
Fact: The media agency responsible for reporting the viral video blurred the logo of the agency from which the video was sourced. However, inadvertently, in a few frames, the blurred section overlapped with Yogi’s face. This led to a misunderstanding, as it appeared that Yogi’s face was intentionally blurred. In the original video, Yogi Adityanath’s face was not blurred. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The viral video depicts Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the Kashi Vishwanath temple alongside Yogi Adityanath. However, most news agencies have aired the visit with Yogi’s face clearly visible, contrary to what the viral video suggests.
A Google search using relevant keywords provided us with several reports detailing Modi’s visit to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, a day before filing his nomination from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. However, in all of these reports, Yogi Adityanath’s face is clearly visible without any blurring (here & here). Adityanath was observed seated behind Modi while the latter offered prayers.
Upon noticing that the viral video bears the ‘Hindi Khabar’ logo, we conducted a search on their social media profiles. This led us to their Twitter post, wherein they issued a clarification regarding the viral claim. As the video was shared with similar allegations by a Congress leader, Hindi Khabar responded by stating that the viral clip features the ANI logo, and it was this logo that was blurred by a trainee journalist, not Yogi’s face. They provided several screenshots from their broadcast where Yogi’s face is clearly visible, highlighting that only the ANI logo was blurred.
हे कंफ्यूज़्ड कांग्रेस की मंथरा मौसी, फेक न्यूज़ फैलाते फैलाते आप मानसिक रूप से बहुत बीमार हो गई हैं. बाबा काशी विश्वनाथ जी से प्रार्थना है कि आपकी समस्त मानसिक व्याधियों को शीघ्र ही ठीक करें. संदर्भित क्लिप ANI न्यूज़ एजेन्सी के काफी बड़े आकार के Logo के साथ थी. 'हिन्दी ख़बर'… https://t.co/tX0FXWposT pic.twitter.com/MqRUztibHQ
To gain additional insight, we reviewed the YouTube channel of ‘Hindi Khabar’ and observed that in several of their videos, the area behind their logo is blurred (here, here & here). This likely indicates that the logo is of the agency from which they obtained the video. Additionally, we noticed a similar blur at the top right corner in the video of Modi and Yogi’s roadshow in Varanasi featured on their channel. This implies that the media agency responsible for the viral video had blurred the top right corner of the frame, and Yogi’s face unintentionally overlapped with this area, rather than it being a deliberate act.
To sum up, Yogi Adityanath’s face was not intentionally blurred in this video to highlight Modi.


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No, Yogi Adityanath did not ask people to refrain from watching Shahrukh Khan’s Pathan movie - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 31, 2022
A post accompanying a video of Yogi Adityanath talking about Shahrukh Khan is being widely circulated with a claim that Yogi’s message for people against watching Shahrukh Khan’s upcoming movie Pathan. In the viral video Yogi can be heard comparing Shahrukh with terrorist Hafiz Saeed. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Yogi Adityanath message against watching Shahrukh Khan’s Pathan movie.
Fact: Yogi Adityanath made these comments on Shahrukh Khan back in 2015, against the backdrop of Khan’s comments on growing intolerance in the country. Lately Yogi Adityanath did not make any such comments asking people to refrain from watching Shahrukh Khan’s upcoming movie Pathan. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
This video Yogi comparing Shahrukh Khan to Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed dates back to 2015 and has no connection to Khan’s upcoming movie ‘Pathan’. Google search with relevant keywords yielded us the same footage, wherein Yogi compared Shahrukh’s language to that of Hafiz Saeed’.
As per the description of the report, Yogi made these comments back in 2015 against the backdrop of Shahrukh’s comments on growing intolerance in the country.
Multiple news reports have reported Yogi’s comments back then, these reports can be read here, here, and here. As per these news reports Yogi’s comments were in response to the actor’s comments ‘in support of the protest by writers and filmmakers against rising intolerance in the country’. Earlier Khan in support of the protests has said there was ‘nothing worse than religious intolerance and that it would take India to the dark ages.’
Further, if at all Yogi had indeed made such comments urging people to refrain from watching Sharukh Khan’s movie, media would have reported it, however, we could not find any such reports.
To sum it up, Yogi Adityanth did not ask people to refrain from watching Sharukh Khan’s Pathan movie.


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Nobel laureate Tasuku Honjo hasn't claimed that 'coronavirus is man made' - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 25, 2020
A post is being widely shared on social media platforms stating that Japan’s Nobel Prize winning Professor of Medicine, Professor Dr. Tasuku Honjo has claimed that the Coronavirus is not natural and that China manufactured it. Let’s check the authenticity of the claims made in these posts.
Japan’s Nobel Prize winning Professor of Medicine, Professor Dr Tasuku Honjo has claimed that the Coronavirus is not natural and that China manufactured it.
Fact: There is no credible source which attributes the claims made in the post to Nobel laureate Tasuku Honjo. In none of his recent interactions with the media, Tasuku Honjo had made any claims that indicated that the Coronavirus is not natural and that China manufactured it. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched if there is any Nobel Prize winning Professor of Medicine, Professor Dr. Tasuku Honjo from Japan, it is found that he along with James P. Allison was awarded Nobel in 2018 for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation. However, no evidence from any credible source attributing him to the claims made in the post was found.
Through his most recent interaction with media, Tasuku Honjo has stated the need to ramp up the PCR tests to detect virus infections to more than 10,000 per day and urged residents of the three cities of Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya to impose “complete self-restraint from outings”. In another interview prior to this, Tasuku Honjo encouraged Japanese authorities to adopt a more proactive approach and stressed that Taiwan would serve as a great model for Japan to follow. But nowhere in these interactions, he made the claims stated in the social media posts which stated that the Coronavirus is not natural and that China manufactured it.
Tasuku Honjo is currently holding the position of Deputy Director-General and Distinguished Professor at Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study, and his profile can be found on their website. It is mentioned in the viral message on social media that Tasuku Honjo had worked at a Wuhan laboratory in China for 4 years, but there is no mention of this in his profile. Hence the claim of him working at a Wuhan laboratory in China for 4 years is also false.
During our research, it is found that, in an interview with a French news channel a few days ago, another Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier had claimed that the coronavirus was manufactured in a laboratory in China’s Wuhan. Montagnier had won the 2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine along with Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Harald zur Hausen for the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). An official at France President Emmanuel Macron’s office has refuted these claims and clarified that there is no factual evidence so far of a link between the Covid-19 outbreak and the work of the P4 research laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Ever since the outbreak of  COVID-19, multiple claims were made linking the origin of the virus to a research lab in Wuhan. These claims were debunked by multiple fact-checkers across the world. A peer-reviewed study in March found no evidence that the coronavirus had been engineered, stating that “it is improbable that SARS-CoV-2 emerged through laboratory manipulation.” WHO also time and again made it clear that all available evidence suggests the novel coronavirus originated in animals in China late last year and was neither manipulated nor produced in a laboratory
To sum it up, Nobel laureate Tasuku Honjo hasn’t claimed that ‘coronavirus is not natural and that China manufactured it’. The message widely being circulated on his name is fake.
Update (APRIL 28, 2020):
As the fake message went viral, Kyoto University has published a statement on behalf of Professor Tasuku Honjo. Tasuku Honjo in his statement said, ‘I am greatly saddened that my name and that of Kyoto University have been used to spread false accusations and misinformation’.
Did you watch our new video?


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Security Features of the new 2000 rupee note
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 15, 2016
Here is a short video on the security features of the new 2000 rupee note. To make things clear, there is no ‘electronic chip’ in these notes.

created: November 15, 2016


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‘Nokia 3310 had 70% charge when switched on after 20 years’ is fake news - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 28, 2019
A post is being shared on social media with a claim that a Nokia phone had 70% charge even after switching it on after a period of 20 years. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Nokia 3310 had 70% charge when it was switched on after 20 years.
Fact: This news was picked up from a satirical website and is being shared as a true event. Nokia 3310 was launched in 2000, so only 19 years passed since its launch. Also, the person in the photo is Dave Mitchell (not Kevin Moody) and he was using the phone since 2000. He didn’t use the phone for some years but he never claimed that he forgot about the phone and found it later with 70% charge. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched about the news on Google, it was found that the same news, with similar claims, was also published by some reputed news agencies [News18 Hindi (Archive), Dainik Bhaskar (Archive) and Navbharat Times (Archive)]. All three of them claimed that the person in the picture is ‘Kevin Moody’. But the three articles have some minute changes in their claims. While the News18 claimed that the phone was switched on after 20 years, Danik Bhaskar and Navbharat Times claimed that the phone was 19 years old.
In the News 18 article, it can be found the source for the news is an article on ‘Chester Bugle’. The title of the article is, ‘NOKIA 3310 Found in Drawer After 20 Years Still Has 70% Battery’. But, Nokia 3310 was launched in 2000 (so, only 19 years passed since its launch). Also, in the ‘About Us’ section of ‘Chester Bugle’, it can be seen that it is a satirical website.
When the image in the post was run through Yandex Reverse Image Search, an article published by ‘Express.co.uk’ in 2017 with similar images was found in the search results. According to the article, the person in the photo is ‘Dave Mitchell’ and he still uses his Nokia 3310, which he bought in 2000. While the article mentioned that Dave stopped using his Nokia 3310 for some years, nowhere it was mentioned that he forgot about his phone and it was with 70% charge when he found it in a table drawer after some years. These false claims can be found in the satirical article. Not only ‘Express.co.uk’, but also Indian news websites published articles about Dave in 2017, which can be read here, here and here.
To sum it up, ‘Nokia 3310 had 70% charge when switched on after 20 years’ is fake news.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Parliament?


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Non-EU/EEA nationals are not eligible for financial grants from the Irish government to relocate to their islands - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 3, 2023
Update (03 July 2023):
Another news claiming that the Irish government is providing 71 lakhs for marrying an Irish woman, is being widely shared across social media platforms.
Upon searching for any such scheme, we could not find any policy decision or scheme announced by the Irish government. However, as mentioned below, the Irish government has recently introduced a policy offering financial assistance to their citizens who wish to relocate to one of their 30 offshore islands. But, Indian nationals are not eligible to avail of this facility. Also, there is no such clause proving financial assistance for marrying an Irish girl, in this policy, proving the viral news is nothing but misinformation.
Moreover, according to United Nations Population Division, for the past few decades, the percentage of male population out of the total population in Ireland is hovering around 50%. In such a case, it is very unlikely that the Irish government would introduce such a scheme.
Earlier, when similar claims stating that the Iceland government is offering similar assistance/government jobs for men who are willing to marry Icelandic women were circulated on social media platforms, FACTLY debunked the news fake.
Published (30 June 2023):
A video about the Ireland government’s new scheme offering financial incentives to citizens to move to their offshore communities is garnering attention on social media. In the video, it is claimed that non-residents are also eligible for financial assistance. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Indians are eligible for the financial assistance offered by Irish government for moving to one of its offshore islands.
Fact: While the Irish government is offering financial assistance to those who decide to relocate to sparsely populated offshore islands, under the newly introduced ‘Our Living Islands’ policy, it is only citizens of Ireland that are eligible to avail the financial benefits and the policy is not open to non-EU/EEA nationals who live outside of Ireland. While foreign nationals can move to these islands, they do not get any financial grant from the government and the residency requirements are the same as the rest of Ireland. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Aiming to rejuvenate around 30 sparsely populated offshore spots, Ireland’s government has recently unveiled a policy called the ‘Our Living Islands’. It is a 10-year strategy to create thriving communities that will flourish for generations, diversify the islands’ economies, make them more appealing to remote workers, and create career opportunities for residents. Under the policy, the government is offering financial support to those who decide to relocate to the abandoned properties of these islands. The detailed policy framework can be viewed here.
Those who aspire to live on an island must acquire and possess a property that was built before 1993 and has remained unoccupied for a minimum of two years. The money paid can only be used on building work, from structural improvements to redecoration.
However, only citizens of Ireland are eligible for the grant under Our Living Islands policy and it does not include any proposals to facilitate immigration or resettlement to Ireland’s offshore islands. While foreign nationals can move to these islands, they do not get any financial grant from the government and the residency requirements are the same as the rest of Ireland.
Following the announcement of the policy, misinformation like Indians are eligible to avail of the opportunity are doing rounds on social media. However, an official from the Embassy of Ireland to India, speaking to the media clarified that “please note that specific grant applications under the ‘Our Living Islands’ policy are only available to residents of Ireland with appropriate immigration permissions. The policy is not open to non-EU/EEA nationals who live outside of Ireland. Please remain alert to fraudsters looking to exploit misconceptions about this policy and be highly suspicious of anyone supposedly offering Irish ‘relocation visas.’ Always check official Irish government sources for visa information, particularly the Irish Immigration homepage.”
To sum it up, non-EU/EEA nationals are not eligible for financial grants from the Irish government to relocate to their islands.


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Non-FASTag users entering the FASTag lane have to pay 100% penalty at Toll Plazas
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 19, 2018
The government amended rules in 2014 seeking to impose a 100% penalty on non-FASTag users entering the FASTag lane. A parliamentary standing committee has now recommended that the government must first ensure easy availability of FASTags and undertake awareness programs before imposing penalty.
To provide seamless movement of vehicles at toll plazas,  FASTag was launched  in the year 2014. The FASTag is a passive RFID tag affixed at the centre of the windscreen of vehicles. Vehicles can drive through the FASTag lanes at toll plazas after recharging their Tag accounts and the toll amount will be automatically deducted from the account. The  rules made in 2014  also contained a provision that any non-FASTag vehicle entering the dedicated FASTag lane would have to pay two times the toll amount, i.e., 100% penalty.
The progress of FASTag
The government has now  made it mandatory  for all vehicles manufactured or sold after 1st  December 2017 to have a FASTag. The dealer is mandated to complete the registration and affix the tag as per the procedure.Older vehicles can buy the tag at various  point of sale locations  or through  ICICI  or  Axis Bank .
A standard operating procedure (SOP) has been developed for both the FASTag users  and the toll operators . FASTag is currently active in  over 300 toll plazas  across the country. Users can also call the  customer care numbers of various banks in case of issues.
Parliamentary Standing Committee looks into the amended rules
The parliamentary standing committee on subordinate legislation recently  submitted its report  on the amended user fee rules that stipulated a 100% penalty on non-FASTag users entering the FASTag lane. The committee broadly looked into the following two issues
Committee differs with the government
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) in its written submission to the committee maintained that the provisions is simply mandating users to pay twice the user fee and not a penalty.The committee did not agree with the ministry and said that imposition of any kind of additional charges beyond the prescribed fee for any violation qualifies as penalty. The committee also noted that for substantive matters like imposition of penalties etc., the provisions have to made in the parent act and not through executive orders by the government. The committee recommended that the parent act be amended delegating the powers to impose penalty on the central government.
Government says that the collection of Penalty has not yet started
During the course of the committee meetings, a representative of MoRTH informed that the concept of dedicated fast lanes is yet to take off in the country and hence the collection of such penalty has not yet begun notwithstanding the relevant provision to collect penalty.  The government said that the non-FASTag users entering the FASTag lane may obstruct the seamless passage and hence two times the user fee will serve as a deterrent. The government also said that large sign boards are present at every toll plaza indicating the dedicated FASTag lanes.
‘Build Awareness & Ensure availability before imposing Penalty’
The committee in its recommendations to the government noted that before imposing penalty on violators, the government must ensure easy availability of FASTags through various channels and also educate the people on using the dedicated FASTag lanes since the concept is new.

created: January 19, 2018


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Non-partisanship policy
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 24, 2024


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None of them said that they will leave India or commit suicide if Modi wins - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 28, 2019
A post with photos containing the statements of few celebrities on Modi and BJP is widely being shared on Facebook. Let’s try to check whether the celebrities actually said the words attributed to them in the post.
If Modi becomes the Prime Minister of India, some celebrities like Shah Rukh, Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi said that they will leave India; Mamata Banerjee said she will commit suicide.
Fact: None of them said that they will leave India or commit suicide if Modi becomes the PM of India. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the Shah Rukh’s statements, given in the post, on Google, it was found that the same statements were being attributed to him for the past five years. A Times of India article published in 2014 can be found in the search results. It contains the tweet of Shah Rukh Khan rubbishing the fake tweet being circulated on his name.
Similar statements were attributed to Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi. When searched on Google with keywords “Shabana Azmi to leave India”, an Economic Times article on this issue can be found in the search results. The article contains the tweet of Shabana Azmi in which she says the statements are ‘pure fabrication’. Also, Javed Akhtar in a conversation with Boom Live refuted the claims that he said he will leave India if Modi wins.
. "मोदी अगर प्रधानमंत्री बन गए तो देश छोड़ दूँगी"शबाना आज़मी
This is PURE FABRICATION. Ive never said this and i have no intentions of leaving the country. This is where I was born and this is where Ill die.I hve nothing but contempt for The Fake News Brigade.
The post also contains an image of Mamata Banerjee with a statement: “I will commit suicide if Modi wins again”. When the statement was searched on Google, no credible sources supporting the claim were found. Only news found similar to the post was where Mamata said, “Adolf Hitler would have committed suicide if he witnessed Modi’s activities”. So, the statements attributed to Mamata were not said by her.
When searched for the statements attributed to Navjot Singh Sidhu on Google, it was found that he actually said that he will quit politics if Rahul Gandhi loses in Amethi. He made these statements in April 2019, a month before the results. It is known that Rahul Gandhi had lost the Amethi seat.
To sum it up, none of them said that they will leave India or commit suicide if Modi wins. Sidhu said he will quit politics if Rahul loses.
Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


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Let’s know the North East India – Part 1 - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 24, 2015
The North East India holds an important position from a strategic point of view as these states share their borders with other countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. The terrain, the state of Socio economic development and historical factors such as language/ethnicity, tribal rivalry, migration, control over local resources and a widespread feeling of exploitation and alienation have resulted in a fragile security situation in the North Eastern States. This has resulted in violence and diverse demands by various Indian Insurgent Groups (IIGs).
Let’s take a deep dive by understanding the development in terms of the numbers presented by the North East division and Ministry of Home Affairs for North East development. This will be followed by a story on the North East culture.
Population & Area
As per the 2011 Census, almost 3.7% of the Indian population resides in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland occupying a total area of 7.97% of the total land in India.
State Domestic Product (SDP)
SDP is the total value of goods and services produced during any financial year within the geographical boundaries of a state. Growth accelerated in all NE States during 11th five year Plan period (2007-12). The average growth rate of the NE states was 9.95% against the national average of 8%. Growth was supported by good performance in the agriculture sector including horticulture, floriculture, fisheries, rubber & oil palm
Railways
The presence of railways in the North Eastern Region is more than 125 years old when the first passenger railway system came into being in 1881 between Dibrugarh and Sadiya. Since then, the railway system in the region has grown considerably.
The North East Frontier Railway Zone (NF Railways) directly or indirectly serves all the eight North Eastern states besides West Bengal and Bihar. NF Railway has become the lifeline of the North Eastern region transporting essential goods all over the region. It moves coal and petroleum products from this region to the rest of India. NF Railway also serves as a rail head for the landlocked Himalayan countries of Nepal and Bhutan and provides interchange facilities with Bangladesh.
The NF Railways has 452 stations covering a route length of 4002 km and a track length of 5971 km (as on 1 January, 2015). It carried 97.62 million passengers in 2013-14 at an average of 2.68 lakh passengers per day.
Roadways
Roadways are the backbone of transport and communication in the North East primarily due to the terrain and sparse distribution of population. Road connectivity is planned in four categories: (i) Connectivity within each State (ii) Intra-regional connectivity (iii) Connectivity to rest of India (iv) Connectivity to neighbouring countries.  It has a total of about 5000 km of National Highways running through these states.
Airways
Most of the places in the North Eastern Region are inaccessible and located in far-flung areas. The road and rail infrastructure is inadequate; therefore, air connectivity is an important means of transportation in the Region both for intra-State connectivity and the Region’s linkage to the mainland. There are a total of 23 airports in the North Eastern Region out of which 12 are operational.
Sources:
Planning Commission of India
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
Ministry of Home Affairs – North Eastern Division


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Not a case of ‘Jai Shri Ram’. A Muslim man was beaten on the suspicion of stealing a phone - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 12, 2019
A video is being shared on Facebook with a claim that a Dalit man has been thrashed in Masjid for saying ‘Jai Shri Ram’. The same video was also posted on Twitter with the same description. Let’s try to check the authenticity of the image in the post.
A Dalit man has been pulled into Masjid and was thrashed for saying ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
Fact: In the video, the man was beaten on the suspicion of phone robbery. He is a Muslim man, not Dalit. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video are run through Google Reverse Image Search, a ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ news article containing the same video can be found in the search results. According to that article, the incident took place at Karimpur masjid in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh on 25 May, 2019. The man (Sameer) in the video was beaten by a group of people from Bulandshahr on the suspicion of phone robbery when he went to masjid to offer Namaz.
To sum it up, the man in the video is a Muslim and was beaten on the suspicion of robbing a phone.
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Not all CEOs mentioned here claim that they do not use their own company’s products - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 28, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that CEOs of well-known companies confessed that they do not use the products made by their own companies. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: CEOs of these companies confessing that they do not use the products made by their own companies.
Fact: There is no evidence that CEO of PepsiCo, Ramon Laguarta was recorded saying that he had never let his family touch any of Pepsi’s products. It had been reported that Mark Zuckerberg puts tape over his laptop’s camera; Steve Jobs and Bill Gates limited their children’s tech use. Chris Kempczinski is the CEO of McDonald’s, and he eats at McDonald’s. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
CEO of Pepsi:
Ramon Laguarta was elected the Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo in 2018, to succeed Indira Nooyi who was its CEO for 12 years. We could not find any credible sources that confirm that Ramon Laguarta was recorded saying that he had never let his family touch any of Pepsi’s products. We also could not find anything in the official social media handles of Ramon Laguarta that he had made such a statement– Twitter, Facebook. In an interview with the New York Times, Indira Nooyi (the former CEO of PepsiCo), narrated an incident during a town hall where an employee’s spouse said that she was not willing to give their child all PepsiCo products. Indira Nooyi was speaking about another woman’s words; she was not speaking about her own family.
Mark Zuckerberg:
According to articles published in 2016, Mark Zuckerberg does put tapes on his laptop’s webcam and microphone. This had been inferred from a photo he posted on Facebook in 2016.
Steve Jobs:
Nick Bilton once asked Steve Jobs after the launch of the first iPad, whether his children liked the device. Steve Jobs replied: “They haven’t used it. We limit how much technology our kids use at home.” This conversation was recalled by Nick Bilton in his article in the New York Times.
Bill Gates:
It had been widely reported how Bill Gates had limited his children’s tech use or screen time. In 2007, reportedly, Bill Gates implemented a cap on screen time when his daughter started developing an unhealthy attachment to a video game.
CEO of McDonald’s:
Chris Kempczinski is the CEO of McDonald’s. We could not find any credible information online which confirms that he doesn’t eat at his own company. In fact, according to an article, he eats at McDonald’s twice daily. However, he runs 50 miles a week to burn that off.
To sum it up, not all CEOs mentioned here claim that they do not use their own company’s products.


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Not all the claims explaining ‘Article 370’ are true
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 8, 2019
After the Home Minister’s announcement in the Rajya Sabha that the government plans to scrap the provisions for special status to Jammu & Kashmir under Article 370, the internet is flooded with posts explaining the special powers enjoyed by the state of Jammu and Kashmir, previously under the Article 370. Let us take these claims and try to check how many of these are true.
In the Indian Constitution, Article 370 is included in the Part XXI (Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions). As the post claims multiple provisions for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370. Let’s look at each of them individually.
People of Jammu and Kashmir have dual citizenship.
Fact  Under the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, the residents of the state are considered as ‘Permanent Residents’ subject to fulfillment of certain conditions. They were also given special rights under Article 35A. So, under the provisions of Article 370 and Article 35A, those who are ‘Permanent Residents’ of Jammu and Kashmir have specific rights, but not dual citizenship. All of them are still Indian Citizens and hold an Indian passport only.  Hence, this claim made in the post is not entirely TRUE.
Jammu and Kashmir state has separate flag.
Fact  In the Jammu and Kashmir constitution, it can be found that the provision for a separate flag was given. For more information, the ‘Frontline’ article on this issue can be read here.  Hence, this claim made in the post is TRUE     .
Tenure of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is 6 years.
Fact  On the website of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, it can be found that the members of the Legislative Assembly serve 6-year terms. Hence, this claim made in the post is TRUE     .
Disrespecting Indian flag and other national symbols is not a crime in J&K.
Fact  There are no exceptions given to J&K under ‘Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971’ and ‘Flag Code of India, 2002’. Also, in the ‘Central Enactments Applicable to State of Jammu and Kashmir’ document, it can be seen that ‘Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971’ is also extended to Jammu and Kashmir. Hence, this claim made in the post is FALSE.
Indian Supreme Court has no jurisdiction in J&K.
Fact  On the website of J&K High Court, it can be found that through ‘Constitution Application Order of 1954’, the state of J&K came under the jurisdiction of Supreme Court in 1954. It is true that some judgements of the SC on Indian Penal Code do not apply to J&K as they have Ranbir Penal Code. But, there is no truth in the argument that the SC does not have jurisdiction on J&K at all. The judgements of SC on the issues related to J&K can be found on the SC website. Hence, this claim made in the post is FALSE.
A J&K woman loses her residency rights if she marries a man from another state.
Fact  In the articles published by ‘Outlook’ and ‘Business Standard’, it can be found that the former Advocate-General of J&K Ishaq Qadri talking to PTI has said that the J&K women will not lose their residency rights if they marry a non-permanent resident. He said that it was given in the judgement of the J&K High Court in the ‘State and others vs Dr Susheela Sawhney and others’ case in 2002. To overturn the HC judgement, the J&K government came up with ‘Jammu and Kashmir Permanent Resident Status (Disqualification) Bill, 2004’ in 2004 but it could not be enacted. Later, the government said that it does not have any plans to reintroduce that bill. In a document uploaded on ‘The Hindu’ website, it can be found that due to an explanatory note given in 1927 notification, people interpreted that the J&K women will lose their residency rights if they marry a non-permanent resident. Hence, this claim made in the post is FALSE.
A Pakistani resident gains J&K citizenship if he marries a J&K woman.
Fact  In the document prepared by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the 1927 notification of Maharaja Hari Singh can be found. In that notification, there is a note that the women of other states will become State subjects if they marry J&K men. But there is nothing written in that notification or in the laws promulgated later that Pakistan men can get J&K ‘Permanent Resident’ status by marrying J&K women. Hence, this claim made in the post is FALSE.
RTI laws are not applicable in J&K.
Fact :  The State of Jammu and Kashmir has its own RTI law. Also, the Central RTI does apply to the Central Government offices in the state. Hence, this claim made in the post is MISLEADING.     .
CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) of India cannot audit the documents related to J&K.
Fact  On the website of ‘Accountant General, J&K’, it can be found that the jurisdiction of the CAG was extended to J&K in 1958. Also, the documents related to J&K can be found on the CAG website. Hence, this claim made in the post is FALSE     .
Kashmir forces sharia law on its citizens, especially women.
Fact  According to an article in the ‘Outlook’, the J&K Assembly passed a law in 2007 to apply Sharia laws in the State. But, Sharia laws only deal with civil cases in J&K. Hence, this claim made in the post is PARTIALLY TRUE     .
Panchayats in J&K do not have any powers.
Fact  In the article published by ‘The Statesman’, it can be found that after 26 years of passing the 73 Constitution Amendment Act, the J&K Panchayats got powers under the ‘Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj (Fourth Amendment) Act, 2018’. Also, it can be found that elections were also held after passing of this act and the then Central Home Minister announced that the government increased the financial powers of Panchayats in J&K. Hence, this claim made in the post is FALSE     .
Hindu, Sikhs, Jains and other minorities do not get the 16% reservation provided under the Constitution.
Fact  There is nothing mentioned in the constitution that every State should provide reservations based on religion. But, some states have provided reservations to their people based on religion (Telangana government proposed 12% reservation to Muslims in the State but it is yet to be implemented). Some time back, the Central Government proposed a sub-quota of 4.5% reservation to minorities in 27% reservation given to OBCs but it is currently in the Supreme Court. No more information was found on this claim. Hence this remains unverified.
Outsiders cannot buy land in J&K.
Fact  Under Article 35A, only the ‘Permanent Residents’ are allowed to buy land in the State of J&K. Hence, this claim made in the post is TRUE. However, such restrictions on acquiring land do exist in scheduled areas in various states and even in some states.
All these claims being circulated on social media can be also found in a document uploaded on ‘The Hindu’ website. In that story, it can be found that according to a  government official, the document provided the rationale for the removal of special status provided to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. But, it can also be seen that ‘The Hindu’ provided a disclaimer on its website saying that the contents in the document may not be accurate.
It can also be found that similar claims were doing rounds on social media for a long time.
To sum it up, not all the claims made in the posts explaining Article 370 are true.
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created: August 8, 2019


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Not all the countries severely affected by COVID-19 are on the 40-degree North latitude - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 12, 2020
An image of a map is being shared widely on social media with a claim that all the worst affected countries, by COVID-19, are along the same latitude i.e. 40-degree North.  Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Most affected countries by COVID-19 are along the same 40-degree North latitude.
Fact: 40-degree North latitude passes through some of the countries most affected by COVID-19 but does not pass through half of the locations given in the post. Also, it does not touch Wuhan (Hubei Province – where around 60% of all the positive cases are reported), which is at around 30-degree North latitude. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the world map, it can be seen that 40-degree North latitude passes through the following countries: Spain, Italy, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan, China, North Korea, Japan, US, and Portugal.
The list of countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on the WHO website. The top-10 most affected countries (as on 12 March 2020) are China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain, Germany, US, Switzerland, and Japan.
When we compare both the lists, it can be found there are only four countries (US, Spain, China, and Japan) through which the 40-degree North passes and are in the top-10 most affected countries. There are many more countries through which the 40-degree North passes and are not in the top-10 most affected list. Also, no positive COVID-19 cases were reported (as on 12 March 2020) in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. [Also, North Korea]
Even among the four countries, through which the 40-degree Northpasses and are in the top-10 most affected countries, in the US and China, itcan be observed that the 40-degree North does not pass through the mostaffected region in the respective country. The most affected regions in the USand China are Washington State and Hubei Province (Wuhan) respectively. The 40-degreeNorth does not pass through them.
To sum it up, not all the countries most affected by COVID-19 are onthe 40-degree North latitude.
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