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A 9-year old issue of Canadian government denying visas to retired Indian Army Officers is being shared as a recent incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 23, 2019
On Facebook, a post with a video of ‘Headlines Today’ reporting about Canadian government denying visas to a few Indian Army Officers is being circulated widely. In the post, the video has the following text with it- ‘Rogue Indian Army Exposed 🇨🇦 Canada refuses visa for Indian Army Generals and Brigadiers who served as intelligence officers for their part in #Kashmir: thank you @JustinTrudeau for your brave stance’. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Canada’s Justin Trudeau government has rejected visas for Indian Army Generals and Brigadiers who served as intelligence officers in Kashmir.
Fact: The incident of the Canadian government’s denial to issue visas to a few retired Indian Army Generals and Intelligence Bureau officials happened in 2010. Later on, the Candian government had issued an ‘apology’.  The Prime Minister of Canada was
Stephen Harper  when this incident took place. So, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The video mentions retired Indian Army General Amreek Singh Bahia, retired DIG of CRPF R S Gill and former Intelligence Bureau officer S S Sidhu as the ones who were denied visas by the Candian High commission. So, to check the claim, a Google search was conducted with keywords “Canada refuses visas to Indian army”. The search results obtained had an article of ‘Hindustan Times’ dated May 27, 2010, that reported about the issue. The information in the article corroborates the things stated in the video that retired General Amreek Singh Bahia and former senior IB officer S S Sidhu were denied visas by the Candian High Commission on the grounds that their organisations have been engaging in violence.
Also, the Prime Minister of Canada in 2010, when this incident occurred, was Stephen Harper, not Justin Trudeau.
Later on, the then Canadian government has issued an apology to India ending the visa feud between the nations.
To summarize, a 9-year old issue of Canadian government denying visas to retired Indian Army Officers is falsely shared as a recent one.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Parliament?


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A beggar was not shot dead by the police in an attempt to thwart the 1986 assassination attempt on Rajiv Gandhi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 12, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that when Rajiv Gandhi went to Raj Ghat, a beggar who was considered a threat was shot at by the SPG. This post is viral in the light of the security failure of Prime Minister Modi in Punjab. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of SPG killing a beggar on the suspicion of a threat to Rajiv Gandhi.
Fact: In an attempted assassination in 1986 on the then Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi in Raj Ghat, six persons were injured, and no one was killed. According to various news reports and official press releases, there was no mention of any beggar being killed by the SPG. The person who shot at the Prime Minister was reportedly named as ‘Karamjit Singh’ who was sentenced to 14 years in prison and was freed only in May 2000. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, with relevant keywords, the same video was found on YouTube. The video was uploaded on the Associated Press Archive YouTube channel. According to the video description, the visuals were part of an attempted assassination on 02 October 1986 on the then Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. While attending the birth anniversary program of the late Mahatma Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi was shot at by a ‘Sikh hiding in a gazebo’. “The man was captured and Gandhi unharmed.”
According to an official Press Release by the Press Information Bureau issued on the same day, the person who fired shots at the Prime Minister was arrested and a country-made weapon was seized from him. “He first gave his name as Manmohan Desai but has changed his name several times.” There is no mention of a beggar being killed by the SPG.
After the incident at Rajghat in 1986, the central government had constituted an inquiry committee to enquire into the incident. The committee was headed by Shri B.G. Deshmukh, the then Cabinet Secretary.
There are many news reports (here and here) that were published after the incident in 1986 which stated that six persons were wounded but no one was killed. In a report by India Today, there was even a picture of the person who shot at the Prime Minister; he was named ‘Karamjit’. According to a 2009 article, Karamjit Singh was sentenced to 14 years in prison and was freed only in May 2000. There was no mention of any beggar being killed by the SPG in any of these news reports.
To sum it up, 1986 Video of an attempted assassination on Rajiv Gandhi in Raj Ghat is falsely shared with a claim that a beggar was killed by the SPG on the suspicion of a threat to the then Prime Minister.

source: news-factly

created: January 12, 2022

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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A behind-the-scenes clip of a TV series/movie is shared as visuals of an actual wounded police officer. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 4, 2023
A video of a woman police officer who seems to be wounded with her uniform visibly stained with blood is being shared on social media as actual visuals. The post’s description reads ‘Desh ke liye jina hai’ which translates to ‘one should live for their country.’ Let’s find out the facts behind this video through this article.
Claim: This video shows a wounded police officer.
Fact: The visuals seen in this clip are not real. This is a behind-the-scenes clip of a TV show/movie shoot. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To learn more about the viral clip, we performed a reverse image search on the internet using a few of its keyframes. This search led us to a post on the video-sharing website Moj that contained the viral clip.
The user @asppal_22 who uploaded the video also uploaded a few other videos featuring the same woman (police) seen in the viral clip. In these videos, one can observe the camera and lighting equipment (here and here). In one of the videos (here), the woman in police uniform can be seen reading lines from a scene paper. In one of the videos (here), a man can be heard saying ‘Why are you making BTS..’
The Moj account, @asppal_22, which uploaded these videos, in the description of their account mentioned “Crime Pe(a)trol 2.0”, which is a true crime series that airs on Sony Entertainment Television.
Although we could not find out the TV show (we could not verify if this is a BTS clip of Crime Patrol)/movie that this BTS clip belonged to, since the videos uploaded on @asppal_22’s Moj account prove that these clips are the BTS footage of some movie/TV show, it is safe to assume that the viral clip does not show the visuals of a real wounded policewoman.
To sum up, this video does not show a woman cop lying down in a wounded state, this is a BTS clip from a fictional TV series or a movie.

created: September 4, 2023


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A brief Overview of the Pendency in Indian Lower Courts
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 27, 2019
Pendency in Indian courts is not a new phenomenon. For years now, the
judicial system has been plagued with a high number of pending cases. Latest
data from NJDG indicates that more than 3.1 crore cases are pending in the
lower courts with 36% of them being more than 3-years old.
Indianconstitution lays down the provision for the setup and functioning of Judiciaryin India. Article 124-147
, of Part V -Chapter IV has the provision of Supreme Court, while Articles
214-231, of Part VI Chapter V deals with rules ,regulations and  provision of the HighCourts. Our Constitutions also provides provision for Subordinate Courtsthrough Articles 233-237,
under Part VI Chapter VI.
The Judicialsystem in India works in a defined hierarchy with Supreme Court being the Apexinstitution with each state having a High Court. District courts and other subordinatecourts function at the district level & below. With detailed provisions inthe constitution, the Indian Judiciary works as an independent organizationwithout the interference of the Executive or Legislature. This framework is forthe citizens of India to seek and gain justice in line with the tenets ofConstitution of India.
While theframework is ideal, the efficacy of the Judicial system in delivering justiceis being highly compromised due to the issue of pendency in court cases leadingto inordinate delay in the disposal. We look at the issue of pendency indistrict & lower courts.
Nearly 3/4th of Pending cases are pending for more than a year
As on 25 July2019, a total of 3,10,99,044 cases are pending in the District and TalukaCourts across India.  Of these, nearly 73% of the cases are pending since more than a year.
The National
Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)provides the details of all the cases across the courts in India. This is part of
the e-courts Integrated Mission Mode Project that helps to monitor and track theperformance of the courts.
As per the dataon NJDG, out of the total pending cases – nearly 72% are criminal cases and therest are Civil Cases. The proportion of cases pending for more than one year,in both Criminal cases and Civil cases is high with 73% and 71% respectively.
Original Cases occupy a major share in the type of pending cases
Of all thecases currently pending with the District courts, 73% of original cases. Inother words, these are the cases in which the original hearing occurred in therespective courts.
Out of theOriginal cases filed, a major portion of the pending cases are Civil Suits (68.14%).
Cases relatedto MACP are nearly 16%of pending Original Cases. MACP is a promotion scheme for central governmentemployees. Land Reference cases, Marriage Petitions, Labour Court cases are fewof the other major types of Original pending cases.
Around 6% ofthe pending cases are “Appeal” cases which are filed to review, amend andoverrule the decisions that are made in the trial court or other lower courts.
Another 7% ofthe pending cases are “Application” in nature i.e. these are the applicationsreceived, like for example Bail Application or Applications received for fasttracking a case etc. Nearly 15% of the pending cases are Execution Petitionsi.e. these are the petitions filed in the courts to
execute a decree or an order.
Nearly 36% of
the pending cases are more than 3-years old
As on 25 July2019, a total of 1,11,05,333 pending cases are more than 3 years old i.e.nearly 36% of the total pending cases. Further, there are 44,74,374 cases whichare 5 to 10 years old with nearly 3/4 of them being criminal cases(33,36,912).
A total of 4,57,018pending cases are more than 20 years old, with 75,766 cases of them beingpending for more than 30 years. A majority of these long pending cases (of morethan 20 years) are criminal cases (71%).
It would besurprising to note that 1913 cases categorized as “Pre-Trial” are more than 20years old. Pre-trail stage is the stage between opening of the case and startof trial proceedings in the court.
‘Stay’ is the
main reason for Pending cases followed by ‘Securing Presence’
There are variousreasons for the court cases to be pending. The NJDG portal has details of48,214 cases along with the reason for the case being pending. It has to benoted that this number is just a sample of the total pending cases with thedata for being available only for these cases.
Of this,‘Stayed’ is the reason for pendency in 45.67% of the cases. Nearly 26% of thecases are marked as pending because the law enforcement authorities were unableto secure the presence of the people required for the court hearing. Another 16%of the cases are pending because of being bulky cases.
Improvement in
disposal does not reduce pendency because of increase in new cases
The number ofcases being disposed-off every year has seen an increasing trend over the lastfour years. However, the number of new cases registered every year has alsobeen on the rise over the years.  This isresulting in new cases being piled up over the already existing cases.
The number ofcases disposed for 2015 was 25,18,968 where as the number of cases disposed in2018 was 31,56,579 which is an increase of almost 25%. However, thecorresponding figures for Instituted (new) cases were 29,92,798 and 32,99,370respectively. Such increase in the new cases has also added to the pendency.
So far in 2019,a total of 17,54,963 cases have already been disposed, but at the same time, 18,13,957cases have been registered.
Government
being the major litigant and lack of initiatives contributing towards pending
cases
Pendency ofCourt cases has been a longstanding problem plaguing our Judiciary system. Thereare many reasons that contribute towards the pending cases. Few of theimportant ones include:
Featured Image: Pendency in Indian Lower Courts


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A BTS clip of a show (‘Contamin’) is being shared as a fake Ukrainian soldier getting blood makeup - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 11, 2022
A video is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows a fake Ukrainian soldier getting blood makeup. The post also claims that the western media is showing such fake soldiers to set a narrative against Russia. The video is being shared in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a fake Ukrainian soldier getting blood makeup.
Fact: The video is not related to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The visuals show a BTS (behind the scenes) clip of a show called – ‘Contamin’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, many similar posts were found on the internet. However, a user has commented – “This video is from the movie set scene for Ukrainian TV series Contamin in 2020”, on one of such posts. So, when searched with keywords, a similar photo was found to be posted by a Twitter user with the following description – “Bts from set of Contamin tv series.”
Bts from set of Contamin tv series. #backstage #unitstillsphotography #onset #bts #setlife #hvozdkov #ukrainian @FujifilmX_US @_fujilove_ #fujixt30 pic.twitter.com/8xBY0HTjkk
On his Facebook profile, many similar photos can be found in the ‘Contamin’ album. Some of those photos can be seen here, here, and here. Similar visuals can be also seen in the ‘CONTAMIN 25 minutes’ video posted on YouTube. More details about the show can be found here.
To sum it up, a BTS clip of a show (‘Contamin’) is being shared as a fake Ukrainian soldier getting blood makeup.


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A BTS video of a short film is falsely shared as a real incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 10, 2023
A video in which a few policemen pin down a person on the ground while another person plucks out a nail is being shared on social media through a post. The post’s description in Hindi translates to ‘It is possible for a double engine government“, implying that the incident took place in a state ruled by the BJP government. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: This video of police torturing a man is real, and this incident was possible because the BJP government is in power.
Fact: This is a behind-the-scenes clip of a short film titled `Dost Ki Saja.’The film was made by Vipin Pandey, who uploaded the same clip on his Youtube and Facebook to announce his short film. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
We performed a reverse image search to learn more about the Viral clip. This search led us to a Facebook post uploaded by a user named Vipin Pandey, which contained the viral video.
The post’s description reads, ‘Coming soon video So please support my youtube channel.’`In the comments section, Vipin wrote that the video was taken while they were shooting (a short film) and urged people to refrain from making bad comments.
He even provided a link to his short film in the same comment. You can see the film here, which features the same actors in the viral clip(here).
To sum up, a BTS video of a short film is falsely shared as a real incident.


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‘A Buddhist man dressed as a Muslim woman’ is an old video - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 25, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post alleging that Sri Lankan Police has caught a Buddhist man dressed as a Muslim woman. In the post, they went on to claim that the man caught was also one of those who carried out Sri Lankan Church bombings. Let’s try to analyze the veracity of the claims made in the post.
Sri Lankan Police caught a Buddhist man dressed as a Muslim woman, who was involved in the latest Church bombing.
Fact: The video uploaded on Facebook is an old 2018 video. It has nothing to do with the latest Sri Lankan Church bombings. Hence the claim is MISLEADING.
When the video in the post is run through the Invid, several key frames were obtained. On using Google Reverse Image technique for each key frame, a certain key frame was found in an article of the “Neth News.lk” website. As per this article, the man in the video was seeking revenge over some person on a loan issue. In the article, a YouTube video similar to the one in the post was also embedded.  When the timestamp of the video is seen, it was found to be uploaded on August 29, 2018. So this video has nothing to do with the latest Sri Lankan bombings that took place on April 21, 2019.
To sum it up, the video or the man in that video has nothing to do with the Sri Lankan Church Bombing incident.


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A case dating back to 2007 is now being circulated with a religious angle - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 3, 2019
A post is currently going viral in social media claiming that a Muslim taxi/cab driver has murdered 250 persons from Hindu community. Let’s check the authenticity of these claims.
Muslim Taxi Driver in Meerut murdered 250 Non-Muslims in last four months.
Fact: The incident being reported is actually from 2007 and did not take place recently. There is no conclusive information on the motive of the murders or the identity of the victims. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for ‘Meerut 250 murders’ in Google, you get few results and the latest one is published by ‘Hindu Existence’ website on 2nd June, 2019. You can also notice a article by News18 published on 30th March, 2007 and the content for the article published by Hindu Existence is copied from the News18 article by twisting it and giving it a religious angle.
It is also claimed in both Hindu Existence and News18 article that one person has murdered these 250 person in a span on 4 months, but a Times of India article claims that a gang of 35 members are suspected to have murdered 250 persons.
Finally, the incident of a driver murdering about 250 members is from 2007 and did not take place recently.
Update:  To know more about the issue, FACTLY contacted Mr Dipesh Juneja’s office, who was Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Meerut in 2007, (who was quoted in the news article) and spoke to them over the telephone. His office clarified that the murders were done by a gang back in 2007 and there was no religious angle to the case. They have also asked to curb the spread of this fake news.
Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


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A CG character from the ‘Dumbo’ movie is falsely shared as the most beautiful elephant in the world - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 10, 2023
A post is being shared widely on social media with the claim that it shows Ando, the most beautiful elephant in the world. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photos of Ando, the most beautiful elephant in the world.
Fact: The elephant in the photos is not real. It is a computer-generated character for the ‘Dumbo’ movie. The same pictures can be seen in the posters of that movie. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photos were run through Google Reverse Image Search, we found that the elephant in the photos is not a real one. The uncropped versions of the posted photos can be found in the gallery of the ‘Dumbo’ movie on the IMDB website. The elephant’s character name is ‘Dumbo’ (not Ando), and it can fly in the movie. The trailer of the movie can be watched here.
More information regarding the CG creation of the Dumbo character can be read here and here.
To sum it up, a CG character from the ‘Dumbo’ movie is falsely shared as the most beautiful elephant in the world.


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A CG concept video is falsely shared as actual visuals of a Chennai signboard showing photos of traffic violators - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 27, 2023
A video circulating on social media shows a person’s photo displayed on a digital signboard attached to a traffic signal, stating that they crossed the red signal. This video is being shared with a claim that this system will be implemented soon. Let’s verify this claim through this article.
Claim: Digital signboards that display the photo of traffic violators are to be installed soon in Chennai.
Fact: Chennai traffic police or the Greater Chennai Corporation has not officially released any statement on installing such systems in the city. The signboard seen in the viral clip is created using CGI. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To learn more details about the viral video, we searched the internet to know if any credible media outlets have reported on such a decision taken by the Greater Chennai Corporation. But, we did not find any such reports stating that digital signboards for traffic violators will be installed soon in Chennai
Then, we performed a reverse image search on a few keyframes of the viral video, which led us to an Instagram post containing the same video. This post described it as a CGI concept video created by @riggedindian.
A post shared by The Culture Gully (@theculturegully)
Riggedindian uploaded the same video on 08 June 2023, with a description that reads, ‘This video is a concept video. Signal tracker in Chennai to avoid traffic rules violations. This is a CGI concept video.’
A post shared by RiggedIndian (@riggedindian)
Riggedindian, who has almost 75K followers on Instagram, uploads such VFX/Animated artwork.
A post shared by RiggedIndian (@riggedindian)
To sum up, a CG concept video is falsely shared as actual visuals of a Chennai signboard showing photos of traffic violators.


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A CGI dragon’s clip is edited onto a video of people running away from a landslide - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 20, 2022
A video is being shared on social media where people can be seen running away from a flying dragon. The post’s description reads, ‘Oh My God ’. Let’s fact-check this video through this article.
Claim: People are running away from a dragon that emerges from a mountain.
Fact: This clip contains the video of a landslide incident that happened in Beijing in August 2018. A clip of a CGI dragon is edited onto this clip to make it look like people are running away from the dragon. Hence the claim of the video is FALSE.
We ran a reverse image search on Yandex using a few screenshots from the video and were led to a Facebook post by People’s Daily China.
According to the description of the post, which also contains the video clip from the viral post, ‘A landslide occurred at the Junhong Road in Da’anshan township, Fangshan district, Beijing at around 8:30am (local time) on Saturday.’ According to CGTN, this incident occurred on 11 August 2018. A video uploaded to their YouTube channel matches (from 00:15) the clip from the viral video, except that the clip in the viral video is flipped.
We could not trace the source of the dragon clip in the viral video, but it looks similar to the dragon from the 2020 Motion Picture The Iron Mask. Dragons are mythological creatures. Here is more about Dragons.
To sum up, a dragon clip is edited onto a video of a people running away from a landslide.

created: October 20, 2022


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A CGI video is being falsely shared as visuals of a real mermaid spotted in the ocean - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 2, 2023
Update (02 March 2023) :
Lately, another video which claims to show a real mermaid caught on camera is being widely shared. However, these visuals do not show any real mermaid but a mermaid instructor who is swimming dressed in an artificial mermaid tail.
Reverse image search of the viral visuals led us to a TikTok video which carried the similar visuals. The bio section of this TikTok describes her as mermaid instructor. As per her Instagram bio, she works at aquacity freediving school, based in Cornwall, UK. Thus it is evident that the visuals show a real woman dressed in artificial mermaid tail.
Update (24 JULY 2022):
Another video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of a mermaid caught on camera under a bridge. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a mermaid caught on camera under a bridge.
Fact: The video does not show a real mermaid. ‘JJPD Productions’ published the same video on their YouTube channel describing it as a computer-generated (CGI) video created by Jimmy Perez. 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 to be published on the ‘JJPD Productions’ YouTube channel. The description of the video states, “These are paranormal videos created by us to entertain. All images shown are fictional. CGI Video (Computer Generated Image) Design and Creation of the Mermaid in 3D: Joaquín Pérez 3D Animation and VFX Edition”.  So, the video shared in the post does not show a real mermaid.
Update (24 JUNE 2022):
Another video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows a strange creature caught on camera recently. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows a strange creature caught on camera recently.
Fact: The creature in the posted video is not a real one. On the YouTube channel of ‘JJPD Productions’, the same video can be seen with the description that it is a computer-generated (CGI) video. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The posted video has three different clips. All the three clips can be seen in a video uploaded by ‘JJPD Productions’ YouTube channel. In the description of the video, the following is seen – “These are paranormal videos created by us to entertain. All images shown are fictional. CGI Video (Computer Generated Image)” (translated into English). Another video on that channel also shows the making process.
Published (20 JUNE 2022):
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows a real mermaid spotted in the ocean. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows a real mermaid spotted in the ocean.
Fact: The video does not show a real mermaid. ‘JJPD Productions’ has posted the same video on their YouTube channel with the description that it is a computer-generated (CGI) video. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Yandex Reverse Image Search, many similar videos were found in the search results. However, no proper information regarding the video was found. On searching for the video with some keywords, the same video was found to be posted by ‘JJPD Productions’ on their YouTube channel. In the description of the video, they said – “These are paranormal videos created by us to entertain. All images shown are fictional: Video CGI”.
In another video on their channel, ‘JJPD Productions’ has explained the process followed in creating those visuals. So, the posted video does not show a real mermaid.
To sum it up, a CGI video is being falsely shared as visuals of a real mermaid spotted in the ocean.


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A CGI video of an octopus crushing a car is shared as a real incident that happened in Qatar - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 4, 2023
A dramatic video of an octopus demolishing a car has caught the attention of social media users. The video, claimed to be a real incident that occurred in Qatar, shows a sea monster-like octopus destroying a car. Let’s fact-check this claim through his article.
Claim: A real-life octopus crushed a car in Qatar.
Fact: The video is a work of computer-generated imagery (CGI) created by an artist named Alex Z. The original video can be found on his Instagram account, where he describes the process of making it. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Upon initiating a keyword search on the internet, we stumbled upon an Instagram post from 25 September 2023, which showcased the same video of the octopus and the car. The post was made by an individual named Alex Z, who is a computer graphics artist.
A post shared by Alex Z (@ghost3dee)
In the Instagram post, Alex Z captioned the CGI video: “When you park like a jackass, a giant alien octopus comes and crushes your car.” Further in the description, he expanded on the compositing process used to create the video and stated that he used Nuke, a compositing and visual effects software, instead of After Effects.
Clearly, the video was not a real-life capture but instead a creative output of Alex Z (here and here) using computer graphics.
To sum up, the trending video of an octopus crushing a car is not a real incident from Qatar but a work of computer graphic artistry by Alex Z.

created: October 4, 2023


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A child-missing case from Pakistan is being falsely shared as a missing case in Nagpur - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 9, 2019
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that a missing child was found by Nagpur Police and she can speak only Tamil. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Missing child video by Nagpur Police.
Fact: The policeman belongs to Pakistan’s Sindh Police. The missing child in the video is with Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Police, not Nagpur Police. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the video, at 40 seconds, the policeman urges the relatives of the child to collect her from ‘Khawaja Ajmer Nagri’ police station. So, when searched for ‘Khawaja Ajmer Nagri’ on Google, it was found that it is in Karachi (Pakistan).
The uniform of the policeman in the video also matches with the uniform of Sindh Police.
Also, some YouTube videos claiming it to be a 2018 incident from Pakistan can be watched here and here.
To sum it up, a child-missing case from Pakistan is being falsely shared as a missing case in Nagpur.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?

created: October 9, 2019


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A clash between students of two colleges in Tamil Nadu is shared with a false communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 25, 2022
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows stones being pelt at a train by Muslims. The video is being shared in the context of the recent communal violence in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri during a ‘Shobha Yatra’ on Hanuman Jayanti. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows stones being pelt at a train by Muslims.
Fact: There is no communal angle in the incident shown in the video. The video shows a fight between two groups of college students at a railway station in Tamil Nadu. According to news reports, the students are from Presidency College and Pachaiyappa’s College, who also previously fought on several occasions. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image, many similar videos were found in the search results. The ‘NEWS TN’ has posted the same video on their YouTube channel with the following title – “Fight between Chennai Pachaiyappa College students & Presidency college students | Perambur”. Many other news channels have also published the video with a similar description. Some of them can be seen here, here, and here.
According to ‘ETV Bharat’, “an ugly spat broke out between two gangs of college students at a railway station in Chennai which led them to hurl stones at a train, stirring panic among passengers”. There is no communal angle to the incident in the posted video. Some of the other news reports regarding the incident in the video can be read here, here, and here. As per news reports, the students are from Presidency College and Pachaiyappa’s College, who also previously fought on several occasions. Some of the old articles regarding the conflict between the two colleges can be read here, here, and here.
To sum it up, a clash between students of two colleges in Tamil Nadu is shared with a false communal narrative that Muslims are pelting stones at a train.


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A clip from a movie, ‘The Flu’, is being falsely shared as ‘Situation in Italy’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 10, 2020
A video of dead bodies being lifted by a crane and then thrown into a mass grave is being shared as the situation in Italy. FACTLY has found that the video is not of a real-life incident and it is not related to the current COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. The video clip is part of a 2013 movie – ‘The Flu’. In the movie, the visuals in the clip can be seen between 1:07:04 and 1:07:12.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact – https://youtu.be/PtnZOR9lDts?t=4026
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2351310/
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A clip from Yogi Adityanath’s speech during screening of Samrat Prithviraj is being falsely linked to Gadar 2 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 16, 2023
A video is being shared on social media which features Uttar Pradesh’s CM, Yogi Adityanath, in which he is seen allegedly speaking about the film Gadar 2. It is also being claimed on social media that the government has given a tax exemption for Gadar 2. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Visuals in the viral video show Yogi Adityanath praising Gadar 2. Gadar 2 received tax exemption from the government of India.
Fact: The visuals in this video were actually shot during a speech given by Yogi Adityanath during a screening of the film ‘Samrat Prithviraj’ in June 2022. Additionally, it is being reported that Gadar 2 might receive tax exemption in various states across the country, but no state has officially made the announcement yet. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
Using relevant keywords to learn more about the viral clip, we searched the internet for the original version of Yogi Adityanath’s speech. This search led us to a few videos (here, here, and here) from June 2022, which feature the full speech of the UP CM. Reportedly, Yogi Adityanath attended a screening of the film Samrat Prithviraj in June 2022.
In the speech given by him during this event, he was seen praising the cast and crew of the film. During this event, he also announced a tax exemption for this film in Uttar Pradesh. Cropped and flipped footage from this speech of Yogi Adityanath are being used to portray as if he spoke about Gadar 2. You can find the lines spoken by him, which are used in the viral clip here and here.
Furthermore, searching the internet to see if the government of India has given any tax exemption for Gadar 2, we found a ‘TimesNow’ news report published in this regard. Reportedly, sources from Zee Studios, one of the producers of this film, informed TimeNow that they applied for tax exemption in various states and got an ‘encouraging response from them all.’ By the time of writing this, no news reports confirm that the government(state/central) passed orders to give Gadar 2 a tax exemption.
We also found a news report according to which Yogi Adityanath attended the premier of Gadar 2 in Mumbai, while in one report, it was said that it was a doppelganger of Yogi Adityanathi. You can find the news reports here and here.
To sum up, this viral video uses a clip from an old speech of Yogi Adityanath and falsely links it to Gadar 2. Additionally, there is no credible information online to prove that Gadar 2 received a tax exemption from the government.


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A clipped prank video is shared with a false narrative of man urinating in Sweets container - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 6, 2022
A video is being shared on social media, claiming to be visuals of a man allegedly urinating in a pot containing sweets. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Video of a man urinating into a pot full of sweets.
Fact: The video posted on social media is a clipped version of a lengthier video of a prank. In the original longer version, the man is seen carrying a bottle in his hand near his pelvic region. He is pouring some liquid into the container of sweets from that bottle. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon performing a basic keyword search on the internet, we found a video on YouTube uploaded by ‘The Shadab Word News.’ The host of this video shows the same video as the viral post and debunks it by showing an original extended version of the clip shared through the viral post.
We found the Instagram handle (ashiq.billota) from the original video clip shown in this video. This user has around 354K followers on Instagram. Uploaded six days ago, in this prank video, the man urinating in the potful of sweets can be seen holding a bottle near his pelvic region. This is the extended version of the video shared through the viral post in which the parts where the bottle appears have been carefully removed. With this, we can conclude that a clipped version of the prank video is shared to support the false narrative of a man urinating in a sweet container.
To sum it up, a clipped prank video is shared to spread a false narrative that a man is urinating in a sweet container.

created: December 6, 2022


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A clipped video is being falsely shared as PM Narendra Modi refusing to accept Lord Ganesha’s Idol - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 28, 2024
Several posts (here, here, & here) accompanying a video showing a felicitation ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are being widely shared across social media platforms with the claim that the video shows him refusing to accept the idol of Lord Ganesha. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi refusing to accept the idol of Lord Ganesha.
Fact: This video is from a public meeting held in Ankola, in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, during PM Modi’s campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly elections on 03 May 2023. The original video of this meeting has been edited between timestamps 02:05 and 02:16 and shared with a false narrative. In the longer version of the video, we can clearly see PM Modi accepting the idol of Lord Ganesha presented to him and also posing with it for a photograph on stage. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we conducted a Google reverse image search using keyframes from the video. This search led us to a post by ‘ANI’ news on X (Twitter) on 03 May 2023, which contains similar pictures like in the viral video. This post mentions that PM Modi was addressing a public meeting in Ankola, in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, on 03 May 2023.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon to address a public meeting at Ankola in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka pic.twitter.com/Aj9a8iK86U
Taking a cue from this, we conducted a relevant keyword search and found the full video of this meeting on the official YouTube channel of BJP. It was uploaded on 03 May 2023, with the title: “PM Shri Narendra Modi addresses public meeting in Ankola, Karnataka | Karnataka Election | PM Modi”.
Upon reviewing the entire video, we discovered that the viral clip begins at the timestamp 02:05 and concludes at 02:16. In the footage, people standing on the stage are seen presenting different items to PM Modi. He is adorned with a crown and shawls. After this, the person in the viral video brings the idol of Lord Ganesha to which PM Modi says something and asks him to step back. Then PM Modi is garlanded, and afterwards, the same person presents the idol of Lord Ganesha to PM Modi. PM Modi holds the idol of Ganesha and also gets a photograph clicked. This makes it evident that PM Modi did not refuse to accept the idol God Ganesha.
Recently, a video clip with a similar claim stating that Rahul Gandhi refused to accept the idol of Lord Vitthal went viral. Factly wrote a fact-check article debunking the viral video, which can be seen here.
To sum up, a clipped video is being falsely shared as PM Narendra Modi refusing to accept Lord Ganesha’s Idol.


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A clipped video is being falsely shared as Rahul Gandhi refusing to accept Lord Vitthal’s Idol - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 18, 2024
A post accompanying a video showing a felicitation ceremony of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is being widely shared across social media platforms (here, here, here) with the claim that the video depicts Rahul Gandhi refusing to accept the idol of the Hindu God Lord Vitthal in Nashik, Maharashtra. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video depicting Rahul Gandhi refusing to accept the idol of Lord Vitthal, which was presented by a Congress party worker during a meeting in Nasik, Maharashtra.
Fact: This video is from a farmer meeting conducted in Nashik, Maharashtra, during Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra’ on 14 March 2024. The original video of this meeting has been edited between timestamps 16:46 to 17:17 and shared with a false narrative. In the longer version of the video, we can clearly see Gandhi accepting the idol that was presented to him and also posing with it for a photograph on stage. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the accuracy of the viral claim, we conducted a Google reverse image search using key frames from the viral video. This search led us to the full version of the viral video, which was uploaded on Rahul Gandhi’s official YouTube channel on 14 March 2024, titled: “Farmers Meeting | Nashik | Maharashtra | Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra”. According to news reports, on 14 March 2024, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra reached Nashik, Maharashtra. There, he, along with other Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance leaders, including Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party and Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, addressed a farmers’ meeting at Krushi Utpanna Bazar Samiti.
Upon reviewing the entire video, we discovered that the viral clip begins at the timestamp 16:46 and concludes at 17:17. In the footage, an individual is seen wrapping a turban around Rahul Gandhi’s head. During this moment, another person attempts to present the idol to Rahul Gandhi but is halted twice by the individual wrapping the turban. Additionally, Gandhi and his associates can be observed gesturing to the party worker to step aside while Gandhi is being garlanded and photographed with others. Subsequently, Rahul Gandhi removes the turban and the garland, accepts the idol, poses for a photograph with the presenter, and then passes it on. This makes it evident that Rahul Gandhi did not refuse to accept the Hindu God Vitthal Idol.
We additionally discovered a video of the entire event shared by OneIndia News on 14 March 2024. The pertinent section can be found between the timestamp 13:00 and 14:30. Subsequently, we also found that this viral video was shared by several BJP official Twitter handles and BJP leaders with the same claim. In this context, refuting such claims, the President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, Nana Patole, posted a video on X (archive) on 14 March 2024. In this video, Rahul Gandhi can be seen accepting the idol and posing with it for a photograph. From all of this, it is evident that Rahul Gandhi did not refuse to accept the Hindu God Vitthal Idol. The video was edited to exclude the part where Rahul Gandhi accepted the idol and is being shared with a false narrative.
धरीला पंढरीचा चोर | गळा बांधुनिया दोर ||
हृदय बंदिखाना केला | आंत विठ्ठल कोंडीला
शब्दे केली जडाजुडी | विठ्ठल पायी घातली बेडी
सोहम शब्दाचा मारा केला | विठ्ठल काकुळती आला
आम्ही रामाचे पुजारी, हे तर रामाचे व्यापारी… ही संत जनाबाई ह्यांच्या अभंगाची ओळ या भाजपावाल्यांसाठी… https://t.co/2Y3P8E49Ag pic.twitter.com/DdBulBA14w
To sum it up, a clipped video is being falsely shared, portraying Rahul Gandhi as refusing to accept the idol of Lord Vitthal.


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A clipped video is being falsely shared as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat admitting that RSS is against reservation and cannot openly express this stance - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 15, 2024
A video featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat speaking at a meeting is circulating on social media platforms (here, here, and here), with the claim that he admitted that the RSS is against reservation and cannot openly express this stance. In the video, we can hear Mohan Bhagwat saying, “Sangh vaale baahar se to baaten achchhee karenge, andar jaakar kahenge aarakshan ka hamaara virodh hai, baahar ham bol nahin sakate” (Sangh people will talk good outside, but when they go inside, they will say that we are against reservation, we cannot speak outside, translated from Hindi to English). Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stating that the RSS is against reservation and cannot openly express this stance.
Fact: The viral video is clipped. This viral video shows visuals of Mohan Bhagwat addressing a gathering in Hyderabad on 28 April 2024. In his speech, Bhagwat mentioned that a video claiming that the RSS is against reservation, and they cannot openly express this stance is going viral, which is false. He said that the RSS has been supporting all reservations as per the Constitution since the beginning of reservations, and they will continue to do so until discrimination exists. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
After carefully observing the viral video, we noticed the logo of the ANI news agency in the top right corner. Taking this as a cue and to learn more about the viral video, we conducted a relevant keyword search that led us to an extended version of the viral video uploaded on the official Twitter account of ANI on 28 April 2024. The caption of the video reads: “Hyderabad, Telangana: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says, “A video is being circulated that RSS is against reservation and we cannot speak about this outside. Now, this is completely false. The Sangh has been supporting all reservations as per the Constitution since the beginning”.
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says, "A video is being circulated that RSS is against reservation and we cannot speak about this outside. Now this is completely false. The Sangh has been supporting all reservations as per the Constitution since the… https://t.co/lGju5pukHj pic.twitter.com/crS5FORdv1
In this video, we can hear RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat saying, “Just when I came here, yesterday I heard that a video is going around, that the Sangh people will talk nicely from outside, but when they go inside, they will say that we are against reservation, we cannot speak outside. This is completely untrue, wrong. Ever since reservation came into existence, the Sangh has given full support to all the reservations as per the Constitution. The Sangh says that as long as the people for whom the reservation is made feel it necessary or it is given for social reasons, as long as this discrimination exists, then this reservation should continue”. (translated from Hindi to English).
To sum up, a clipped video is being falsely shared as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat admitting that the RSS is against reservation and cannot openly express this stance.


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A clipped video is shared as Arvind Kejriwal saying corruption of AAP should continue - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 10, 2022
A video is being shared on social media with a claim that Arvind Kejriwal, in of his speeches, said that the corruption of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) should continue. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Arvind Kejriwal saying that the corruption of AAP should continue.
Fact: The posted video is a clipped one. In the full video, it can be seen that Arvind Kejriwal was sarcastically commenting on the economists for writing articles criticising the freebies, but not writing even one article condemning the corruption in the country. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The logo of ‘Lokmat’ media can be seen in the posted video. So, when we searched with some keywords, the video of Arvind Kejriwal’s speech at a program recently organised by the Lokmat Media Group was found in the search results. In the video streamed live by AAP on 08 MAY 2022, the posted clip can be seen at 1:25:02. In his speech, Arvind Kejriwal said – “Nowadays, many famous economists are writing articles in newspapers that the country will be ruined if freebie culture is continued. I did not see even one economist writing an article saying that the country will be ruined if corruption is continued. Corruption should continue (according to them). How am I giving these freebies? From where am I getting money? I do not have the money to give the freebies. I ended the corruption. The money which previously went into the pockets of leaders and officers is now being distributed to the people in the form of freebies…” (English translation)
He was sarcastically commenting on the economists for writing articles criticising the freebies but not writing even one article condemning the corruption in the country. His speech can be also seen on the ‘Lokmat’ YouTube channel. Also, in an article published by ‘The Week’, it can be read that – “Countering the charge of indulging in freebie politics, the Delhi CM said money meant for public welfare used to be consumed by corruption, and his government, by stopping corruption and saving money therein was giving people free electricity and other amenities.”
To sum it up, a clipped video is shared as Arvind Kejriwal saying that the corruption of AAP should continue.


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A clipped video is shared as Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot supporting the separatist Khalistan movement - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 18, 2023
Update (18 December 2023): Another video clip of former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot saying,“..when Mohan Bhagwat and Narendra Modi can speak about Hindu Rashtra, why shouldn’t I speak about Khalistan..” is viral on social media. As debunked in the following article, the viral video is an edited clip from a speech of Ashok Gehlot from April 2023. In the original video, he was seen talking about Khalistani activist Amritpal Singh and how BJPs Hindu Rashtra idealogy led to the rise of people like Amritpal.
A video of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is being widely shared on social media with a claim implying that he is supporting Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh and the Khalistan movement. Factly has received the same video on its WhatsApp tipline number (+91 92470 52470) with a request to verify the authenticity of the clip. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot spoke in support of Khalistan movement
Fact: The video is clipped. In the original video, Gehlot quotes Singh’s statements and points them as dangerous to the country. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
On relevant keyword search, we found that the video was of a party workers meeting held in Bharatpur on 31 March 2023. From the original video published by Dainik Bhaskar and a YouTube video by a news channel, we found Gehlot saying that Bhagwat and PM Modi spoke about the Hindu nation and this gave Amritpal Singh the courage to speak about Khalisthan. In fact, he expresses his concern over the demands of the Khalisthan.
In the original video, Gehlot further stated that this is very dangerous for our country as for the first time in history someone stated that if we talk about a Hindu nation why shouldn’t they create something for their own communities? Tomorrow the southern states will start saying the same. We should worry about the future of our country. His speech was published in news articles (here and here)
To sum up, a clipped video is being shared as Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot supports the separatist Khalistan movement.

created: December 18, 2023


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A clipped video is shared as the Election Commissioner dodging a Journalist’s question on Modi and Amit Shah - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 18, 2024
A video snippet is creating a buzz on social media platforms that allegedly shows the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India allegedly evading a question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah during a press conference. The claim suggests that the CEC blatantly ignored a question regarding the lack of action taken against Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for their purported hate speech. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: The CEC deliberately skipped a question about Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.
Fact: The viral video clip is part of a longer press conference by the Election Commission of India regarding the 2024 General Elections. In the full-length video, it is evident that the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, did respond to the question posed by the journalist. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To determine the veracity of the viral video, we began by searching for the original press conference footage. Our search led us to the full-length version of the press conference organised by the Election Commission of India on the upcoming Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies elections 2024, which is available on their official YouTube channel.
Upon examining the original video, the section from the viral video could be located at the 1:00:54 timestamp, where Ashlin Mathew, a journalist from the National Herald, can be seen posing a question about Narendra Modi and Amit Shah’s alleged hate speech. The video clearly shows that rather than ignoring the question, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar did in fact, offer a response.
The questions in that particular session were taken in sets of five, after which the CEC provided the responses. Ashlin Mathew’s question was fourth in line, and EC’s response can be found at the 1:10:23 timestamp in the video. CEC Rajiv Kumar stated that actions would be taken by the ECI, regardless of the political status of the individual in question during the elections.
To sum up, the claim circulating on social media that the CEC consciously ignored a question regarding Narendra Modi and Amit Shah is false. The original video clearly shows that the question was indeed answered during the press conference.


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A Clipped video is shared as visuals of Modi commenting against the reservation system. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 9, 2024
A video of Prime Minister Modi talking about reservations in parliament is being widely shared across social media platforms with the claim that Modi doesn’t like the reservation system especially in jobs. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Prime Minister Modi saying that he doesn’t like reservations.
Fact: The video shared in the viral post shows an edited video clip of Modi’s full speech. On 7 February 2024, PM Modi replied to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President of India’s address in the Rajya Sabha. During his speech, he mentioned that Congress is always against SCs/STs and the reservation system. PM Modi stated that Jawaharlal Nehru once wrote a letter to the chief ministers of the Indian Union expressing his dislike for reservation. Then, PM Modi read out Nehru’s quote, which said, “I dislike any kind of reservation, more particularly in services. I am strongly against anything which leads to inefficiency and second-rate standards” in the Rajya Sabha. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for details of the video using relevant keywords, we found an article published by the Hindustan Times on 07 February 2024. The article reports that PM Modi while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha, cited a letter written by Jawaharlal Nehru to chief ministers. The letter clearly states that the first prime minister was against reservation of any kind, especially in jobs, as it adversely affected the functioning of the government.
We then found the extended version of the video on Sansad TV, where we can see PM Modi replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President of India’s address in the Rajya Sabha. During his speech, PM Modi conveyed his thanks to the President of India and criticized the Congress party’s decisions on various issues such as terrorism, the Naxalite issue, internal and external security, etc., during their government. At a point in his speech, he mentioned that Congress is always against SCs/STs and the reservation system. PM Modi stated that Jawaharlal Nehru once wrote a letter to the chief ministers of the Indian Union expressing his dislike for reservation. Then, PM Modi read out Nehru’s quote, which said, ‘I dislike any kind of reservation, more particularly in services. I am strongly against anything which leads to inefficiency and second-rate standards ‘ in the Rajya Sabha. From this information, it is evident that the video shared in the viral post shows an edited video clip of Modi’s full speech while he was quoting Nehru’s letter to Chief Ministers against reservations, and he didn’t make any comments against the reservation system.
To sum it up, PM Modi didn’t say that he was against the reservation system; he was quoting Nehru’s 1961 letter in Rajya Sabha.

created: February 9, 2024


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A clipped video is shared to show that Rahul Gandhi said – “Hindus and Hindutvavadis should be thrown out” - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 21, 2022
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Rahul Gandhi said both Hindus and Hindutvavadis should be thrown out. In the comments section of the post, some users have written (translated from Kannada) – ‘Hindus, at least now understand. Wake up’, ‘Isn’t there a single Hindu among the useless people sitting there’. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Rahul Gandhi said that both Hindus and Hindutvavadis should be thrown out.
Fact: In the extended version of the same clip, Rahul Gandhi said – “From 2014, there is a rule of Hindutvavadis, not Hindus. We should once again throw out these Hindutvavadis and bring back the rule of Hindus” (translated into English). In his entire speech, Rahul Gandhi has differentiated between Hindus and Hindutvavadis. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, it was found that the visuals are related to Rahul Gandhi’s speech at a rally in Jaipur (in December 202`1). The whole speech can be found with the title – “India rejects Modi Govt’s endless Price Rise. | Mehangai Hatao Rally | Jaipur Rajasthan”, on Rahul Gandhi’s YouTube channel. The posted clip can be found at 12:08 in the video. In the extended version of the video, it can be seen that Rahul Gandhi says – “From 2014, there is a rule of Hindutvavadis, not Hindus. We should once again throw out these Hindutvavadis and bring back the rule of Hindus” (translated into English). It can be seen that, in his entire speech, Rahul Gandhi has differentiated between Hindus and Hindutvavadis. Rahul Gandhi likens Hindutva to be the political ideology of the Hindu right-wing groups]
Also, on 12 December 2021, ‘ANI’ tweeted – “Hindutvavadis only want power and they are in power since 2014. We need to throw these Hindutvavadis out of power & bring back Hindus: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the party rally in Jaipur”. Some news articles on Rahul Gandhi’s comments can be read here and here.
To sum it up, Rahul Gandhi said – “Hindutvavadis should be thrown out and bring back the rule of Hindus”. However, a clipped video is being shared to show that Rahul Gandhi said – “Hindus and Hindutvavadis should be thrown out”.

created: February 21, 2022


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A clipped video of Amit Shah's speech is circulated, claiming that he asked people not to vote for the BJP candidate in Depalpur - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 16, 2023
A post claiming that Home Minister Amit Shah has asked people not to vote for BJP candidate Manoj Nirbhaysingh of Depalpur is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Home Minister Amit Shah asked people not to vote for BJP candidate Manoj Nirbhaysingh of Depalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
Fact: The original video of Amit Shah’s speech in Depalpur on 11 November 2023 has been edited at 7:40 and 7:59 timestamps and shared with this false narrative. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On performing a relevant keyword search, we came across a full live recorded video of the meeting with the title “HM Amit Shah addresses the public rally in Depalpur, Madhya Pradesh (11 Nov 2023)” on his official website as well as his official YouTube channel. The video is also posted on BJP’s official Facebook page.
On carefully going through the entire video, we found that the original video is trimmed at different timestamps. The viral segment begins at 7:40 and ends at 7:59 timestamps, where he emphasizes, “Dear brothers and sisters, when you go to vote on 17th, remember one thing- do not vote to make Manoj Nirbhaysingh MLA.” However, he continues to say “While he may become an MLA with your vote, your choice directly impacts the development and security of Madhya Pradesh. Your single vote plays a crucial role in shaping the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, contributing to the establishment of Modi Ji’s double-engine government.”
To sum up, a clipped video of Amit Shah’s speech is circulated, claiming that he asked people not to vote for the BJP candidate in Depalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

created: November 16, 2023


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A clipped video of Amit Shah's speech on IIT, IIM,IIIT and AIIMS is being shared out of context - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 21, 2023
A video claiming that Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) was the first political party to successfully establish prestigious colleges such as IIT, IIIT, NIT, IIM, and AIIMS in India is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Amit Shah stated that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) was the first political party to successfully establish prestigious institutes such as IIT, IIIT, NIT, IIM, and AIIMS in India.
Fact: The viral video was created by editing the original at different timestamps. At 10:39, Shah claims Congress left Chhattisgarh in a poor state before BJP took over in 2003. At 10:47, he continues to say that transforming Chhattisgarh into an education, power, and healthcare hub,  NIT, IIT, IIIT, IIM, AIIMS, and Livelihood Colleges in Chhattisgarh were established by the BJP. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On conducting a relevant keyword search, we discovered an extended version of the viral video on the official YouTube channel of the Home Minister, Amit Shah. We found that the video is from ‘Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha’ in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh held on 16 October 2023.
After reviewing the entire video, it became evident that the viral video was created by editing the original video at different timestamps. We found that at the 10:39 timestamp, Shah asserts that the Congress, currently in power in the state, left Chhattisgarh in a bad state before the BJP took charge in 2003. At 10:47, Shah stated “We transformed Chhattisgarh into a hub for education, power, cement, and a substantial center for healthcare. The BJP established NIT, IIT, IIIT, IIM, AIIMS, and Livelihood College.” Here, it implies that Shah was referring to the establishment of these institutions specifically in Chhattisgarh, not in India as such.
Subsequent research about the institutes spoken about by Amit Shah found that IIT Bhilai in Chhattisgarh was founded in 2016, and inaugurated by then Chief Minister and BJP leader Raman Singh. IIM Raipur, established in 2010, also operated during Raman Singh’s tenure. IIIT Naya Raipur was established through a collaboration between NTPC and the state government under the IIIT University Act, of 2013. AIIMS Raipur was established in 2012 under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana. The concept of skill development centers was proposed by the state government led by the BJP in 2013. However, NIT-Raipur was established in 1956 by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1963. It gained recognition as an NIT in 2005.
To sum up, a clipped video of Amit Shah’s speech on IIT, IIM, IIIT, and AIIMS is being shared out of context

created: November 21, 2023


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A clipped video of Kangana Ranaut is shared as she accepting defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 7, 2024
A video featuring BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi constituency Kangana Ranaut speaking at a public gathering is circulating on social media platforms (here, here, and here), with claims that Kangana said, “People will come to see me but not vote for me” implying that Kangana has accepted her defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Kangana Ranaut’s statement “People will come to see me but not vote for me” suggests that she accepted her defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections
Fact: While Kangana Ranaut was delivering a speech at a public meeting on 2 May 2024 in Tattapani of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, she commented on Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh and his mother Pratibha Singh. She stated, “Congress state president Pratibha Singh, who I see as a mother figure, mentioned that the crowd gathering to see me (Kangana) won’t vote. They’re merely interested in seeing who I am and what kind of ‘Hussan Ki Pari’ the BJP has brought from Mumbai. It’s troubling that despite being a woman, Pratibha’s views on women aren’t in line with what’s right.” The original video was trimmed and shared as a viral video. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On performing a relevant keyword search regarding the viral claim, we found a news report featuring the longer version of the viral video, published by ETV Himachal Pradesh channel. In this video, Kangana was commenting on Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh and his mother Pratibha Singh while she was addressing a public gathering at Tattapani of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh.
She stated “It’s disheartening to know that Prince Vikramaditya Singh didn’t treat his wife well; she claims to have suffered various forms of torture. Congress state president Pratibha Singh, who I see as a mother figure, mentioned that the crowd gathering to see me (Kangana) won’t vote. They’re merely interested in seeing who I am and what kind of ‘Hussan Ki Pari’ the BJP has brought from Mumbai. It’s troubling that despite being a woman, Pratibha’s views on women aren’t in line with what’s right.”
She further stated, “I’m not some beautiful fairy, I’m just a girl from a regular family. People come to see me, the daughter of Himachal. It’s not fitting for Pratibha Singh, to use such language. Hearing such inappropriate words is distressing. It seems to me that the Congress is losing the election.”
Subsequent research led us to news reports (here and here) regarding this speech, which further confirms that Kangana was not stating these remarks herself but rather was quoting Pratibha Singh. The original video was trimmed at different timestamps and shared as a viral video.
To sum up, a clipped video of Kangana Ranaut is shared as she accepting defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.


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A clipped video of Mallikarjun Kharge shared alleging that he acknowledged that the Congress party divides country in the name of caste - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 27, 2024
Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is currently underway, with various leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, addressing the yatra. A video of Kharge addressing the public is circulating on social media, where he allegedly stated, “As always, Congress divides the country. It divides the country in the name of caste.” Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Mallikarjun Kharge said “As always, Congress divides the country. It divides the country in the name of caste” in a public gathering.
Fact: This video is from a public meeting held during the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in Aurangabad, Bihar, on 15 February 2024. In the original video, Kharge stated that “the caste census will provide valuable information on the distribution and conditions of people from various castes and communities since independence. We have requested a caste census for this purpose. What’s wrong with it? Modi always claims that Congress divides the country based on caste, but when have we done so?” The video has been clipped between the timestamps 13:13 and 13:18 and shared. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On performing a relevant keyword search regarding the claim, we found from the official YouTube channel of the Indian National Congress that this video is from a public meeting held during the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in Aurangabad, Bihar, on 15 February 2024.
On listening to the full video, we found that Kharge was talking about the purpose of Congress’ demand for a caste census and Prime Minister Modi’s remarks on caste census. He stated, “Brothers, Rahul Gandhi, and our party share the same demand: a caste census. If our party comes to power, we will conduct it. This census will provide valuable information on the distribution and conditions of people from various castes and communities since independence. It will help us understand the educational and economic progress of different groups, including backward communities, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, minorities, and those below the poverty line. We have requested a caste census for this purpose. What’s wrong with it? Modi always claims that Congress divides the country based on caste, but when have we done so? Our goal is to ensure justice for all.” Kharge’s speech on the Official website of the Indian National Congress also mentions this.
News reports also covered Mallikarjun Kharge’s speech in Aurangabad, Bihar (here and here). Our investigation reveals that the authentic video has been edited between the timestamps 13:13 and 13:18 and was shared to disseminate misinformation.
To sum up, a clipped video of Mallikarjun Kharge is being shared, alleging that he acknowledged that the Congress party divides country in the name of caste.

created: February 27, 2024


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A clipped video of Mayawati’s speech is shared as visuals of her expressing support for the BJP - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 6, 2024
A video(here, here and here) of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, in which she appears to be appealing to the voters to cast their votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) in return for the free ration provided by Narendra Modi, is doing the rounds on social media. We fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: The video shows BSP president Mayawati appealing to the voters to vote for the BJP.
Fact:  This is a clipped video from Mayawati’s speech, which she delivered at a public meeting in Agra on 4 May 2024. In her original speech, Mayawati quoted the people from RSS and BJP, who she claims are asking for votes in the name of free ration provided by the BJP. This small portion of her speech was clipped out of context and shared in the form of the viral video. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the veracity of the viral claim, we searched the internet with relevant keywords to find the original video in which Mayawati spoke about voting for BJP. This search led us to the original full-length speech uploaded on the Bahujan Samaj Party YouTube channel and on few other news channels’ YouTube handles (here and here).
You can see the portion of her speech in the viral video from 26:12 . Although these words were spoken by her, she said this in a context, which she provides from 25:06 (archive link). Here,  she explains how the free rations provided by the central government to the poor is not going to improve their lives. She then proceeds to say in Hindi, which translates to, ‘You all know that when the assembly elections were held here, during the assembly elections and also now during the Lok Sabha elections all around the country,  the BJP and RSS people have taken it as a mission to mislead the voters in the name of the ration given by the central government to the poor and downtrodden.’
She then says that the BJP and RSS people are moving about in villages and saying that ‘Narendra Modi ji gave you free ration, which is why you have a huge Karz(which is why you are indebted to him), so you repay it by voting for BJP.’
She further explains that the ration given by the BJP government to the poor was not given out of their pockets but from the tax paid by the people to the Uttar Pradesh government and the central government. The ANI, Times of India, and Hindustan Times reported this, which you can see here, here and here.
The context in which she spoke was removed, and a video was made to look as if Mayawati was appealing to the voters to cast their vote for Narendra Modi and the BJP.
To sum up, the viral video of Mayawati asking people to vote for BJP is clipped.


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A clipped video of Nitin Gadkari's interview is being shared out of context, falsely claiming he admitted Indian villages are facing issues under the BJP government - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 4, 2024
A video clip featuring BJP senior leader and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari stating, “Today the villages, poor, labourers, and farmers are unhappy. There are no good roads, no pure water to drink, no good hospitals, no good schools in the villages,” is widely circulating across social media platforms. The claim accompanying the video suggests that Nitin Gadkari has admitted that, under the rule of the present BJP government in which he is a part, the poor, labourers, and farmers in the villages are unhappy due to the absence of good roads, clean drinking water, quality hospitals, and schools. In this article, let’s fact-check the assertions made in the post.
Claim: Nitin Gadkari has admitted that, under the rule of the BJP government, the poor, labourers, and farmers in the villages are unhappy.
Fact: The clip shows Nitin Gadkari’s interview to a media outlet named ‘The Lallantop”, which was published on 29 February 2024. This interview video of Gadkari has been edited between the timestamps 18:20 and 18:40 and shared with a false narrative, distorting the context of his speech. Originally, Gadkari made statements while addressing the conditions of rural, agricultural, and tribal economies since India’s independence. Therefore, it can be inferred that an incomplete video of Gadkari’s interview has been taken out of context, falsely suggesting that he admitted, under the rule of the BJP government, the poor, labourers, and farmers in the villages are unhappy. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
This video was also shared by the official Twitter accounts of the Congress party and its leaders (here & here). Upon closer inspection of the viral video, we noticed the logo of the Hindi news outlet The Lallantop in the top right corner. Subsequently, we explored The Lallantop’s YouTube channel and found the full-length interview with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, uploaded on 29 February 2024.
While reviewing the interview, we identified that the viral video had been clipped between the timestamps 18:20 and 18:40. In this segment, Gadkari addresses a question about the recent protests by farmers. During his response, the Union Minister emphasizes empowering farmers and the agrarian sector through infrastructural development, providing statistics on the contributions of the agricultural, manufacturing, and service sectors to India’s economy. He also touches upon the historical aspect of rural-urban migration since Mahatma Gandhi’s time. In discussing this, he highlights the lack of infrastructure in rural India as a source of discontent among the rural population. Consequently, the viral video omitted the context of his comments.
Originally, Nitin Gadkari made these statements while discussing farmers and agricultural issues in response to an interviewer’s question. When addressing the topic of farmers and agriculture, Gadkari remarked “When Gandhiji was there, population up to 90% lived in the villages and this thirty percent migration happen gradually. Today, villagers, poor people, labourers, and farmers are sad. The reason is that water, land, forests, and wildlife – rural, agricultural, and tribal – these economies do not have good roads, potable water, good hospitals, good schools. Farmers don’t get good prices for their crops, and the sustainable development that was supposed to happen has happened, it is not that it has not happened. It has happened but not as much as it has happened in other sectors. After our government came, we are also doing a lot of work. After our government came to power, we have worked a lot for this. We have identified 550 aspirant blocks, and 120 aspirational districts were identified by Modiji, to work on.” (Translation from Hindi to English). Furthermore, the minister discussed their plans to facilitate progress in these sectors by helping them establish additional sources of livelihood.
After this clipped video went viral and was shared by several Congress party Twitter handles, on 01 March 2024, Gadkari’s office shared both the clipped and longer versions of the video, calling out the Congress for their post. In the context of the interview, it is evident that the Union Minister was addressing the conditions of rural, agricultural, and tribal economies since India’s independence. Therefore, it can be inferred that an incomplete video of Gadkari’s interview has been taken out of context, falsely suggesting that he admitted, under the rule of the BJP government in which he is a part, the poor, labourers, and farmers in the villages are unhappy. The Press Information Bureau (PIB Fact Check) of the Government of India has also refuted the authenticity of the viral video.
श्री @nitin_gadkari जी के नाम पर @INCIndia का झूठ। pic.twitter.com/V0q5jqnTLA
We also came across several media reports (here, here, and here) indicating that Gadkari has issued a legal notice to Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh regarding the video. Reportedly, Gadkari has requested the party to promptly remove all clipped videos and issue an apology within three days. He also said that failure to comply would prompt him to pursue legal action.
To sum up, a clipped video of Nitin Gadkari’s interview is being shared out of context, falsely claiming that Gadkari admitted that Indian villages are facing issues under the BJP government.


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A clipped video of Rahul Gandhi’s speech at a book launch event is being shared out of context - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 4, 2023
A video clip featuring the congress leader, Rahul Gandhi, has recently gone viral on social media. In this snippet, Gandhi appears to carry out a confusing speech. In the video, he can be seen speaking about his father’s killers and saying that he does not have hatred against them, but in the hospital, he felt like “if something like this happens to me, I would have killed.”  It is being argued on social media that one might need seven days to decipher what he’s trying to convey. This article aims to fact-check this claim.
Claim: Rahul Gandhi gave a nonsensical speech about his fathers killers, which could take up to seven days to decipher.
Fact: A small portion of an original 30-minute speech given by Rahul Gandhi at a book launch in New Delhi is being shared out of context to give an impression that he was speaking nonsensically. The speech was delivered coherently where he was not talking about his father’s killers but about an incident in which he met a dalit man who attempted suicide after seeing a video of a few dalit men in Una getiing beaten. Rahul gandhi siad in the video that when he met the man in the hospital, he felt like killing the person who did this to the Dalits instead of attempting suicide. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
To verify this claim, we dug deeper into the origins of the viral video. Our first step was to identify the event where this speech was given.
A search on the internet with relevant keywords led us to the original full-length version of this video, which is of a book launch event in New Delhi, where Rahul Gandhi was invited to speak. The title of the book is “The Dalit Truth.”
This video was uploaded on the official YouTube channel of Rahul Gandhi. Upon comparing this with the viral video, it is clear that the original speech was selectively clipped and shared out of context to make it sound as if he was making no sense, as he starts off by speaking about his father’s killers and then getting a feeling of killing his assassins when he was in the hospital.
In the almost 30-minute speech (also here and here), he was actually speaking about untouchability. Midway through his speech, he mentions an anecdote of a time when he met one of the fathers of Dalit men who were beaten in Gujarat’s Una in 2016 (here, here).
He said that the father told him that he was happy about this incident because fellow Dalits responded by attempting suicide. Rahul Gandhi then said that he met the men who attempted suicide (here) and who were being treated in a hospital (read here, here).
While describing this meeting, at around 33:39, Rahul says that he thought that “ if I was in his place and was ready to die, before dying, I would have killed the killer of my brother.” This is what he later mentions in the video from 34:48, which is also in the viral clip. He explained that although he did not have any grudge against his father’s killers if he was in the place of the person he met in the hospital, he would have killed the ones who harmed his brother.
Later, he mentions that he told him the same, which is what we see in the viral clip. The viral clip has been cut from the 34:48 timestamp to make it sound like he is talking about his father’s killers, but in reality, when one watches the clip in the context of his speech would understand that he was narrating a story in which he expressed his feeling of anger that he got when he met a Dalit man who attempted suicide after he saw a video of fellow Dalits who were beaten in Una.
To sum up, Rahul Gandhi’s speech at the book launch of “The Dalit Truth” in New Delhi was shared out of context to seem nonsensical.


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A clipped video of Rahul Gandhi’s speech criticizing PM Modi's measures during COVID-19 is being shared with a false narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 28, 2024
Several posts (here and here) accompanied by a video of Rahul Gandhi asking people to bang utensils and switch on mobile phone lights while addressing a public meeting are being widely shared across social media platforms. In the video, Rahul Gandhi can be heard saying, “Thali bajao, thali bajao, thali bajao… Mobile phone ki light on karo, light on karo.” Social media users sharing the video are mocking Rahul Gandhi, saying he makes no sense. In this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing Rahul Gandhi asking people to bang utensils and switch on mobile phone lights in the middle of his speech while addressing a public meeting.
Fact: On 16 November 2023, Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting held in Nohar city of Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan. The original video of Rahul Gandhi’s speech has been clipped between specific timestamps and shared with a false narrative. In the original video, we can clearly see Rahul Gandhi criticizing PM Modi for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He referred to Modi’s call for citizens to bang thalis (plates) and switch on mobile phone torchlights during the crisis. Gandhi questioned the effectiveness of such actions when people were suffering due to oxygen shortages and lack of medical treatment. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we conducted a Google reverse image search using keyframes from the video. This search led us to a video uploaded on News Tak’s official YouTube Channel on 17 November 2023. The description of this video reads, “Rahul Gandhi imitated Modi in the middle of the rally, said, turn on the lights… clap…!” (translated from Hindi to English).
Upon reviewing the entire video, we discovered that the viral clip begins at the timestamp 01:13 and concludes at 01:21. In the video, we can observe that originally, in his speech, Rahul Gandhi said, “Do you remember? During COVID, someone’s friend, someone’s brother, someone’s father suffered from the disease. Millions of people suffered from COVID. What did the Congress party do? Bhilwara model. We provided food packets at home. Youth Congress worked hard and delivered oxygen cylinders and medicines to homes. What did Narendra Modi say? ‘Thali bajao, thali bajao, thali bajao… Mobile phone ki light on karo, light on karo.’ What does it mean? Does this make sense?”. (translated from Hindi to English).The video of Rahul Gandhi’s speech uploaded on the official website of the Indian National Congress on 16 November 2023, titled “Shri Rahul Gandhi, MP and former Congress President addressed a public rally in Nohar | Hanumangarh | Rajasthan,” can be viewed here.  In these videos, the viral clip begins at the timestamp 05:42 and concludes at 05:50.
Subsequently, we also found The Telegraph report dated 17 November 2023. According to the report, while addressing public rallies in Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He referred to Modi’s call for citizens to bang thalis (plates) and switch on mobile phone torchlights during the crisis. Gandhi questioned the effectiveness of such actions when people were suffering due to oxygen shortages and lack of medical treatment. From this information, it is evident that the original video has been edited and is being shared with a false narrative.
To sum up, a clipped video of Rahul Gandhi’s speech criticizing PM Modi’s measures during COVID-19 is being shared with a false narrative.


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A clipped video of Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma saying BJP seeks votes in the elections by making false promises is being shared out of context - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 26, 2024
A video clip of Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma is widely circulating on social media platforms with the claim that he admitted the BJP seeks votes by making false promises (jumle) during elections. This article aims to fact-check the claim in the post.
Claim: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has admitted that the BJP seeks votes in the elections by making false promises.
Fact: The original video of Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma’s speech in Barmer on 21 February 2024, has been edited between the timestamps 08:50 and 08:55, and shared with a false narrative, distorting the context of his speech. Originally, Bhajan Lal Sharma made this statement in reference to opposition parties. Hence, the claim in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral video, we checked Bhajan Lal’s official Facebook page and found the same video in which he is seen wearing the same clothes and turban as seen in the viral video. If one carefully listens to this full-length video, one can understand the context of Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma’s words.
It was discovered that the viral video was a clip taken between the timestamps 08:50 and 08:55 of this video, and hence, the context of the comments was missing in the viral video. Before the clipped section, in his speech, CM Bhajan Lal Sharma was heard saying that BJP had made two promises in the Lok Sabha elections, that BJP will remove Article 370 and build the Ram Mandir temple. When the BJP made these promises, the opposition party termed both these promises as BJP’s jumla (false promises) and said BJP was asking for votes by giving false promises (jumla). But, we have fulfilled both promises, we removed Article 370 and built the Ram Mandir. From this, it is evident that the viral video has been clipped out of context from the original speech. Originally, Bhajan Lal Sharma had said this in the context of opposition parties calling them false promises. News reports regarding his speech can be seen here & here.
To sum it up, a clipped video of Bhajan Lal Sharma’s speech is being shared, claiming that he admitted that BJP seeks votes by giving false promises in the elections.

created: February 26, 2024


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A clipped video of Siddaramaiah is falsely shared as visuals of him expressing his wish to be reborn as a Muslim. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 13, 2024
A video clip of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is being shared on social media, claiming that he expressed his wish to be reborn as a Muslim. Let’s verify this claim through this article.
Claim: Siddaramaiah has expressed a desire to be reborn as a Muslim in his next life.
Fact: The viral video is a clipped segment from a longer speech Siddaramaiah delivered in a public meeting. Here, he was critiquing former Prime Minister of India, H. D. Deve Gowda, for his alliance with the BJP, quoting Gowda’s past statement about wishing to be reborn as a Muslim. Hence, the claim made in the viral post is False.
To confirm the authenticity of the viral video, we used various internet searches, focusing on key phrases related to Siddaramaiah’s alleged statement. Our investigation led to several news reports (here, here and here) about the context of Siddaramaiah’s speech.
Reportedly, on 10 March 2024, Siddaramaiah was addressing a public meeting at a felicitation function for Congress MLC Puttanna. He criticised H. D. Deve Gowda for allying with the BJP and quoted Gowda, saying, “It’s quite surprising to me that Mr. Gowda has now joined the BJP and has been praising him. Mr. Gowda had said that he would wish to be born as a Muslim in his next birth and had always stated that he would be against the BJP.”
A full version of Siddaramaiah’s speech is available on TV9 Kannada’s YouTube channel (also check this and this). At the timestamp of 18:34, he quotes Deve Gowda as saying, “This Deve Gowda… I will never join BJP for any reason… if there is a next life, I wish to be born as a Muslim.” The viral video clips out the context of Siddaramaiah quoting Deve Gowda, making it seem as if it were Siddaramaiah’s own statement.
To sum up, the viral video misrepresents Siddaramaiah’s speech, falsely portraying his reference to Deve Gowda’s statement as his own sentiment.


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A clipped video of Smriti Irani speaking about Goddess Durga is being shared out of context - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 31, 2023
A video clip featuring Indian politician Smriti Irani has recently been circulating on social media. In the clip, Irani appears to be speaking in parliament, making derogatory comments about goddess Durga.  Through this fact-check article, we will find out the facts behind this claim.
Claim: Smriti Irani made derogatory comments about the goddess Durga in a parliamentary speech.
Fact: The viral video is taken out of context from Smriti Irani’s actual 2016 speech, in which she was reading from an alleged pamphlet from JNU students. Therefore, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
We began our fact check with a search on the internet using relevant keywords to learn more about the video in question. This search led to the original video of Smriti Irani’s parliamentary speech from 2016, located on the official YouTube channel of Bharatiya Janata Party, titled “Smt. Smriti Irani’s speech in reply to debate on JNU and Rohith Vemula issues – 24.02.2016”.
It was discovered that the viral video was a clip taken from the timestamp 31:50 of the original speech, and hence, the context of the comments was missing in the viral video. Prior to the clipped section, from 31:20 in the original speech, Irani can be heard discussing a statement released by the SC/ST and Minority students of JNU in 2014 and reading the statement aloud. The comments in the viral clip were made by Irani but were made while reading out from an alleged pamphlet by JNU students. Therefore, the viral video has been clipped out of context from the original speech.
To sum up, the claim that Smriti Irani made derogatory comments about goddess Durga is misleading as the viral video has been clipped out of context from her original parliamentary speech.

created: October 31, 2023


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A clipped video shared as Amit Shah's comments that India should be divided into South India and North India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 2, 2024
Several posts (here, here, and here), accompanying a video clip of BJP national President and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, are widely circulating on social media platforms. In the clip, he is allegedly heard stating, ‘this country should be divided into two parts, South India and North India’ (translated from Hindi to English). Through this article, let’s verify the video shared in these posts.
Claim: Video of Amit shah saying, “this country should be divided into two parts, South India and North India”.
Fact: The original video has been edited between timestamps 02:41:22 to 02:41:25 and is being shared out of context to spread misinformation. Originally, Amit shah said that the Congress’s policy is to divide the country. On 20 March 2024, Amit Shah participated in the News18 Rising Bharat summit. During the summit, Shah was asked various questions, and in response to one question, he stated, ‘the people of the country seem to believe that it is Congress policy to divide the country into two parts, South India, and North India. But Rahul Baba, don’t worry, now the BJP is so powerful that the Congress won’t be able to divide the country again. BJP will never allow the country to be divided. It cannot happen’. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon careful observation of the viral video, we can notice Amit Shah holding a mic with the ‘News18’ logo. Taking a cue from this observation, we conducted a relevant keyword search on the internet. This search led us to a video uploaded on the official YouTube channel of ‘CNN News18’ on 20 March 2024, titled: ‘PM Modi, Amit Shah, And S Jaishankar LIVE At News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2024 | PM Modi LIVE | N18L’.
Upon careful review of the entire video, we discovered that the original footage was edited between timestamps 02:41:22 to 02:41:25. Originally, the anchor posed the question, ‘Amit Ji, let’s discuss South India, where Modi Ji has focused extensively. In the past two to three months, Modi Ji has visited multiple times. You also hope that this time BJP’s performance will be very good in South India. The first question is a senior Congress leader said that South India should be a separate country. First, I would like to know what you want to say about this.’ In response, Amit Shah stated, “Well, the answer to this should be given by Rahul Ji. So far, the Congress has not condemned the statement made by that leader. The people of the country seem to believe that it is Congress policy to divide the country into two parts, South India, and North India. But Rahul Baba, don’t worry, now the BJP is so powerful that the Congress won’t be able to divide the country again. BJP will never allow the country to be divided. It cannot happen. What are you doing? You are talking about dividing the country into two to win elections” (translated from Hindi to English). Based on this information, it’s clear that the original video has been edited between timestamps 02:41:22 to 02:41:25 and is being shared to spread misinformation.
Additional news reports about the ‘News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2024’ can be found here and here. The official Twitter handle and YouTube channel of Amit Shah’s office also shared this video, which can be found here and here.
To sum it up, a clipped video is being shared out of context falsely claiming that Amit Shah said that India should be divided into South India and North India.