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Video of Brazilian Police taking down an alleged knife-wielding-man is being linked to ‘Lockdown in Italy’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 24, 2020
A video of Police taking down a person and handcuffing him is being shared on social media with the claim that the video is from Italy and the Police have done so because the man has come out on to the streets despite the lockdown in the country. Let’s check the authenticity of the claim about the video.
Video of Italian police taking down a man who has come on to the streets despite lockdown in the country.
Fact: The video is from Brazil and it shows Police taking down an alleged knife-wielding-man in Sao Paulo on 19 March. So, the video has nothing to do with Italy and the claim is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were subjected to reverse image search, the same video was found in a tweet put by National Media panelist of BJP urging Police to do the same by announcing lockdown in the country.
But few users have commented that the video is not of Italy and is that of Brazil. A user in his comment has even enclosed a news report of that incident in the video.
Stop spreading fake news! Italian wears blue uniform anyways.. https://t.co/peMCleIvxX
As per that article on ‘Hoodsite’ website, on 19 March, Military Police (PM) of Brazil have taken down a miscreant who had allegedly threatened people with a knife at Avenida do Estado in Sao Paulo (Brazil). The Military Police have later arrested him and registered a case on him.  So, the video has nothing to do with Italy. The same can also be known from the article of Brazilian news agency ‘Globo’.
Due to Coronavirus, Italy is in lockdown with restrictions in place since 09 March. Recently, on 22 March, the Italian PM has prohibited any movement in the country as the death toll had exceeded 5000.
To conclude, a video of Brazilian Police taking down an alleged knife-wielding-man is being shared as ‘Lockdown in Italy’.
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Video of Chattisgarh’s Kawardha communal violence falsely shared as visuals from Uttar Pradesh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 14, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of a group of Hindus destroying Muslim vehicles and properties in Uttar Pradesh. This post claims that a Muslim mob recently attacked the Durga pandal near the Lalganj town of Pratapgarh district. It goes on to add that in retaliation to the Muslim mob attack, a group of Hindus was seen to be destroying vehicles belonging to Muslim. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a group of Hindus retaliating a Muslim mob attack on Durga pandal in Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows recent visuals of Kawardha communal violence in Chhattisgarh. There is no such incident of Muslim mob attack on Durga pandal reported at Lalganj town in Uttar Pradesh. This video has nothing to do with Uttar Pradesh. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On observing the video carefully, we could see Chhattisgarh vehicle registration number on one of the vehicles being vandalized by the mob. When searched for videos using relevant keywords, we found several social media posts describing it as the recent visuals of communal violence in Chhattisgarh’s Kawardha town. They can be seen here and here.
On searching for more information regarding this video, we found similar visuals of vandalized vehicles in an article published by the ‘Dainik Bhaskar’. This article reported that on 05 October 2021, a large group of people came out on roads carrying sticks and vandalized parked vehicles in the Kawardha town of Kabhirdham district, Chhattisgarh. Reporting the complete details of this incident, several news articles published articles and videos. They can be seen here, here, and here. According to these news reports, the communal violence in Kawardha started on 03 October 2021, after Hindu and Muslim communities got into a brawl over the removal of religious flags from the Lohara chowk area. According to news reports, following the bandh announced by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on 05 October 2021, a mob entered Muslim-dominated areas and vandalized parked vehicles on the street.
When this video went viral on social media as the visuals of communal violence in Pratagarh district, the Uttar Pradesh Police Fact-Check team issued a clarification through a tweet on 13 October 2021. Uttar Pradesh police clarified that the incident in the video took place at Kawardha town in Chhattisgarh, not in the Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh. The Pratapgarh police also made a tweet clarifying that there is no such incident of  Muslim mob attack on the Durga pandal reported near the Lalganj area in Pratapgarh.
दिनांक 05.10.2021 को कवर्धा, छत्तीसगढ़ में हुई घटना को भ्रामक रूप से उ०प्र० प्रतापगढ़ की घटना के रूप में दुष्प्रचारित किये जाने के सम्बन्ध में @pratapgarhpol द्वारा खण्डन कर मुकदमा पंजीकृत किया गया है।#UPPAgainstFakeNews#UPPolicehttps://t.co/dIZihWukAL https://t.co/swS2i6Bkkp https://t.co/hdrK4xIZyG pic.twitter.com/o0Dvnq0PU0
To sum it up, a video of Chhattisgarh’s Kawardha communal violence is falsely shared as visuals of a group of Hindus retaliating a Muslim mob attack on Durga pandal in Uttar Pradesh.

source: news-factly

created: October 14, 2021

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Video of Congress leader Dolly Sharma slamming BJP leaders and PM Modi falsely linked to Maneka Gandhi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 28, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of BJP MP Maneka Gandhi slamming her party leaders and PM Narendra Modi for mishandling the COVID-19 crisis in India. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of BJP MP Maneka Gandhi slamming her party leaders and PM Modi for mishandling the COVID-19 crisis in the country.
Fact: The woman slamming BJP party leaders and PM Narendra Modi in the video is Congress leader Dolly Sharma, not Maneka Gandhi. During a Facebook live session on 20 April 2021, Ghaziabad Congress leader Dolly Sharma criticised BJP leaders and PM Narendra Modi for mishandling the COVID-19 crisis in the country. This video has nothing to do with BJP leader Maneka Gandhi. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search, we found that several Facebook users had shared the same video by mentioning her as the Ghaziabad Congress leader, Dolly Sharma. They can be seen here, here, and here. Also, several comments under the post have mentioned the woman as Congress leader Dolly Sharma.
When we searched for this video using these keywords, the extended version of the video was found on the official Facebook handle of Congress leader Dolly Sharma. During a Facebook live session on 20 April 2021, Dolly Sharma lashed out at BJP leaders and PM Narendra Modi for mishandling the COVID-19 crisis in the country.
At 22:54 minute duration of the live session video, Dolly Sharma spoke about different challenges people are facing during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in the country. Dolly Sharma lashed out at BJP Government’s incompetency in handling the COVID-19 crisis. We could observe the same visuals in the post from 14:15 minutes of this video. Dolly Sharma slammed BJP Ministers and PM Narendra Modi for mishandling the COVID-19 crisis and for giving importance to the West Bengal elections during the pandemic. On comparing the photos of Congress leader Dolly Sharma and Maneka Gandhi, we can confirm that the woman criticising Modi Government in the video is Ghaziabad Congress leader Dolly Sharma.
To sum it up, this video shows Congress leader Dolly Sharma criticizing BJP leaders and PM Narendra Modi for mishandling the COVID-19 crisis in the country.


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Video of a Crocodile spotted in waterlogged streets is from Vadodara, not Hyderabad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 14, 2020
A post with the video of a crocodile being rescued from a waterlogged street is being widely shared on social media with the claim that the animal was spotted in Hyderabad during the ongoing rains. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Crocodile which was spotted in Hyderabad during the current heavy rains.
Fact: The video in the post is actually of a Crocodile which was found in the residential areas of Vadodara during the floods back in 2019. The video has nothing to do with Hyderabad. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video led us to a 2019 news video which carried similar visuals like in the video of the post. According to this news video, the crocodile was spotted in Gujarat’s Vadodara which came into the residential areas during the floods. Another news video of the incident also reported that the incident took place in Vadodara. With this, we can conclude that the incident is not from Hyderabad.
Various news portals also reported the same incident. According to these articles, the 10-foot long crocodile was rescued by the NDRF team. Other news articles about this incident can be read here and here.
When the same video went viral with a different claim back in 2019, FACTLY has debunked it, the fact-check of which can be read here.
In the wake of the incessant rainfall in Hyderabad, videos and posts like the ones in the post are being widely circulating on social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, the video of a crocodile being spotted in a waterlogged street is not from Hyderabad.

created: October 14, 2020


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Video of currency notes scattered on a road in Indore is falsely shared as Muslims' action to spread coronavirus - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 20, 2020
A video of police collecting currency notes on a road is being shared on Facebook with a claim that in Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Muslims are scattering currency notes of 100, 200 and 500 on road to spread coronavirus to other people. Let’s analyze the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Muslims scattered currency notes on a road in Indore to spread coronavirus.
Fact: The currency notes shown in the video are not thrown on the road by anyone with the intention to spread coronavirus. When FACTLY contacted Indore police, they said these currency notes slipped on the road from a gas cylinder delivery boy’s clothes.  Also, the name of the person who lost money on the road is Ram Narendra Yadav. He is not a Muslim. Hence the claim is FALSE.
When the incident mentioned in the post was searched on the internet, an article published in ‘Times of India’ was found in the search results. From the article, it can be read that currency notes of Rs. 500, Rs. 200, Rs. 100, Rs. 50 and Rs. 10 denominations with a total sum of Rs.  6,480 were found scattered on a road in Indore,  and police were investigating how the currency ended up on the road. More information related to the incident can be read here and here.
When the news that currency notes strewn on a road in Indore is being shared on social media as those scattered by Muslims to spread coronavirus, ‘FACTLY’ contacted Hira Lal (Indore) police on phone, who clarified that these currency notes slipped on the road from a gas cylinder delivery boy’s clothes. Also, the incident doesn’t have any relation to Muslims. The name of the person who lost money on the road is Ram Narendra Yadav and is not a Muslim.
To sum it up, a video of currency notes strewn on a road is being falsely shared as that of currency notes scattered by Muslims on a road in Indore to spread coronavirus
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Video of digital art is passed off as Oodhu Paavai, a medicinal plant blowing its pollen with a sound - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 27, 2021
A post accompanying a video of a plant-like creature releasing smoke with a sound similar to cork popping is being widely shared with a claim, that the video shows Oodhu Paavai, a medicinal plant that only grows in dense rainforests, blowing its pollen with a sound. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Oodhu Paavai, a medicinal plant blowing its pollen with a sound.
Fact: The video is actually a digital sound art created by a 3D artist called Luke Penry. He also placed the work for an auction on Foundation.app. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On closer inspection of the video, we can spot a watermark that reads ‘LUKE PENRY EXR’.  Taking a cue from this, Google search with relevant keywords led us to a Twitter handle with the name Luke Perny, which shared the same video on 17 September 2021, with a caption ‘New Sound ON’. The bio section of the Twitter profile describes him as a 3D artist. There are many such digital sound art videos on his timeline.
🌟NEW!🌟 Sound ON 🔊
Who would like to see this on @withFND?#NFT #nftcollector #NFTCommunity pic.twitter.com/MoR1891Zcg
Further, he put the same art work for auction on Foundation.app, a platform for live auctions of digital art. The information section of the artwork identifies it as looping animation and the title of the work reads Jungle Pipes. Further, in the info section, the artist highlights that ‘the video became the source of much confusion in India, when various channels were reposting it as the “Oodhu Paavai – A medicinal plant on the verge of extinction, only growing in dense rainforests, blowing its pollen with sound’.
He further added that an IFS officer shared the same video, which led the video to go viral on the internet. Further search led us to the IFS officer’s tweet which shared the same video. He shared the video with a similar claim as in the viral post calling it Oodhu Paavai, a medicinal plant that only grows in dense rainforest, blowing its pollen with a sound. The tweet was later deleted by the IFS officer.
However, the video is digital art and not a real plant that produces sounds. In fact on his Twitter timeline, Luke Penry shared a video of a Tamil man debunking the same video, as it went viral with a claim that the video shows an ancient herb on the verge of extinction.
Seems my previous post “Jungle Pipes” has caused confusion in India due to certain YouTube channels reposting it claiming it's an ancient herb on the verge of extinction. So much so that someone had to debunk it. I'm amazed and flattered 😅#NFTCommunity https://t.co/NxM41UauGX
Further, we could not find any information about a medicinal plant with the name Oodhu Paavai as claimed in the post. This proves that the viral video is actually a digital sound art but not of a real plant.
To sum it up, video of digital art is passed off as Oodhu Paavai, a medicinal plant blowing its pollen with a sound.

created: September 27, 2021


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Video of disgruntled BJP workers vandalising party office over ticket distribution attributed to lack of oxygen cylinders - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 7, 2021
A post accompanying the video of few people vandalising a property, which appears to be a BJP party office is being shared on social media with a claim that ‘BJP volunteers vandalised their party office over non-availability of oxygen cylinders’. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of BJP volunteers vandalising their party office over non-availability of oxygen cylinders.
Fact: The video actually shows Sagarika Sarkar, BJP leader, and Malda district council member, along with her supporters vandalising the party office in Gazole, a municipality in Malda district of West Bengal. She did this to show her dissatisfaction on the distribution of party tickets. Multiple news agencies have also reported the incident. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Few seconds into the video, we can spot an image of Dilip Ghosh, President of the West Bengal BJP unit. Taking a cue from this, Google search with relevant keywords led us to a Bangla news article that published an image similar to a visual of the video. As per this article, the woman in the image is Sagarika Sarkar, BJP leader and Malda district council member, who along with her supporters vandalized the party office in Gazole, a municipality in Malda district of West Bengal over dissatisfaction on the distribution of party tickets.
Taking a cue from the above article, YouTube search yielded a report by India TV which reported the same video. As per this report, the visuals show BJP workers in Malda vandalising party office over ticket distribution.
Further search yielded multiple news videos which report different visuals of BJP workers vandalising party office in Madla as they were disgruntled over the selection of the candidate. Visuals of the incident shared by ANI can be seen here, Hindustan Times reportof the incident can be seen here.
#WATCH: BJP workers sloganeer and vandalise party office in Malda, demanding a candidate of their choice in the Assembly constituency, for #WestBengalElections2021 pic.twitter.com/58fFJxq55b
All these establish the fact that video shows BJP workers vandalising the party office as they were not satisfied over party ticket distribution but not over the non-availability of oxygen cylinders. Further, we could not find any news reports about BJP supporters vandalising their party office due to the non-availability of oxygen cylinders.
To sum it up, this video shows BJP workers vandalising party office as they were disgruntled over party ticket distribution, but not over non-availability of oxygen cylinders.


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Video of domestic violence reported in Etawah is being shared with a false communal spin - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 21, 2023
A social media post accompanying a video of a man physically abusing a woman is being shared with a claim that a Hindu woman, who married a Muslim man against her father’s wish is now experiencing physical abuse at the hands of her husband. According to the post, the incident occurred in UP’s Etawah. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a Muslim husband physically abusing his Hindu wife in Etawah, UP.
Fact: These visuals depict an incident of domestic violence reported in Etawah, UP. However, there is no communal angle to the incident as the couple belong to Hindu faith. This is evident from the statements of the victim and the police. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral visuals indeed depict a case of domestic violence in Etawah, where a husband physically attacks his wife. However, it is important to note that the incident has no religious angle, as both husband and wife belong to the same faith.
A reverse image search of the screenshots of the viral video yielded news reports that reported the same visuals (here, here & here). As per the reports, visuals depict Shivam Yadav, a resident of Naharia village in Bakewar region, physically assaulting his wife Jyoti due to dowry demands. Jyoti’s mother, Munni Devi, revealed that Jyoti and Shivam tied the knot five years ago in accordance with Hindu customs, and upon discovering the incident, Munni Devi promptly filed a complaint at the Naharia police station.
In response to a tweet sharing the video, the Etawah Police confirmed that a case has been registered under the appropriate sections and they are actively working towards apprehending the accused at the earliest. Furthermore, Etawah District Rural SP Satyapal Singh reiterated the same in an interview with Etv Bharat.
प्रकरण के संबंध में थाना बकेवर पर सुसंगत धाराओं मे अभियोग पंजीकृत किया गया है।
अभियुक्त की गिरफ्तारी हेतु पुलिस टीम निरंतर प्रयासरत है।
Also, while undergoing treatment at a private hospital, Jyoti Yadav gave a statement to the media saying that Shivam attacked her on suspicion of dowry issues and extra-marital affairs. None of the news reports related to the incident attributed any love jihad angle to the incident. Moreover, the SHO of Bakewar Police Station confirmed to Factly that a case has been registered against Shivam Yadav.
To sum it up, a video of domestic violence reported in Etawah is being circulated attributing a communal spin to it.


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Video of ED Raid on a Kolkata-based firm is shared as that of raid on cloth merchant's house in Surat - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 4, 2023
Update (04 October 2023):
The same video is being circulated with claims that it showcases a raid on BJP leader Sekhar Agarwal in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. However, as previously clarified, the footage is from an ED raid conducted at an e-gaming firm in Kolkata in 2022. The owner of the firm is Amir Khan.
Published (13 September 2022):
A video is being shared on social media through a post where a few men can be seen counting cash with heaps of money lying around. The post claims that these are the visuals of an Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid conducted at the house of a Surat-based cloth merchant named Sekhar Agarwal. We have also found a few similar posts (here and here) doing rounds on social media. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Visuals of the Enforcement Directorate’s raid at the house of a Surat-based cloth merchant named Sekhar Agarwal.
Fact: The visuals of the post are from the ED Raid conducted at an e-gaming firm in Kolkata. The name of the firm’s owner is Amir Khan. The viral post falsely attributes this video to a cloth merchant named Sekhar Agarwal. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To investigate the claim’s veracity, we searched on the internet with relevant keywords, looking for news reports on ED raid on Surat-based cloth merchant Sekhar Agarwal. But we did not find any relevant information. Then we looked for reports about the recent raids conducted by the ED and found a few news reports which contain the same visuals from the viral post.
According to a news report by NDTV, Enforcement Directorate has conducted a search operation at the premises of a businessman named Aamir Khan, who promotes an e-gaming app known as E-Nuggets. The video in the article has the same visuals as the viral post, from the 1:11 sec. timestamp. A few other media reports on this search operation can be seen here and here. This proves that the visuals shown in the viral video do not belong to an ED raid conducted at a Surat-based merchant named Sekhar Agarwal, as it claims.
To sum up, a video of an ED Raid conducted on a Kolkata-based firm is being shared as visuals of the raid at a cloth merchant’s house in Surat.

created: October 4, 2023


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Video of fans gathered for an NBA game in the US is shared as Paris fans awaiting Messi at the airport - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 13, 2021
A video accompanied by a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the crowd in the video were Paris fans waiting at the airport for Messi. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Paris fans waiting at the airport for Messi.
Fact: The video is from deer district, Milwaukee in the US and not from Paris. The crowd in the video had gathered during game six of the NBA finals between Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns on 20 July 2021, which the Milwaukee Bucks won. After a tearful Messi bid farewell to FC Barcelona on 08 August 2021, he arrived in Paris on 10 August 2021 to complete his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. Messi was welcomed in Paris with much fanfare, the visuals of which are different from that of the viral video. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, a tweet with a similar image was found. This tweet posted on 21 July 2021 says that tens of thousands of fans packed the deer district where the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Championship. News articles (which have similar visuals) about the Milwaukee Bucks’ victory can be seen here, here, and here. On 20 July 2021 people gathered in the Deer District for Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Fiserv Forum. Milwaukee Bucks fans celebrated their team’s NBA championship in Deer District.
Finally! Milwaukee #Bucks finish off Phoenix Suns to win NBA Championship. Tens of thousands of fans pack the Deer District pic.twitter.com/ilrc7aSlXq
Taking the cue that this video is from an NBA game in the deer district, Milwaukee, we searched on google with relevant keywords. A YouTube video uploaded by the official NBA channel was found with similar visuals.
The NBA Video and the viral video have certain similarities. The building of Mecca Sports Bar and Grill and the trees in front of the building are looking similar when both the videos are compared side by side.
When ‘deer district’ is searched on google maps, one can see a similar image of the venue where the viral video was taken.
After a tearful Messi bid farewell to FC Barcelona on 08 August 2021, he arrived in Paris on 10 August 2021 to complete his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. Messi was welcomed in Paris with much fanfare, the videos of which can be seen here and here. The visuals in these videos are different compared to the viral video.
To sum it up, a video of fans gathered for an NBA game in the US is falsely shared as Paris fans waiting for Messi at the airport.


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Video of fire accident at an oil field in Mexico is being shared as a drone attack on Saudi Arabia's oil fields - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 19, 2019
A video related to an oil field’s explosions has been posted on facebook, claiming that it is the video of the recent explosions caused by drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields. Let’s analyze the extent of authenticity in this post.
Video of drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields happened on 14 September 2019.
Fact: The video is related to a fire accident that occurred in 2012 at an oil field in Mexico. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Saudi Arabia’s oil fields were attacked by drones on September 14, 2019 according to the report of ‘The  New York Times’.
When the video in this post was uploaded in ‘Invid’ plugin, many keyframes were obtained. When these were reverse image searched in ‘Yandex’, it was found that the video had been existing for many years in the internet. One search result showed that the incident in the video happened in Mexico. When searched on youtube based on the words in the video’s title, it was found that Mexico media organization ‘Imagen Noticias’ has aired this news video on December 11, 2012 based on the same video clip. From the description in the video, it can be understood that the fire accident occurred at ‘Pimex oil field’ in Mexico on September 18, 2012.
‘Reuters’ also reported the same information by publishing an article on September 19, 2012 which can be found here.
To sum it up, the video in the post is not related to the explosion at Saudi Arabia’s oil fields. The video is that of a fire accident happened at an oil field in Mexico in the year 2012.
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created: September 19, 2019


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Video of GHMC corporator’s argument with police is being shared with a communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 30, 2021
A post accompanying  video of a man speaking in an aggressive tone to police personnel is being widely shared across social media platforms with a claim that reads ‘in Hyderabad 2 Muslim leaders threaten SHO and Police party, who approached them to serve a court order to vacate an encroached Hindu temple land in place of which they are developing a mosque’. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Muslim leaders speaking aggressively to police, who tried to stop them building a Mosque by encroaching Hindu temple.
Fact: Majid Hussain, Corporator of Mehdipatnam ward of GHMC was involved in a heated argument with police when the latter tried to stop an ongoing tussle between Majid’s group and others over the ownership of a property (land) in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. According to Police and news reports, the tussle is a civil dispute between two factions who claim ownership of a property, and the issue has nothing to do with construction of a Mosque or encroachment of a Temple. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The video in the post shows Majid Hussain, Corporator of Mehdipatnam ward of GHMC involved a heated argument with police when the latter tried to stop an ongoing tussle between Majid’s group and others over ownership of a property (land) in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Google search with relevant keywords yielded us multiple news articles (here, here & here) which reported the same incident. However, none of these articles have reported that Majid’s group tried to build a Mosque by encroaching on a Hindu temple.
In fact, these articles have categorically stated that this is a civil dispute between two parties over the claim of a property. Further, the articles reported that a case has been filed against Majid Hussain under section 353 of IPC for allegedly obstructing police personnel from discharging their duties. A second case was also filed for threatening and trespassing into his property, based on the complaint of the other person (Nikhil Reddy) with whom Majid Hussain was involved in an argument.
Even the local news reports about the incident reported it as a tussle between two factions over the ownership of a property, and there is no mention of Majid’s group trying to build a Mosque or about the encroachment of Hindu temple, in these reports.
When Factly reached out to Banjara Hills SHO seeking clarification about the incident, he categorically stated that the matter in which Majid Hussain was involved is a civil dispute about ownership of a property. Further, he ruled out the allegations about Majid’s group trying to build a Mosque by encroaching on a Hindu temple. Also, the SHO reiterated that a case has been booked against Majid Hussain for obstructing government officials in discharging their duties. All these establish the fact that the issue of Majid Hussain’s heated arguments with the police does not involve the construction of a Mosque or the encroachment of a Temple.
To sum it up, the video of a GHMC Corporator’s heated argument with police is being shared with a communal narrative.


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Video of giant waves sweeping away people in Oman beach is being linked to Mumbai’s Bandra beach - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 15, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of two women being washed away by strong waves in Mumbai’s Bandra beach. A few other social media users have posted this video mentioning it as an incident that took place at a seacoast in Maharashtra or Gujarat. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of two women being washed away by deadly waves on Mumbai’s Bandra beach.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a recent incident that took place at the Salalah Al Mughsail beach in Oman. On 10 July 2022, eight members of an expat Indian family were swept away by high tides on Salalah Al Mughsail beach. Five people reportedly lost their lives in this tragic accident. The incident did not take place at the Bandra beach in Maharashtra. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found in a tweet made by ‘Al Arabiya’ news channel on 12 July 2022. ‘Al Arabiya’ reported it as visuals of giant waves sweeping away eight members of a family at the Salalah Al Mughsail beach in Oman. The tweet states, “Watch: A family is swept away by a giant wave on #Oman’s Mughsail beach after eight members reportedly crossed the beach’s boundary fence”.
Watch: A family is swept away by a giant wave on #Oman's Mughsail beach after eight members reportedly crossed the beach's boundary fence.https://t.co/2KHqOMobdD pic.twitter.com/w2auuYfUku
Reporting the details of the tragic incident, ‘Al Arabiya’ and a few other Arab news websites published articles. They can be seen here, here and here. According to these reports, on 10 July 2022, eight members of an expat Indian family were swept away by high tides on Salalah Al Mughsail beach. The family is reportedly from Maharashtra and have been living in Dubai. As per the latest news reports, five people lost lives in this tragic accident.
Several Indian news websites have also published articles and videos reporting this tragic accident that took place in Oman. A few of these news reports can be seen here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows a tragic accident that took place in Oman, not at the Bandra beach in Maharashtra.
To sum it up, a video showing deadly waves sweeping away people in Oman beach is shared as women drowning in Mumbai’s Bandra beach.


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Video of goons attacking a man in Faridabad is shared with a false communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 17, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of Hindu goons brutally assaulting a young Muslim man in Haryana. A few other social media users who are sharing this video claim it as one of the violent attacks that are taking place on daily basis against minorities in India. The video shows two goons hitting a person’s leg with a hammer and rods. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Hindu goons brutally assaulting a young Muslim boy in Haryana.
Fact: This incident took place recently near Bhadkal lake in Faridabad, Haryana. The victim and the accused persons in this violent attack, both belong to the Hindu religion. This incident has nothing to do with persons of the Muslim community. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found published on the ‘Khabar Faridabad’ news channel Facebook page. This news channel reported it as visuals of a mob attacking a bike-riding youth with hammer and rods at Bhadkal Chowk in Faridabad, Haryana. Sharing the same video, several local news websites reported that the incident had taken place in Faridabad.
When we searched for more details using these keywords, we found that ‘India Today’ published an article, reporting the complete details of this violent attack in Faridabad. According to this article, Manish, a Faridabad local was travelling on his bike when a mob of goons stopped and attacked him with a hammer and rods at Section 21-D Bhadkal Lake Chowk area in Faridabad. This incident reportedly took place on 06 December 2021. Manish was left with multiple injuries and a broken leg after this attack. This article reported that the accused persons were Lalit, Pradeep, and Sachin. Faridabad Police reportedly arrested the two accused Lalit and Pradeep on the spot. An old personal enmity between Manish and accused Pradeep reportedly led to this attack.
Reporting the same, several news websites have published articles and videos. They can be seen here and here. The FIR registered on this violent attack can be seen here. This FIR mentioned the victim as Manish Chandila, son of Mukesh Kumar. The names of the accused as mentioned in the FIR are Pradeep, Lalit, Lala, and Ankur Bhainsla. Neither the victim nor any of the accused involved in this attack belongs to the Muslim community.
To sum it up, the video of goons attacking a man in Faridabad is shared with a false communal narrative.

created: December 17, 2021


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Video of health workers being attacked in Indore falsely shared as ‘Situation in Hyderabad Old city’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 16, 2020
A video of health workers being attacked with stones is being shared on Facebook with the claim that the incident happened in the Old city of Hyderabad when doctors tried to test people for COVID-19. But, ‘FACTLY’ has found that the incident took place in Indore (Madhya Pradesh). On 01 April 2020, some locals of Tatpatti Bakhal of Indore had pelted stones at health workers who went there to screen people in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. ANI tweet – https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1245475658798596105
2. News article – https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/7-held-for-pelting-healthcare-workers-with-stones-in-indore/article31234898.ece
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Video of Hima Das winning 400m race at IAAF World U20 Championships Tampere 2018 is shared as CWG 2022 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 31, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming that Indian athlete Hima Das had won Gold Medal in Women’s 400-metre race at the 2022 Commonwealth Games being held in Birmingham. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Indian sprinter Hima Das won a gold medal in the Women’s 400-metre race at the CWG 2022.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows an old clip from the World Athletics U-20 Championship Tampere 2018. Hima Das won a gold medal in the Women’s 400-metre race held at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championship in 2018 and created the history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Athletics Junior World Championship. Hima Das will participate in the Women’s 400-metre race at CWG 2022 on 06 August 2022. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On observing the video carefully, one could see a banner placed beside the running track that reads “IAAF World U-20 Championship TAMPERE 2018”. When we searched for this video using relevant keywords on the internet, a video with similar visuals were found on the Hima Das Facebook page published on 12 July 2020. Hima Das published this video stating- “Will never forget 12 July 2018 in Tampere, Finland when i became first Indian to win a gold medal in 400 m in the World U-20 Athletics Championship. Totally unbelievable moment it was. Again thanks to my coaches, Athletics Federation of India Sports Authority of India MYAS GOI”.
On 12 July 2018, Hima Das won the gold medal in the Women’s 400-metre race held at the IAAF World U-20 Championship TAMPERE 2018. By winning the gold medal, Hima Das created history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships. The ‘World Athletics’ YouTube channel published the full video of the Women’s 400-metre run event held at the World Athletics U20 Championships Tampere 2018. Hima Das’s interview after she won the gold medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships can be seen here.
According to athletics schedule at CWC 2022, Hima Das will participate on 06 August 2022.
To sum it up, a 2018 video from the World Athletics U-20 Championship is being shared as Hima Das has won a gold medal at the CWG 2022.


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Video of Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA's speech in state assembly is passed off as Nepal MP criticising Modi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 15, 2021
A post accompanying a video that shows a public representative criticising Prime Minister Modi and his policies in a legislature is being shared across social media platforms with a claim that the video shows Modi being reprimanded in Nepal Parliament. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Prime Minister Modi being criticised in Nepal Parliament.
Fact: The video actually shows Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur constituency Congress MLA Jagat Singh Negi’s speech in the state assembly. Few news agencies reported the same video. Even HP’s Congress unit shared the same video on its Facebook page. This video has nothing to do with Nepal.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video led us to a lengthier version of the video in a post on YouTube video titled ‘Jagat Singh Negi lambasted the BJP in the House’. The video was uploaded on YouTube on 17 March 2021.
Taking a cue from the YouTube video,  Google search with relevant keywords led to a Facebook post by Indian National Congress- Himachal Pradesh which shared the same video. As per this post, the person speaking in the video is Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur congress MLA Jagat Singh Negi.
The same video was also shared by Jagat Singh Negi on his Facebook page on 18 March 2021. News reports of the same video can be seen here. Even this report acknowledges the speaker as congress MLA Jagat Singh Negi and the video is of his speech in the Himachal Pradesh legislature.
To sum it up, video of Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA’s speech in state assembly is passed off as Nepal MP criticising Modi.


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Video of horse operators assaulting Kedarnath Dham pilgrims shared with a communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 14, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of Muslim pony service providers assaulting Kedarnath Dham pilgrims with sticks in Uttarakhand. Sharing the video, the post claims that Muslims were dominating horse riding services and other businesses in Hindu religious places, and further assaulting Hindu pilgrims. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Muslim horse operators assaulting Kedarnath Dham pilgrims in Uttarakhand.
Fact: The horse operators who attacked a woman and her co-travellers at the Bheem Bali bridge area are not Muslims. The Rudraprayag Police through a tweet informed that all the five accused who assaulted pilgrims on the Kedarnath Dham footpath were arrested, and in another tweet informed the accused names as Ankit Singh, Santosh Kumar, Rohit Kumar and Gautam. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched the internet for the details of the video using relevant keywords, a few screengrabs of the video were found in an article published by the ‘Devbhoomi Dialogue’ news site on 13 June 2023. This news site reported that Rudraprayag police filed a case and detained four horse operators who were involved in the assault on Kedarnath Dham pilgrims.
Reporting the details of the incident, several other news websites have published articles. They can be seen here, here, and here. As per the reports, Tanuka Pondar, a resident of Delhi, saw a horse in a bad condition, near the Bheem Bali bridge, during her pad yatra to the Kedarnath Dham. She asked people around for help, but no one came forward to help her. At the same time, she saw a horse operator mercilessly beating an animal, and she told him not to harm the animal. As soon as she had an argument with the man, a few co-horse operators joined him, started abusing the pilgrim, and assaulted her and her co-passengers with sticks. The incident took place on 11 June 2023. The FIR filed at the Sonprayag police station regarding this incident can be seen here.
The Rudraprayag Police through a tweet informed that all the five accused who assaulted pilgrims on the Kedarnath Dham footpath were arrested, and in another tweet stated the names of the accused as Ankit Singh, Santosh Kumar, Rohit Kumar, and Gautam. The Rudraprayag Police said a minor was also involved in the incident, but they did not reveal the name of the minor. Rudraprayag SP Vishakha Ashok Bhadane released a video detailing the incident on 14 June 2023. The horse operators who attacked a woman and her co-travellers at the Bheem Bali bridge area were not Muslims.
अभियुक्त अंकित सिंह, सन्तोष कुमार, रोहित कुमार निवासी ग्राम आसो, जयकण्डी, रुद्रप्रयाग व गौतम निवासी ग्राम जाखन भरदार, रुद्रप्रयाग। इनके अतिरिक्त घटना में संलिप्त एक नाबालिग के सम्बन्ध में अलग से कार्यवाही की गयी है।
To sum it up, the video of horse operators assaulting Kedarnath Dham pilgrims is shared now with a communal narrative.


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Video of Indian Soldiers becoming unconscious due to heat stroke is shared with an anti-vaccine narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 31, 2021
A video accompanied by a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Indian Soldiers fell unconscious after taking a vaccine. The post even claims that after taking the vaccine, many of them fainted while running. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Indian Soldiers becoming unconscious after taking the vaccine.
Fact: The video has nothing to do with COVID-19 vaccination. The video was taken on 21 August 2021 in Pathankot after an endurance run was conducted at Mamun military station, where one soldier died, and more than three dozen had to be hospitalised for heat stroke. It was a Corps Level Recce Troop Competition organised by the Army where many soldiers fell unconscious because of severe weather conditions. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, a tweet with the same video was found. The video was tweeted by journalist Man Aman Singh Chhina on 21 August 2021. He wrote, “Army statement on 9 Corps Recce Troop Competition: In an organised, supervised and monitored training activity near Pathankot, due to severe weather conditions, there has been one fatal casualty & few individuals admitted in MH Pathankot. Requisite medical care being provided.” However, the tweet doesn’t mention anything about vaccination.
Army statement on 9 Corps Recce Troop Competition:
In an organised,  supervised and monitored training activity near Pathankot, due to severe weather conditions, there has been one fatal casualty & few individuals admitted in MH Pathankot. Requisite medical care being provided. pic.twitter.com/f8dliitjoB
On 21 August 2021, an endurance run was conducted at Mamun military station near Pathankot. It was a Corps Level Recce Troop Competition where one soldier died, and more than three dozen had to be hospitalised for heatstroke. Though a majority of the soldiers are on the road to recovery, one jawan died and few others are reported to be in a serious condition.
A few individuals including some officers/JCOs have been admitted to Military Hospital, Pathankot. The affected personnel are being provided with requisite medical care: Indian Army (2/2)
Recce troop is a section-level sub-unit in every armoured regiment and mechanised infantry battalion of the Army. The soldiers who form part of the recce troop are supposed to be among the best in the unit and capable of operating in highly adverse conditions. A recce troops competition is an inter-unit competition in which the recce troops of the respective units are pitted against each other to test their skills.
When the same claim was going viral on social media, PIB Fact Check via Twitter said that the video has nothing to do with COVID-19 vaccination. ‘During the training, the jawans had fainted due to the scorching heat and humidity.’
यह वीडियो एक #फ़र्ज़ी दावे के साथ शेयर किया जा रहा है कि वैक्सीन लगवाने के बाद सेना के कई जवान बेहोश हो गए।#PIBFactCheck
▶इस वीडियो का #COVID19Vaccination से कोई सम्बन्ध नहीं है।
▶ट्रेनिंग के दौरान भीषण गर्मी और उमस के कारण जवान बेहोश हो गए थे। pic.twitter.com/7Vg5E4kUkV
To sum it up, a video of Indian Soldiers becoming unconscious due to heatstroke is falsely shared with an anti-vaccine narrative.


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Video of Israelis celebrating ‘Jerusalem Day’ at the Western wall is shared with a false narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 17, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of Israelis celebrating the attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque in the old city, Jerusalem. This post claims that hundreds of Israelis had gathered at the Western wall and rejoiced the sight of blazing fires inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In the wake of the recent violent conflict between Israel and Palestine, this post is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Israelis celebrating the attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Fact: The video actually shows Jews celebrating the ‘Jerusalem day’ at the Western wall in Jerusalem. A tree outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque was set ablaze while Israelis were celebrating ‘Jerusalem Day’ eve this year on 10 May 2021. During the annual ‘Jerusalem day’ celebrations, hundreds of Israelis would gather and celebrate the occasion by dancing to the live music at the Western Wall. This incident during the ‘Jerusalem Day’ celebrations is purely coincidental. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals is found in an article published by ‘The Jerusalem Post’ on 11 May 2021. This article reported that hundreds of Israelis had gathered at the Western Wall to celebrate ‘Jerusalem Day’ on 10 May 2021. According to this article, a tree inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque had caught fire while the Israeli nationals were celebrating ‘Jerusalem Day’ at the Western wall in Jerusalem. UAE-based ‘The National’ news website had published a video reporting the blaze of fire that erupted on a tree outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque o 10 May 2021. ‘The National’ news website had reported that a tree outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque was set ablaze accidentally by Palestinian protestors, while Jewish worshippers were celebrating the eve of ‘Jerusalem Day’.
The Diplomatic correspondent and Senior Contributing Editor of ‘The Jerusalem Post’ news website, Lahav Harkov had reported the same through a tweet on 10 May 2021. Reporting the details of this incident, ‘The Times of Israel’ news website had published an article on 11 May 2021. The Israel Police had informed media that a tree on the Temple Mount (Israelis call the Al-Aqsa Mosque site as Temple Mount) was caught in fire after the Palestinian protestors had started firing explosives and firecrackers on Israel police forces. A few other articles contradicted the Israeli police officer’s statement and reported that trees inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque were set to fire by the stun grenades fired by the Israeli police. The burning visuals of trees inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque can be seen here and here.
Jewish worshippers celebrate ‘Jerusalem Day’ eve every year with live music and dancing at the Western Wall. Multiple old videos showing the annual ‘Jerusalem Day’ celebrations earlier years at the western wall can be seen here and here.
‘Jerusalem Day’ is meant to commemorate Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. But the annual event is widely perceived as provocative, as hardline nationalist Israelis, guarded by police, march through the Damascus Gate of the Old City and through the Muslim Quarter to the Western Wall. According to an article published by the ‘AP News’,  ‘Jerusalem Day’ march was reportedly postponed this year, as it coincides with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The clashes between Israeli police Forces and Palestinian protestors at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on ‘Jerusalem Day’ are purely coincidental.
To sum it up, video of Israelis celebrating the ‘Jerusalem Day’ at the Western wall in Jerusalem is shared with a false narrative.


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Video of ‘Jabri Gair’ tradition falsely portrayed as Diwali celebrations in Rajasthan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 24, 2020
A post is being shared on social media claiming it as the video of people celebrating Diwali festival by firing guns and cannon in Rajasthan. In the post, it is claimed that people in Rajasthan celebrated Diwali in Sanathana Dharma, in response to the Rajasthan Government’s ban on fire crackers on Diwali. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Rajasthan people celebrating Diwali festival by firing guns and cannon.
Fact: This video shows ‘Jabri Gair’ tradition celebrated every year in Menar village of Rajasthan. ‘Jabri Gair’ is a 400-year-old tradition celebrated on the next day of Holi. People fire guns and cannons to celebrate the heroism and valour of Menar Brahmins in defeating Mughals during the period of Rana Udai Singh. It has nothing to do with the recent Rajasthan Government ban on fire crackers during Diwali. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of screenshots in the video, similar visuals were found in a video posted by a Facebook user on ‘12 March 2020’. Sharing the video, this user mentioned it as the Menar ‘Jabri Gair’ celebrations.  When searched for more information using these keywords, similar visuals were found in another video posted by the ‘Udaipur beats’ YouTube channel. In the video, it is mentioned that the people in Menar village celebrate ‘Jabri Gair’ every year by firing guns, cannon shots and fireworks. Reporting the same, the Times of India published an article about the ‘Jabri Gair’ event celebrations at Menar village in Rajasthan.
People in Menar celebrate ‘Jabri Gair’ tradition in remembrance of Menar Brahmins heroism and valour in defeating Mughals during the period of Rana Udai Singh. Few more videos and articles about this event can be seen here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that this video in the post is not related to the recent Diwali festival.
To sum it up, old video of ‘Jabri Gair’ tradition in Menar village is falsely portrayed as the Diwali celebrations in Rajasthan.

created: November 24, 2020


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Video of Jog falls is falsely shared as that of Mangmpet waterfalls - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 30, 2019
A post with a video of a waterfall is being shared on Facebook with a claim that it is from Mangampet in Avuku mandal in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. Let’s try to find the extent of truth in the post.
Video of waterfalls from Mangampet Avuku mandal, Kurnool district.
Fact: The waterfall in the video is Jog falls from Karnataka, not from Mangampet in Avuku mandal, Kurnool district. So, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video in the post were searched using Google reverse image technique, many search results were obtained which indicated that the video in the post is related to Jog falls.
When searched on YouTube using ‘Jog falls’, a similar video posted by ‘Loksatta Live’ was found with the title ‘Jog waterfalls in Karnataka’.
When searched about Mangampet waterfalls on Google, the photos of Mangampet waterfalls found in Google maps were different compared to the video in the post.
To sum it up, a video of Jog falls in Karnata is being falsely shared as that of Mangmpet waterfalls.
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created: October 30, 2019


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Video of Jog falls (Karnataka) is shared as that of Bhedaghat waterfall (Madhya Pradesh) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 23, 2020
A video of a waterfall is being widely shared on Facebook with a claim that it is that of  Bhedaghat waterfall in Jabalpur. Bhedaghat waterfall is in Madhya Pradesh and is on the river Narmada. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of Bhedaghat waterfall in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
Fact: The waterfall in the video is Jog falls in Karnataka, not Bhedaghat waterfall in Madhya Pradesh. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video in the post were searched using Google reverse image technique, many search results were obtained which indicated that the video in the post is related to Jog falls.
When searched on YouTube using ‘Jog falls’, a similar video posted by ‘Loksatta Live’ was found with the title ‘Jog waterfalls in Karnataka’. Jog waterfalls is in Shimoga district and is situated on the river ‘Sharavathi’.
When searched about Bhedaghat waterfalls on Google, the photos of Bhedaghat waterfalls (also known as Dhuandhar waterfalls) found in Google maps were different from ones in the posted video.
Earlier when the same video was shared as that of Mangampet waterfalls in Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Factly had debunked the claim. The fact-check article can be read here.
To sum it up, the video of Jog falls (Karnataka) is falsely shared as that of a Bhedaghat waterfall (Madhya Pradesh).
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Video of Kanyaka Parameswari Temple in Nellore decorated with currency notes is shared as Tirupati Balaji temple - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 30, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Tirupati Balaji temple was being decorated with currency notes instead of flowers. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing Tirupati Balaji temple being decorated with currency notes instead of flowers.
Fact: The video is from ‘Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Temple’ in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh; not Tirupati Balaji temple which too is in Andhra Pradesh. In October 2021, as part of Dasara celebrations, the temple committee had decorated the deity with currency notes. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found on YouTube. According to the YouTube video, the visuals were from ‘Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Temple’ in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. However, the Tirumala Balaji temple is in Tirupati, which too is in Andhra Pradesh.
When we searched online with relevant keywords, several news reports were found about the special decoration in the ‘Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Temple’ in Nellore. In October 2021, as part of Dasara celebrations, the temple committee had decorated the deity with currency notes. It had been reported that, with the help of the devotees, nearly 7 kg gold, 64 kg silver, along with 5.16 crore currency was used to decorate the deity. We could not find any recent reports of Tirupati Balaji temple being decorated with currency notes instead of flowers.
To sum it up, video of Kanyaka Parameswari Temple in Nellore decorated with currency notes is shared as Tirupati Balaji temple.


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Video of Karnataka State football players waiting outside CM's residence is from March 2023 during BJP Government - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 13, 2023
A video circulating on social media shows the Karnataka state football team allegedly waiting outside CM Siddaramaiah’s residence for a meet and greet after winning the Santosh Trophy. The claim accompanying the video states that the CM made them wait for almost 3 hours. This article aims to fact-check the claim.
Claim: Karnataka football team made to wait outside CM Siddaramaiah’s residence and made to sit outside for 3 hours.
Fact: The video is from March 2023, when the CM of Karnataka was Basavaraj Bommai during the BJP government. The Karnataka state football team did meet CM Bommai after their Santosh Trophy win, and reportedly, they were made to wait outside his residence for approximately 1.5 hours. Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
To investigate the claim, we conducted a keyword search on the internet, which led us to a news report published by International Business Times in March 2023. According to the report, Basavaraj Bommai, the Chief Minister of Karnataka at that time, met with the players of the Karnataka State Football team after their Santosh Trophy win (here and here).
The players were indeed made to wait outside the CM’s residence for approximately 1.5 hours and were not invited inside. The CM met them on a footpath outside his residence. Kannada Language news outlet Asianet News too reported this incident.
Further evidence can be found on the Instagram page of the Karnataka State Football Association ( KSFA ), which posted pictures from the meet and greet with the then CM Bommai on 17 March 2023.  By comparing the players in the viral video with the players in the association’s photos, it is clear that these show the same set of players.
Based on this substantial evidence, it is evident that the viral video is from March 2023, before Siddaramaiah was sworn in as the CM of Karnataka.
To sum up, the claim that CM Siddaramaiah made the football team wait outside his residence for 3 hours is false. The actual incident involves former CM Bommai.


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Video of lions spotted in the residential areas of Junagadh is falsely shared as lions spotted in Thane - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 13, 2019
A video of a lions pride roaming on the roads of a street is being shared with the claim that the lions were spotted at Ghodbunder road Thane, Maharashtra. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of a pride of lions spotted in the residential areas is from Thane, Maharashtra.
Fact: The video shows lions spotted in the residential area of ‘Bhavanath’ in Junagadh of Gujarat state. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
When one goes through the comments section of the post, a few of them have commented that the incident is from Gujarat.
So, when searched on YouTube with relevant keywords, many search results were obtained. ‘The Times of India’ search result had the same video on its YouTube channel and the video had the following description – “A pride of Asiatic lions was recently spotted at Gujarat’s Junagadh. In this video taken by a resident of Bharti Ashram of Bhavnath area, the pride of lions can be seen strolling through the residential area on a rainy night. The pride is reportedly made up of seven Asiatic lions. Residents have also reported that such sightings of the pride have become regular in recent times”.
Hence we can conclude that the lions were actually spotted in Gujarat not Thane, Maharashtra.
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created: September 13, 2019


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Video of Machete attack on a woman in Karnataka is shared with a false communal spin - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 30, 2020
A post stating that a Muslim man attacked a Hindu girl with a machete in broad daylight for turning down his love proposal in Hubli, Karnataka is being widely shared on social media platforms. Screen shots of the attack are also shared in the post. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: A Muslim man attacked a Hindu girl with a machete in broad day light for turning down his love proposal in Hubli, Karnataka.
Fact: As per the FIR registered regarding this incident, both the victim and the accused belong to same community (Muslim). Hubbali Sub-urban police station SI Hoyelannavar has also confirmed the same. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to few news articles which reported the incident. According to one such news article, a man attacked a woman who is believed to be his lover with a machete in broad daylight in Hubbali’s Deshpande Nagar.
According to the FIR registered regarding the incident, the name of the accused is Ismail and the name of the victim is Asha and both of them belong to the same community (Muslim). Asha’s mother Bibijan made the complaint with the police.
Further, when FACTLY contacted Hubbali Sub-urban police station SI Hoyelannavar, he confirmed that both the victim and the accused belong to the same community (Muslim). All these establish that the victim of the attack also belongs to the Muslim community and the claim of Love Jihad has no basis.
To sum it up, both the accused and the victim in the incident of a machete attack on a woman in Karnataka belong to same community (Muslim).

created: December 30, 2020


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Video of Madame Tussauds team taking body measurements of Modi goes viral with a false claim - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 13, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post with a video of Narendra Modi claiming that an RTI reveals that on an average, Rs 80 lakh is paid every month to the beauticians of Modi. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
An RTI reveals that on an average, 80 lakh rupees is paid every month to the beauticians of Modi.
Fact: No RTI declaring the payments to Modi’s beauticians was found. Moreover, the video posted is related to the visit of Madame Tussauds team to take body measurements of Modi for making his wax statue. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
On playing the video, at the 0:03 secs, the name of ‘Madame Tussauds’ on the makeup box and at the 0:08 secs, the document bearing the name of ‘Madame Tussauds’ as its title can be seen. With the information available, when searched on YouTube, a 2016 video recording of Madame Tussauds’ London team taking the body measurements of Modi for making his wax statue will be found.
In the video, some persons can be seen applying makeup to Modi. They are actually the members of Madame Tussauds team, not the beauticians as portrayed in the post.
Also, when searched for any RTI details on the Modi’s make-up expenses, no results were found. Finally, the video posted is a recording of the Madame Tussauds team taking body dimensions of Modi.


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Video of man stabbing his wife is shared as journalist Pragya Mishra murdered for talking about Kumbh Mela - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 19, 2021
A post accompanying the video of a man stabbing a woman to death in broad daylight is being shared on social media platforms with a claim that the video shows murder of a journalist named Pragya Mishra for talking about the role of Kumbh Mela in increasing COVID-19 cases. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of journalist Pragya Mishra’s murder for speaking about the role of Kumbh Mela in increasing covid cases.
Fact: The video actually shows a man stabbing his wife as he suspected her of having an illicit affair in Delhi’s Rohini. The video has nothing to do with the UP based journalist Pragya Mishra. In fact, Pragya Mishra herself clarified through a tweet that she is in home isolation in view of COVID-19 protocol and it’s not her in the viral murder video. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
YouTube search with relevant keywords yielded multiple news reports which included the same video. As per one such report dated 11 April 2021 by Republic world, the incident took place in Delhi’s Budh Vihar wherein a man stabbed his wife to death in broad daylight. Another news report which stated the same can be seen here.
Taking a cue from the news video, Google search with relevant keywords led us to a news article by Indian Express which reported the same incident. According to DCP Tayal as reported in this article, ‘the man Harish Mehta stabbed his wife Neelu as he suspected her of having an extramarital affair and the incident took place in Delhi’s Rohini’.
Further search led us to a tweet by journalist Pragya Mishra which shared a video message of her saying that she has been in home isolation for few days in view of COVID-19 protocol and it’s not her in the viral murder video. By all these, we can infer that the viral video does not show the murder of Uttar Pradesh based journalist Pragya Mishra.
दोस्तों जो लोग मेरे मरने की खबर फैला रहें है उन्हें मेरा ये वीडियो शेयर करके बताइए कि मैं 'ज़िंदा' हूँ❤ https://t.co/wyTwJvib9B
To sum it up, video of man stabbing his wife is shared as journalist Pragya Mishra murdered for talking about Kumbh Mela.


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Video of mass cheating in a Law exam is being shared as cheating in UPSC exam in Uttar Pradesh. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 12, 2024
A video allegedly portraying mass cheating during a UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) examination in Uttar Pradesh is circulating on social media. Let’s verify this claim through this article.
Claim: The video shows mass cheating during a UPSC Examination in Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The video was actually shot during an LLB examination at City Law College, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, not a UPSC Exam. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
The video’s audio reveals the name of the college—City Law College, Barabanki—discussed by the person shooting the video. We used this information to conduct an Internet search, which led us to news articles (here, here, and here ) reporting the incident.
The investigation revealed that the incident was documented by Shivam Singh, a law student at TRC Law College in Uttar Pradesh. He exposed the rampant cheating during an LLB/ Law examination at City Law College, Barabanki. The video was widely shared online, capturing the attention of the university Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Pratibha Goyal, who promptly responded and constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.
According to a report by India Today, “Authorities swiftly responded to the incident. A total of 26 students were apprehended for cheating during the examination. Additionally, 12 students were caught cheating at Avadh Law College, and 25 at TRC during the second shift of exams.”
The research conclusively shows that the viral video pertains to an LLB examination, not a UPSC examination, contradicting the viral claim. Further, there are no reports of any such mass cheating incident during a UPSC examination in Uttar Pradesh.
To sum up, the video in question displays mass cheating during an LLB examination at a law college in Uttar Pradesh and not during the UPSC civil service examination, as falsely claimed in the social media post.


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Video of migrant workers queue for travel permission at Gachibowli police station shared as the one to buy Alcohol - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 8, 2020
A video of people standing in long queues is shared on social media with a claim that they are standing in front of wine shops at Gachibowli in the current lockdown. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of people standing in long queues in front of wine shops at Gachibowli (Hyderabad) after lifting lockdown restrictions.
Fact: The people who are shown standing in the queue are migrant workers. They are standing in front of Gachibowli police station demanding that they be sent to their native place. There is no wine shop at the place where the original video was taken. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In FACTLY’s analysis, it was found that the building shown at the beginning of the video is Gachibowli police station.
As the video was found to be taken near the Gachibowli police station, when searched with some keywords, the same video posted by ‘TV5 News’ was found in the search results. According to the video, thousands of migrant workers were standing in a queue in front of the Gachibowli police station demanding that they be sent to their native place. Therefore, the video is not of people standing in queues in front of wine shops to buy alcohol.
Also, according to Google maps, no wine shops were found in the place where this video was shot. Though there are few wine shops in the area, they are present in the opposite direction of the queue.
To sum it up, the video of people standing in long queues is not for availing alcohol, but to get permission to go to their native places.
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Video of a mob attacking police in Odisha is passed off as TMC supporters attacking police - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 4, 2021
A post accompanying the video of a mob vandalising a police vehicle and assaulting police personnel is being widely shared across social media in the light of violence in West Bengal after the declaration of the assembly election results. It is being claimed that the video shows violence by TMC supporters after the declaration of the West Bengal election results. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of TMC supporters attacking police after the declaration of assembly election results.
Fact: The video is actually related to an incident where local residents of a village in Bhadrak district in Odisha attacked police and vandalised their vehicle after the suicide of a fellow resident, following an alleged assault by police during an interrogation. Multiple news agencies reported the incident. The video has nothing to do with ongoing Bengal violence. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to a January 2021 news article that published an image of a vehicle similar to the one in the video. The locality surrounding the vehicle shown in the image is similar to the locality shown in the latter half of the video. As per this article, the police vehicle was set ablaze by locals of Hatuari village after violence broke out over the death of a resident, Bapi Mahalik of the same village. According to the article, the youth died falling into a pond during a chase by the police.
Taking a cue from this, Google search with relevant keywords led us to a news video on YouTube which reported the above-mentioned incident. In this video, the visuals of the locality surrounding the burning jeep are similar to the video in the post. The title of the video reads ‘Locals Torch Police Van Over Detainee’s Death In Bhadrak’.
Further search yielded another news article that reported the same incident. As per this article, angry residents of a village in Bhadrak set a police van on fire after the death of a fellow resident following an alleged assault by police during their interrogation. All these pieces of evidence suggest that the video is related to mob setting ablaze a police vehicle in Odisha and has nothing to do with violence in Bengal.
Multiple instances of violence are reported in West Bengal after the declaration of assembly election results. The BJP has also announced a nationwide dharna on 05 May 2021 against what it claims is the widespread violence unleashed by TMC workers post the election results in West Bengal. There has been no detailed update from the West Bengal police except a tweet that termed the news of gang rape as fake.
In view of reports related to violence in West Bengal which broke out after the declaration of assembly election results, posts like these are being shared across social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, video of mob attacking police in Odisha is passed off as TMC supporters attacking police.


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Video of a mob thrashing three men in Delhi is passed off as Ghaziabad incident accused thrashed by people - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 18, 2021
A post accompanying the video of a mob assaulting a couple of young men is being shared with a claim that the video shows people of UP attacking the men accused of attacking & shaving off the beard of an elderly man in Ghaziabad. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of people from UP attacking the men accused of attacking & shaving off the beard of an elderly man in Ghaziabad.
Fact: The video actually shows an incident of a mob beating up three men who allegedly tried to extort money from a vegetable seller by entering his house in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area. Multiple news agencies have reported the incident. The video has nothing to do with the Ghaziabad incident. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with relevant keywords yielded few news reports which reported the same video. According to the NDTV report, the video actually shows an incident of a mob beating up three men who allegedly tried to extort money from a vegetable seller by entering his house in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area. An FIR has been registered against these men.
TV9 Bharatvarsh and Republic Bharat have also reported the video. Even these reports confirm that the video is from Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area, wherein a mob attacked men who tried to extort money from a vegetable seller. Hence, it is evident that the video has nothing to do with the Ghaziabad incident or accused of the incident.
To sum it up, video of mob thrashing three men in Delhi is passed off as Ghaziabad accused thrashed by people of UP.


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Video of Muslim voters accusing UP Police of stopping them from casting vote in the Rampur bye-poll falsely linked to the Gujarat Elections - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 17, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it shows the visuals of a Muslim women accusing Gujarat police of assaulting them and not allowing Muslims to cast their votes during the recent Gujarat Elections 2022. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a Muslim women accusing Gujarat police of assaulting them and not allowing Muslims to cast their votes during the recent Gujarat Elections 2022.
Fact: The video shared in the post is related to the recent Rampur bye-poll elections in Uttar Pradesh. The video shows a Muslim woman accusing the Uttar Pradesh Police administration of assaulting them and not allowing them to cast their votes in the Rampur bye-poll. The video has nothing to do with the recent Gujarat Elections. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the posted video, a video with similar visuals was found published by a local news channel on 05 December 2022. Sharing the video, this news channel stated, “Rampur bye- polls in Uttar Pradesh took a hostile turn on the polling day, as it is alleged, that the police administration is causing mayhem, beating up and harassing Muslim voters to stop them from casting their votes.” On observing the video carefully, one could hear the woman saying, “Why do you do such injustice to the people of Rampur?”(when translated from Urdu to English).
‘Brut’ and a few other news websites have also published this video reporting it as the visuals of Muslims in Rampur accusing UP Police of stopping them from casting their votes in the Rampur bye-poll.
The ‘Samajwadi Party’ tweeted a video on 05 December 2022, alleging it shows the visuals of the police administration preventing Muslims from casting their votes during the Rampur bye-poll. Several news websites have also published articles reporting these allegations on UP police not letting Muslims to cast their votes during the Rampur bye-poll. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is related to the Rampur bye-poll in Uttar Pradesh, not related to the Gujarat Elections.
To sum it up, a video of Muslim voters accusing UP police of stopping them from casting votes in the Rampur bye-poll is falsely linked to the 2022 Gujarat Assembly Elections.

created: December 17, 2022


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Video of Muslims decorating a special train running to Halkatta Shareef Dargah shared as them decorating a train from Hyderabad to West Bengal - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 7, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of Muslims decorating a train en route from Telangana’s Hyderabad to West Bengal. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Muslims decorating a train travelling from Telangana’s Hyderabad to West Bengal.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows Muslims decorating a special train that ran between Hyderabad and Wadi junction for pilgrims attending the 46th Anniversary Celebrations of Urs – e – Shareef of Great Saint Hazrath Khwaja Syed Mohammed Badesha Quadri Chisthy Yamani at Karnataka’s Halkatta Shareef Dargah on 01 August 2023. Every year, Indian Railways assigns dedicated trains to pilgrims participating in special events at Halkatta Shareef. Before embarking on their journey to the site, these pilgrims decorate the trains with Islamic signs and banners. The video does not show Muslims decorating a normal train travelling between Hyderabad and West Bengal. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video showing similar visuals of a train decorated with a Dargah board was found published by a YouTube channel in October 2017. This user described it as the visuals of a train allocated for pilgrims travelling to Halkatta Shareef Dargah in the Kalaburagi district in Karnataka. When we searched for further sources using relevant information, we found the same train in a video published by a YouTube channel on 02 August 2023. This YouTube channel published the video describing it is the visuals from the 46th Anniversary Celebrations of Urs – e – Shareef of Great Saint Hazrath Khwaja Syed Mohammed Badesha Quadri Chisthy Yamani at s Halkatta Shareef Dargah in the Kalaburagi district in Karnataka.
A few other videos related to the 46th Anniversary Celebrations of Urs – e – Shareef that show the visuals of the same train can be seen here and here.
In order to avoid the extra rush of pilgrims attending the 46th Anniversary Celebrations of Urs – e – Shareef of Great Saint Hazrath Khwaja Syed Mohammed Badesha Quadri Chisthy Yamani on 01 August 2023, the South Central Railway allocated four special trains between Hyderabad and Wadi junction.
Every year, Indian Railways runs special trains for pilgrims attending special events at Halkatta Shareef Dargah in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi. Pilgrims decorated these special trains with Dargah boards, Islamic placards, and others. A few videos showing past celebrations of pilgrims attending Halkatta Shareef Dargah from Hyderabad can be seen here and here.
Indian Railways arranged special trains on the occasion of Char Dham Yatra,  Ganga Pushkaras, and other special Hindu events. The video shared in the post does not show Muslims decorating a regular train moving from Hyderabad to West Bengal.
To sum it up, a video of Muslims decorating a special train allocated for Halkatta Shareef Dargah is shared as them decorating a train from Hyderabad to West Bengal.

created: August 7, 2023


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Video of Nitin Gadkari saying he doesn’t mind losing Minister post is being shared out of context - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 26, 2022
In the context of BJP dropping Nitin Gadkari from its parliamentary Board, a short video clip of Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s saying he doesn’t care if he loses his ministerial position is being widely shared on social media platforms. The post claims that these he’s making these remarks about himself. Let’s fact- check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Union minister Nitin Gadkari saying he doesn’t care even if he loses his ministerial position after BJP dropped him from its parliamentary Board.
Fact:  In the original full-length video, Gadkari was narrating incidents that happened during his tenure (1995-99) as PWD minister in Maharashtra Government. He just reiterated his conversation with the then CM Manohar Joshi. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The words of Nitin Gadkari in the viral video are the following, “if possible, stand with me, otherwise don’t. It doesn’t make any difference. I am not worried about losing my position. If I lose my ministerial position, then I lose it. I’m not a professional politician. I’m a very ordinary person who grew up eating on the footpath, watching movies in third class, watching dramas from backstage. I’m happy with that kind of life. When Z+ security came, after sending them off at nights, I once again step out on foot path”
We searched with the relevant keywords and found a tweet shared by the Office of Nitin Gadkari on 25 August 2022. The tweet clarified that the viral video is manipulated by comparing it with the original video. The description at the bottom of the video says, “Nitin Gadkari ji is narrating an old story in the video which is being manipulated and shown in a wrong way”.
कुछ मीडिया संस्थानों और व्यक्तियों द्वारा चलाये जा रहे झूठे अभियान की सच्चाई। pic.twitter.com/O7v3MikOYP
Taking cue from this, we searched for the full video and found a 27-minute long video on the Nitin Gadkari’s official YouTube channel uploaded on 23 August 2022. The video is live streamed when Nitin Gadkari launched a book ‘Naukarsyahi ke Rang’ written by retired IFS officer Dr. Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay. In this speech, Gadkari shared a few anecdotes while he was working as PWD Minister (1995-1999) in Government of Maharashtra.
We watched the video and identified the time timestamps containing the viral clip. At 7:24 minutes, Gadkari says, “While I was a minister in Government of Maharashtra in 1996, an incident took place in which 2500 children died of malnutrition in Melghat, Amravati district. That was a big news during that time. Our CM Manohar Joshi says, Nitin, what is this situation, Melghat has 450 villages and doesn’t even have a single road in these villages. I was the PWD minister and during meetings, the forest and chief conservation officer used to come and around four to five times I heard the CM saying, “don’t you feel anything, 2500 children died of malnutrition, there is no electrical line, children can’t go to school, you stop all the work under forest conservation, don’t you feel anything,” and the officer told him (Joshi), “I’m sorry and that I can’t do anything“”
And at 9:09 minutes, Gadkari says, “I had said, Sir, You can’t handle this. I’m very good at handling this, leave it to me, I don’t have to worry about any consequences, and I will do this work. If possible, stand with me, otherwise don’t. I’m not worried about losing my position. If I lose my ministerial position, then I lose it.”
To sum it up, a short video clip taken from the the video of Nitin Gadkari narrating an old anecdote is shared out of context after BJP dropped him from its parliamentary Board.


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Video of nurses protesting in Tenali (Andhra Pradesh) is shared as that from Telangana - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 29, 2020
A video showing a protest of nurses is being widely shared on Facebook claiming it to be the situation at a Government hospital in Telangana state. In the video, a nurse can be heard complaining about the lack of sufficient PPE kits, gloves, masks and also hospital staff to treat the patients at the hospital. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of nurses and medical staff protesting at a Government hospital in Telangana state.
Fact: The video is of nurses and medical staff of Government General hospital in Tenali protesting due to the lack of sufficient medical equipment and hospital staff. The hospital is in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh state. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on Youtube with keywords based on the incident in the video, a news video of ‘ETV Andhra Pradesh’ was obtained in the results. As per the news video, nurses and medical staff of Government General hospital in Tenali have protested outside the hospital complaining about the lack of sufficient medical equipment like PPE kits, gloves, masks and also hospital staff. The hospital is in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh state. The same information was found in an article of ‘ANI’.
News reports about that incident published by various other news agencies can be found here and here.
To sum it up, video of medical staff protesting at Government General hospital in Tenali (Andhra Pradesh) is being shared as that from Telangana state.
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Video of Pakistani singer's son is being circulated as that of a Martyred Army Officer's son - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 1, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post with a video of a child singing a song with the comments, “This is an Army Officer’s son. His father died in an operation against militants. His mother died of shock on hearing the news. He is studying in a boarding Army Public School. Look at his confidence. An exceptionally beautiful video.” Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
The child singing song is the son of a martyred Army officer.
Fact: The child is the son of Pakistani singer Nadeem Abbas who is still alive. So, the claim that he is the son of a martyred Army officer stands FALSE.
When one goes through the comments section of the video, a certain user has commented that the boy in the video is Ghulam-e-Murtaza, a social media star from Pakistan.
When searched for additional information, it was found that he is the son of a Pakistani singer Nadeem Abbas. While going through his Facebook account, a 2-year old post was found. From this post, it is clear that Nadeem Abbas’s son Ghulam-e-Murtaza has sung this song ‘Baba Mere Pyaare Baba’ as a tribute to the martyred school children in Peshawar terrorist attacks.
Gulam-e-Murtaza clarified through his Facebook account that his father is still alive and he had performed the song along with his father Nadeem Abbas. He even requested people to stop spreading fake news that his father had died.  In 2014, Pakistani Taliban terrorists have attacked the Army Public School in Peshawar killing 141 persons that included 132 children.
To summarise, the child isn’t the son of a martyred Army Officer. He is the son of a Pakistan singer Nadeem Abbas, who is still alive.
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Video of Past Communal Violence in Odisha Misrepresented as West Bengal Incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 1, 2024
A video showing a crowd throwing stones at individuals carrying saffron flags, and vandalizing vehicles decorated with the same flags, is being shared with the claim that it shows an assault on Hindus in West Bengal (here, here & here). This article aims to investigate and verify the accuracy of the claims presented in the post.
Claim: Video depicting mob attack on a Hindu rally in West Bengal.
Fact: These visuals show communal violence from a Hanuman Jayanti motorcycle rally in Sambalpur, Odisha, which occurred in April 2023. This incident is not connected to West Bengal. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral video does portray communal unrest, but it is not a recent occurrence as claimed. Instead, it was reported in 2023 in Sambalpur, Odisha, not West Bengal as claimed in the viral post.
A reverse image search of the screenshots from the viral video led to news reports featuring the same images from April 2023. These reports detail an incident of communal violence that erupted during a Hanuman Jayanti rally in the Sambalpur district of Odisha in April 2023. According to these reports, the clash resulted in injuries to at least 10 police officers, and several vehicles were set ablaze or damaged.
Additional reports concerning the incident state that Hindus held a motorcycle rally on Hanuman Jayanti, featuring over 1000 bikes. Media reports suggest that as the rally passed through Motijharan Chhak, stones were thrown at the participants. This reportedly escalated into violence, during which several vehicles were set on fire. A curfew was subsequently imposed to bring peace and restore normalcy to the area (here, here & here). This confirms that the viral video is unrelated to Bengal and an old incident.
To sum up, a video from a past incident of communal violence in Odisha is incorrectly being shared as being from West Bengal.


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Video of people picking bottles from an overturned liquor truck is from Dindigul (Tamil Nadu), not Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 17, 2020
Video of passersby picking bottles from an overturned liquor truck is being shared on social media claiming that the incident took place on a highway in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of passersby picking bottles from an overturned liquor truck in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh.
Fact: The incident in the video took place at Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, not at Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the video, passersby can be seen picking bottles from a liquor truck overturned on a highway. So, when we searched on Facebook with keywords ‘passersby pick liquor bottles from overturned truck’, a video of ‘Indian Express’ with similar visuals was found. The ‘Indian Express’ posted that the incident in the video took place near Dindigul. ‘Dindigul’ is a district in the state of ‘Tamil Nadu’.
With the above information, when we searched on Google with Tamil translation of the keywords ‘Liquor bottles truck overturned in Dindigul’, an article of Tamil news website ‘Nakkkheeran’ was obtained in the search results. In the article, it was reported that after a truck loaded with liquor bottles had overturned on a highway near Vedasandur town in Dindigul, people from the nearby areas and passersby on the highway had taken their pick from the truck. Other news reports about this incident at Dindigul can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, a video of passersby picking bottles from an overturned liquor truck in Dindigul (Tamil Nadu) is being shared as that of an incident in Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh).
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Video of people pushing an aircraft off the runway is from Nepal, not India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 7, 2021
A post accompanying a video of group of people pushing a plane is shared by associating it with PM Modi’s popular slogan ‘Achhe Din’, so as to insinuate that the video is from India. Let’s fact-check the video shared in the post.
Claim: Video of people pushing an airplane in India.
Fact: This incident happened at Bajura airport in Kolti, Nepal and has nothing to do with India. Passengers had to push an aircraft off the runway as its rear tyre burst while landing. As the video went viral on social media, multiple news agencies reported it as from Nepal. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
This incident happened at Bajura airport in Kolti, Nepal where passengers pushed an aircraft. Google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple news reports which reported the same video. As per one such news report, the rear tyre of an aircraft burst while landing, and passengers had to eventually push the plane off the runway as the aircraft was unable to move.
‘The aircraft belonged to Tara Airlines with registration number 9NAEV. The aircraft was stranded in the middle of the runway obstructing the path for other planes. Hence, passengers and security officials came together to help it move off the runway’  reported News18,  as the video went viral on social media.
Few Nepali news articles which reported the video can be read here and here. Hence, from these news reports, it is evident that video of passengers pushing an aircraft in Nepal is wrongly attributed to India and the current government.
To sum it up, this video of people pushing an aircraft off the runway is from Nepal, not India.

created: December 7, 2021


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Video of people shopping without social distancing norms in Pakistan is shared as the one from various cities in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 26, 2020
A video of people shopping with no social distancing is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it was taken at a shopping centre in Chandni Chowk (Delhi). The same video is also being shared as that of a shopping centre at Mohammed Ali Road in Mumbai (archived) and also at New Market in Kolkata (archived). FACTLY has found the video was taken at a shopping bazaar in Pakistan, not in any city of India. The video was taken at New Anarkali Bazaar in Faisalabad (Pakistan). So, the video has nothing to do with India. Earlier, when the same video went viral as that of a shopping centre in Old city (Hyderabad), FACTLY has debunked the claim and written a fact-check which can be read here.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. FACTLY fact-check article – https://factly.in/a-video-from-pakistan-falsely-shared-as-crowd-with-no-social-distancing-at-a-shopping-center-in-old-city-hyderabad/
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Video of PM Modi's cutout behind bars in Canada is falsely linked to Delhi CM Kejriwal's release on interim bail - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 17, 2024
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on 21 March 2024, in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. After nearly 50 days in judicial custody, on 10 May 2024, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail until 01 June 2024. In this context, a video showing a cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi behind bars, with Khalistan flags and several anti-Modi slogans being raised is being widely shared across social media platforms (here, here, & here). The claim accompanying the video suggests that Khalistan supporters organized an anti-Modi rally in Canada following Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s release on interim bail in the Delhi liquor excise policy case. The video was sent to our WhatsApp Tip line (+91 92470 52470) number to check the authenticity of this claim. Through this article, we will fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: An anti-Modi rally was held in Canada by Khalistan supporters following Delhi CM Kejriwal’s release on interim bail.
Fact: The viral video shows a float depicting PM Modi behind bars at the Malton Nagar Kirtan rally held in Canada on 05 May 2024, organized by Khalistan supporters. This event occurred days before Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s release from jail, during which people protested against Prime Minister Modi over allegations of India’s involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon carefully observing the viral video, we noticed a TikTok account mentioned in it, @mani86137. Taking a cue from this, we conducted further searches and located the original video uploaded on TikTok (archive here) from the account ‘@mani86137’ on 06 May 2024, with the title, “malton nagarakirtan2024 | modi di.” From this, it is clear that the video has been available online since at least 06 May 2024, several days before the Delhi CM’s release on 10 May 2024.
The caption of the TikTok video mentioned the Nagar Kirtan event in Malton, Ontario. Taking a cue from this, we conducted a relevant keyword search to learn more about this event. This search led us to a news report published by ‘The Print’ dated 07 May 2024, which carried visuals similar to the viral video. According to this report, the participants of the Nagar Kirtan were believed to hold PM Modi accountable for Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death. The report further stated that India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the incident by accusing Canada of providing a safe space to “criminal and secessionist elements” within its country.
On 07 May 2024, in response to media queries about the float in Malton, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “As you are aware, we have repeatedly raised our strong concerns regarding the violent imagery being used by extremist elements in Canada against our political leadership.” He added that in 2023, a float depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was used in a procession”.(here & here)
Further search led us to a report by ‘Hindustan Times’ dated 08 May 2024, which also carried visuals of the same float. The report noted that the incident took place on 05 May 2024, in Malton. ‘India Today’ reported that the Ontario Gurdwara Committee organized the Nagar Kirtan parade in Malton.
We then searched for the committee’s social media handles and found an Instagram post (archived link) shared on 03 May 2024 that carried an announcement of the parade. According to this post, the Nagar Kirtan was being organized on 05 May 2024 to commemorate the Sikh lives lost during Operation Blue Star by the Indian Army in 1984. The post further stated that the parade would begin from Malton and end in Rexdale. From all these sources, it is clear that the viral video shows the Nagar Kirtan parade held on 05 May 2024 in Malton, Ontario and has nothing to do with Kejriwal’s release on intermin bail.
To sum up, the video of PM Modi’s cutout behind bars in Canada is falsely linked to Delhi CM Kejriwal’s release on interim bail.