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Old image of an envelope with cash & Samajwadi party symbol is shared linking it to the ongoing UP elections - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 15, 2022
In the wake of ongoing 2022 elections in Uttar Pradesh, a social media post accompanying an image of an envelope with Samajwadi Party (SP) symbol ‘cycle’ with an Rs. 500 note in it is being widely shared across social media platforms. The post alludes to the SP bribing voters with cash ahead of the elections, the description accompanying the image in Hindi translates to ‘Don’t sell your children’s future by holding this envelope. Hindus, don’t make a deal by killing their conscience’. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of an envelope with cash and Samajwadi Party symbol being used to bribe voters with cash ahead of the 2022 UP elections.
Fact: The same image of an envelope is available on internet at least since 2017. A twitter user shared the same image back in 2017 alleging SP of bribing voters with cash. Although we could not independently verify the context and further details related to the envelope, the date of the old tweet suggests that it has nothing to do with the ongoing 2022 UP elections. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The same image of an envelope is available on the internet at least since 2017. Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to the same image shared through a tweet back in 2017.
The tweet also shared an image of the other side of the envelope. The other side contains the image of Samajwadi Party leader Vijay Bahadur Yadav. Also, the date and constituency details like  ‘04 March 2017’ and ‘Gorakhpur rural assembly constituency’ are printed on the ennvelope.
ये समाजवादी लिफाफा कहाँ तक पहुंचा है, क्या आपको भी मिला है अखिलेश भैया का आशीर्वाद..?? @malviyamit @rajikakacheria @iPankajShukla @dev4Ind pic.twitter.com/2G82LJt9ak
Although we could not independently verify the context and further details related to the envelope, the available evidence suggests that this has nothing to do with the current elections. Further, we could not find any news reports of UP politicians belonging to the SP distributing money in envelopes as claimed in the post.
To sum it up, an old image of an envelope with cash & the Samajwadi party symbol is shared is being shared linking it to the ongoing 2022 UP elections.

created: February 15, 2022


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Old image of Baba Ramdev is shared as him being hospitalised and on ventilator support - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 10, 2021
A post accompanying an image of Baba Ramdev in a hospital surrounded by people is being shared across social media platforms with a claim that the image shows the present condition of Baba Ramdev. The viral post states that ‘Baba who preaches people about oxygen himself is on a ventilator now’. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Baba Ramdev admitted in a hospital and is on ventilator support.
Fact: This is an old image from 2011 when Baba Ramdev was hospitalised in Dehradun following a nine-day hunger strike against corruption and black money. There are no latest news articles or any other information stating that he is hospitalised and is on ventilator support. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a photo collection of India Today in which the same photo is featured. The collection also features few more images of Baba Ramdev being hospitalised. According to the description associated with the images in this collection, Baba Ramdev sat on a hunger strike for nine days against black money & corruption back in June 2011. Following the deterioration of his health, he was admitted to a hospital in Dehradun, where he ended the fast in the presence of religious and spiritual leaders. The image in the post is related to his hospitalisation following a hunger strike.
Further google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple news articles which reported Baba Ramdev’s hunger strike back in 2011. One such article which published the images of Baba Ramdev in a hospital where he broke the hunger strike can be seen here. Other news articles which reported the incident can be read here and here.
There are no recent news articles stating that Baba Ramdev is hospitalised. In fact Baba Ramdev is very active on his official Instagram account. Lately, he shared many videos of his yoga sessions.
To sum it up, old image of Baba Ramdev is shared as him being hospitalised and on ventilator support.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Old image of Bhagwant Mann celebrating Holi is passed off as Mann caught stealing a bike - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 1, 2022
A social media post accompanying an image of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann along with his friends is being widely circulated with a claim that the photo is related to an incident where Bhagwant Mann and his friends were apprehended for stealing a bike. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image showing police arrest of Bhagwant Mann and his friends for stealing a bike.
Fact: This image of Bhagwant Mann with his friends was captured on the occasion of Holi. Punjabi singer and actor Karamjit Anmol shared the same image with a description that the image is related to Holi. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the viral photo led us to a Facebook post of Karamjit Anmol, Punjabi singer & actor, which shared the same photo. The accompanying description of the photo reads ‘Holi memories with Bhagwant Mann & @manjitsidhu’. As per the reports, Karamjit Anmol is a childhood friend of Bhagwant Mann.
Further, Newschecker, a fact-checking agency reached out to Manjit Sidhu, whom Karamjit Anmol was referring to in the above-mentioned post. In their correspondence, Sidhu confirmed that it was him in the black t-shirt, next to Bhagwant Mann.
Further, according to Sidhu, as reported by Newschecker ‘The claim being made with the picture is fake. This picture is from 1994 or 1995 and is from Patiala. Canadian singer Harbhajan Mann had come to India at that time. The picture was taken on the roof of his house on the day of Holi. During this, Bhagwant Mann, Karamjit Anmol, and Harbhajan Mann were also present. Bhagwant Mann is my friend from college time.’
To sum it up, an old image of Bhagwant Mann celebrating Holi is passed off as Mann caught stealing a bike.


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Old image of BSF Jawans resting is falsely shared as martyred soldiers of Ladakh faceoff - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 18, 2020
An image showing a group of soldiers lying in a camp is shared on social media with a claim that it represents the 57 Indian soldiers martyred in the recent faceoff with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley, Ladakh. FACTLY has found out that the image shown in the post is an old one, not related to the recent clashes between India and Chinese troops. An India TV journalist Manish prasad in 2019 tweeted this photo mentioning that this is how BSF jawans spend their leisure time in their camp by resting for 2 to 3 hours. This photo was shot during one of the outdoor exercises conducted by Border Security Force India in Tekanpur town in Madya Pradesh. BSF-India’s official twitter handle has also retweeted the tweet posted by Manish Prasad  Information related to this image can also be read here and here.
Sources:
Claim –
1. Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. India TV Journalist Tweet: https://twitter.com/manishindiatv/status/1094556455443841025
2. BSF India Tweet:           https://twitter.com/BSF_India/status/1094629895240478727
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Old image of dead birds in Bihar is falsely linked to 5G trials in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 7, 2021
An image is being shared on social media claiming that hundreds of birds were found dead after Indian telecom companies started 5G testing in India. This photo shows hundreds of dead birds on the ground. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image showing hundreds of birds that died recently because of the 5G testing in India.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is related to an old incident in Bihar. The birds in the photo died after consuming the seeds that contained a high dosage of pesticides. This incident reportedly took place in 2009. This photo has nothing to do with 5G testing in India. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found to be shared by multiple social media users in 2016. They can be seen here and here. These posts claim that thousands of birds have died because of sunstroke in Chennai.
In April 2016, ‘The News Minute’ published an article, clarifying the details of this photo showing the hundreds of dead birds. In the article, it is clarified that the image is not related to Chennai. Shravan Krishnan, an official from Chennai Wildlife Rescuers has informed media that the image is related to a seven-year-old incident in Bihar. Adding to that, Shravan Krishnan clarified that birds in the image died after consuming the seeds that contain a high dosage of pesticides.
The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) has recently approved the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) applications for conducting the 5G technology trials in India. The applicant TSPs include Bharti Airtel Ltd, Reliance Jio, Vodafone, Idea Ltd, and MTNL. News articles reporting this information can be seen here and here.
Earlier, when similar posts about birds getting killed by the 5G testing shared on social media, FACTLY published fact-check articles debunking them. They can be read here and here.
To sum it up, this image showing hundreds of dead birds on the ground is related to an old incident in Bihar and has nothing to do with 5G technology trials in India.


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Old image of dead bodies floating in the Ganga in UP is shared as that from Buxar in Bihar - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 12, 2021
Amidst multiple reports of dead bodies of COVID-19 fatalities being dumped in the river Ganga in Bihar, a post accompanying an image of dozens of dead bodies floating along the shore is being widely shared across social media platforms with a claim that the image shows the recent incident of floating dead bodies in river Ganga in Buxar, Bihar. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of floating dead bodies in river Ganga in Buxar, Bihar.
Fact: While it is reported that dead bodies of COVID-19 fatalities are being dumped in the Ganga in Bihar, this image actually shows dead bodies floating along the shores of Ganga near Pariyar in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh back in 2015. Multiple news agencies have reported the incident back then. This image has nothing to do with Buxar or COVID-19. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to the same image on Getty Images, a stock images repository. As per the description accompanying this image on this website, the image shows dead bodies floating along the shore of the Ganga near Pariyar in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh. As per the details provided on this website, this image was clicked on 14 January 2015.
Taking a cue from the stock image, Google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple news articles which reported the incident back in 2015. As per one such news article, this image shows dead bodies floating along the Ganges (Ganga) in Unnao, UP. As per this article, ‘the officials believed that these are probably those dead bodies which were given water burial at a nearby cremation ground area called Pariyar Ghat’.
Indian Express and Zee news have also reported the incident back in 2015. Even these reports establish that the image is from Unnao, UP.
It has been reported that suspected COVID-19 dead bodies were found floating in Ganga and in particular along the shores of Ganga in Buxar, Bihar. These reports can be read here and here. However, the image in the post has nothing to do with COVID-19 or Bihar.
To sum it up, 2015 image of dead bodies floating in Ganga in UP is being shared as image of floating dead bodies in river Ganga in Buxar, Bihar..


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Old image of Rakhi Sawant arriving in Hijab at a gym is being linked to the ongoing Hijab row - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 16, 2022
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as a recent picture of Bollywood actress Rakhi Sawant wearing a Hijab and expressing her solidarity towards the ongoing Hijab movement by Muslim students in Karnataka. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Rakhi Sawant wore a Hijab expressing her solidarity towards Muslim students fighting for Hijab in Karnataka.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is an old one. This photo was shot in August 2021 when Rakhi Sawant arrived in Hijab at a Gym. This photo has nothing to do with the ongoing Hijab row. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a video with similar visuals of Rakhi Sawant in Hijab was found published on the ‘The Times of India’ website on 31 August 2021. The description of the video stated it as the visuals of Rakhi Sawant arriving in Hijab at a gym.
When we searched with relevant keywords, we found several videos reporting this news of Rakhi Sawant arriving in Hijab at her gym. They can be seen here, here, and here. While interacting with media on her attire, Rakhi Sawant said that the hijab was gifted by one of her friends and said she was wearing gym attire underneath the hijab.
To sum it up, an old image of Rakhi Sawant arriving in Hijab at a gym is being linked to the ongoing Hijab row

created: February 16, 2022


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Old image of Rohingyas entering Bangladesh is passed off as Assam infiltrations - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 4, 2021
In light of the Assam government’s eviction drive which led to violent clashes, a social media post accompanying an image of a group of people resting on an embankment is shared with a hashtag which translates to ‘Make Assam free from infiltrators’, alluding that the image shows infiltrators who have entered into Assam, is being widely shared across social media platforms. Let’s fact-check the authenticity of the image shared in the post.
Claim: Image showing infiltrators who have entered into Assam.
Fact: The image actually shows Rohingya refugees who crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh in 2017,  fleeing the violence and persecution. The image has nothing to do with Assam infiltrations. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
This image actually shows Rohingya immigrants who crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh fleeing violence and persecution back in 2017. Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a 2017 news article, which published the same image in an article, which reported about thousands of Rohingyas entering Bangladesh. In the news article, the image was credited to Dar Yasin of AP photo.
Taking a cue from the above article, a search on AP Photo repository yielded the same image. The description associated with the image confirms that the image shows Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh following a crackdown in Myanmar back in 2017. These refugees rested along the embankments at Palong Khali, Bangladesh when they were prevented from moving further ahead.
Indian news agencies which reported about Rohingya refugees back in 2017, also shared the same image in their article. Hence all these prove that the image has nothing to do with Assam infiltrations.
To sum it up, an old image of Rohingyas entering Bangladesh is passed off as Assam infiltrations.

created: October 4, 2021


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Old image of RSS relief work in Uttarakhand is passed off as a recent one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 11, 2021
A post accompanying an image of RSS volunteers walking on hilly terrains with bags on shoulders is being widely shared on social media with a claim that the image shows relief work being carried by RSS volunteers in Uttarakhand in the wake of the latest glacier burst. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Images showing RSS volunteers relief work in Uttarakhand following the glacier burst.
Fact: The image actually shows relief work carried by RSS volunteers’ during the Uttarakhand floods back in 2013. An article and a couple of blogs shared the same image back in 2013 attributing it to RSS’s relief work during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a 2013 article by Samvada which published the same image. According to this article, the image shows relief material carried by RSS Swayamsevaks in Uttarakhand back in 2013 when the state was affected by floods. YouTube search with relevant keywords led us to a video report by Samvada dating back to 2013 which reported about relief works by RSS during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods.
Further search led us to a couple of blogs that shared the same image attributing it to RSS relief work in Uttarakhand in 2013. These blogs can be seen here and here. Also, RSS shared few images of their relief activities during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods on their official website. The presence of the image on the internet proves that the image is not related to RSS’s recent relief work in the wake of the glacier burst.
In the wake of the recent glacier burst in Uttarakhand, posts like these are being shared on social media with misleading claims.
To sum it up, an old image of RSS relief work is shared as a recent one linking it to Uttarakhand glacier burst.

created: February 11, 2021


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Old image of Shahrukh Khan at Kolkata airport shared as recent one linking it to Mumbai airport customs incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 14, 2022
Amid media reports about Shahrukh Khan’s detention at Mumbai airport recently, an image of Shahrukh khan standing with outstretched hands in front of security personnel is being widely shared claiming that it is related to recent incident at Mumbai airport. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of Shahrukh Khan getting stopped at Mumbai airport on 12 November 2022.
Fact: The viral image shows Shahrukh Khan going through a regular security check at Kolkata airport on 27 March 2019. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We searched the internet with relevant keywords and found a YouTube video uploaded on 28 March 2019. The title of the video reads, “Shahrukh Khan at security hold checking”. Upon comparing the viral image with the visuals in the video, we can conclude that both are related to a same incident.
Taking a cue from this, we found another video of the same location which says “Shahrukh Khan clicked on Kolkata Airport last night when leaving for Mumbai post KKR vs KXIP match”
One More Full Video: King Khan @iamsrk clicked on Kolkata Airport last night when leaving for Mumbai post #KKRvKXIP match! #KKRHaiTaiyaar  pic.twitter.com/s3gfgchHwx
Also, in the match highlights video available on IPL’s official website, Shahrukh can be seen cheering his team wearing the same shirt as seen in the viral image.
According to Times of India and Free Press Journal, Shahrukh Khan was reportedly returning to Mumbai after attending the 41 Sharjah international book fair on 11 November 2022. “Gift items do not have invoices, so calculating the customs duty took a while. However, after the process, he (Khan) was given the challan of Rs. 6.88 lakhs custom duty, and the matter was wrapped up. It was a routine case of customs duty, and not a great deal,” the official told media.
To sum it up, old image of Shahrukh Khan at Kolkata airport shared as recent one linking it to Mumbai airport customs incident

created: November 14, 2022


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Old image of traffic jam in Manali during Christmas-New Year holidays shared as recent one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 27, 2022
An image of a massive traffic jam on a ghat road is being shared on social media claiming that it shows recent visuals of traffic in Manali during Christmas- New Year Holidays. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent image of traffic jam in Manali during Christmas- New Year Holidays.
Fact: This photo was taken on 02 January 2022. It shows traffic Jam on Leh- Manali Highway. Though thousands of tourists visit Manali every year during Christmas- New Year, this photo is not a recent one. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search of the viral image revealed that the same picture of Manali was posted by a vlogger named ‘Yash’ on his Instagram account on 27 January 2022.
Talking to Navbharat Times, Yash said that this photo of Leh- Manali highway was taken the picture on 02 January 2022 during his visit to Manali earlier this year. Though a large number of tourists visit Manali every year to celebrate Christmas and New year, this photo is not a recent one. Visuals of traffic jams in Manali this year can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, an old image of traffic jam in Manali shared as recent one.

created: December 27, 2022


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Old image of Trudeau’s visit to a Sikh congregation is falsely linked to farmers' protest - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 7, 2020
A post accompanying an image in which the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can be seen sitting with a congregation of Sikhs is being shared on social media with a claim that he is taking part in a protest organized in solidarity with the farmer’s protest. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau taking part in a protest organized in solidarity with the Indian farmers’ protest.
Fact: The image is actually clicked when Trudeau paid a visit to Gurdwara Sahib Ottawa Sikh Society in Ottawa back in 2015. The same image is available on Stock photography website with a description ascertaining his visit. This image has nothing to do with ongoing farmers’ protest. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to few 2015 news articles which reported the same image. According to one such news article, the image was clicked when Trudeau paid a visit to Gurdwara Sahib Ottawa Sikh Society in Ottawa back in 2015. Another 2015 news article which carried the same image along with the same description can be read here. The same image can also be found on the Reuters pictures.
Further search also led us to the same image on a stock photography website. According to the description, the image was clicked on 11 November 2015 when Trudeau paid a visit to Gurdwara Sahib Ottawa Sikh Society in Ottawa. News article regarding his visit can be read here. Al these establish that the image is old and has nothing to do with ongoing farmer’s protest.
In the light of the Canadian Prime Minister’s comments in support of the farmers’ protest, posts like these are being shared on social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, 2015 image of Trudeau’s visit to a Sikh society in Ottawa is shared as him taking part in a protest organized in solidarity with the Indian farmers’ protest.

created: December 7, 2020


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Old image of Uttaranchal University students attending convocation is being shared linking it to the ongoing Hijab row - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 16, 2022
Amid the ongoing hijab row in Karnataka, an image of students wearing a saffron scarf is being circulated across social media platforms linking it to the hijab row. The image is being shared with a claim that the image shows students from Karnataka who protested against the hijab. Through this article, let’s fact-check the context & source of the image shared in the post.
Claim: Image of students wearing saffron scarfs in Karnataka amidst the ongoing hijab row.
Fact: The image shows students at Uttaranchal University of Uttarakhand attending the convocation in Indian attire back in March 2021. All the students attending the convocation wore the same cream coloured kurta, while colours of the scarfs differed. Following the 2015 UGC circular asking the universities to use handloom garments for special occasions such as graduation, many universities have been encouraging students to attend convocation in Indian attire. However, the viral image has nothing to do with the ongoing hijab protests or Karnataka. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The image shows students from the Uttaranchal University of Uttarakhand, when they were attending the convocation ceremony in Indian attire (Kurta and colour scarfs) leaving behind the British era black robe attire.
Reverse image search of the image in the post led us to a March 2021 news article that published the same image. As per the article, Uttaranchal University ended the practice of students attending convocation in a black robe. Instead, the students attended the event in Indian attire.
Further search on the university website yielded more photos of the convocation. These photos show students in Indian attire, where all the students wore the same cream coloured kurta while the colours of the scarfs differed. Students wore scarfs of different colours and not just saffron scarfs as shown in the viral image.
Back in 2015, the University Grants Commission, with an intention to revive the handloom sector and to improve the income of handloom workers issued a circular to all universities asking them to use handloom garments for special occasions such as graduation.
It is against this backdrop that many universities in the country have started using traditional attire instead of the British-era black gown during convocation. For instance, these visuals (here & here) show IIT Hyderabad students attending the 2019 convocation in Indian attire.
Lately, Karnataka has witnessed pro-  & anti-hijab protests. In wake of these protests, the Karnataka High Court through an interim order restrained all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing religious clothing to class if their college has a prescribed uniform while further hearings of the case are underway. However, the viral image of the students with saffron scarfs has nothing to do with hijab protests or Karnataka.
To sum it up, an old image of Uttaranchal University students attending convocation in Indian attire is being shared linking it to the ongoing hijab row.


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Old image of vegetables spilt all over the road is being linked to Bharat bandh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 9, 2020
A post with an image showing vegetables spilt all over the road is being widely shared across social media platforms with a claim linking it to Bharat bandh called by farmer unions & political parties over the new farm bills. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: People supporting the Bharat bandh spilt vegetables all over the road which are produced by farmers showing their double standards towards the farmers.
Fact: This is an old image; it is available on the internet at least since May 2020. This image has nothing to do with the Bharat bandh called by the farmers protesting against the new farm bills. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a May 2020 Facebook post which shared the same image asserting a different perspective.
Further search also led us to a blog dated 09 May 2020 in which the same image was featured. However, the original source of the image and the context surrounding the image is not known. The presence of the image on the internet is evident from the date of the social media post and the blog which shared this image. Hence it can be ascertained that this image has nothing to do with the Bharat bandh called by farmer unions & political parties.
In the light of Bharat bandh called by the farmer unions & political parties against the new farm bills, posts like these are being widely shared across social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, an old image of vegetables spilt all over the road is being linked to the recent Bharat bandh called by the farmer unions against the new farm bills.

created: December 9, 2020


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Old image related to Quran recitation event from Turkey shared with a false child marriage narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 27, 2023
A social media post accompanying a photo of an elderly Muslim man alongside a young girl dressed as the bride is being shared widely across social media platforms. This photo is being shared with a sarcastic quote, suggesting that the elderly man in the viral photo married the young girl. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of an elderly Muslim man married to a young girl.
Fact: The image dates back to 2016 and the man seen in the viral photo is the director of the kindergarten in which the girl studies in Turkey. The girl was dressed in traditional attire during a religious event of Quran recitation. Several news agencies have reported the same. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Although the young girl is dressed as a bride, the man seen in the image did not marry her as claimed. He is the director of the kindergarten in which the girl is studying.
According to Turkish news articles, which date back to 2016, the image shows a young girl dressed traditionally, participating in a religious ceremony that marks the beginning of learning the Koran. A kindergarten in Elazig, Turkey celebrated the event by dressing the girls in traditional attire.
Few news agencies in their reports on the event, published similar images of the same man and the young girl seen in the viral photo. These reports ascertain that the image is indeed related to the religious event of the Quran reading.
While there have been multiple reports of elderly men marrying young girls (here, here & here) in several Islamic countries, the viral image does not show any such marriage.
To sum it up, an Old image related to a Quran recitation event from Turkey is with a false child marriage narrative.


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Old image shared as a photo-op by Modi during the COVID pandemic - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 28, 2020
A post with the image of PM Modi seen reading a newspaper is doing rounds on social media with a claim that Modi has opted for a photo-op in this time of crisis (COVID pandemic). Also, in the image, we can see a laptop and a couple of books lying beside Modi. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Photo-op of PM Modi reading books, a newspaper in these times of COVID-19 pandemic.
Fact: The same image is featured in a listicle dated 14 September 2013 and the image is available on the internet at least since 2011. The description of this image reads ‘Gujarat Chief Minister on the lawns of his palatial home in Gandhinagar’. Thus the image is many years old. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of this photo led us to a listicle dated 14 September 2013. The title of the listicle reads “30 things you should know about Narendra Modi”.
Description of this particular image in the listicle reads ‘Gujarat Chief Minister on the lawns of his palatial home in Gandhinagar’. The same picture is also available on blogs and other sources since 2011.
To sum it up, an old image is being shared as photo-op of Prime Minister Modi with books, a newspaper in these times of COVID-19 pandemic.
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Old image shared as ‘Cyclone Vayu’ hitting the Mumbai coast - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 14, 2019
A few Facebook users are posting an image of a wave hitting the Mumbai Beach and are alleging that it is ‘Cyclone Vayu’ hitting the coasts of Mumbai. In the post, they have even cautioned the public to stay on alert as the situation is dangerous all over the city. Let’s try to verify the authenticity of the image posted.
The wave hitting the Mumbai beach in the image is ‘Cyclone Vayu’ hitting the Mumbai coast.
Fact:  The image was uploaded in 2018 by an Instagram user. So it is not related to the latest ‘Cyclone Vayu’. Hence, the claim stands FALSE.
On doing a Google Reverse Image Search, the photo was found in an Instagram account. When one checks the date of publishing the image, it was found to be July 16, 2018.   So, the image posted on Facebook is an old one and is in no way related to the recent ‘Cyclone Vayu’.
Hence, the image is not related to ‘Cyclone Vayu’ hitting the Mumbai coast.
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Old image shared as ‘imprisoned woman breastfeeding her baby through a fence at a detention centre in Banaras (Varanasi)’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 26, 2019
A screenshot with a photo is being widely shared on Facebook with the claim that it shows an imprisoned woman breastfeeding her baby through a fence at a detention centre in Banaras (Varanasi). It is also claimed that the woman was arrested for protesting against the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
: Image of a woman imprisoned for protesting against NRC breastfeeding her baby at a detention centre in Banaras (Varanasi).
Fact: The image is on the internet at least since January 2013. So, it is in no way connected to NRC. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
When the image in the post is subjected to reverse image search technique, a Facebook post with the same image was found. The post was made in May 2013 with a different claim. In the comments section of that post, a user had posted an article of a news website that had the same image as seen in the post. The article was published on January 13, 2013, and the information in the article suggested that the image is from Argentina. ‘FACTLY’ wasn’t able to verify if the image is from Argentina or not, as no other information was available regarding the image. But, as the image is in circulation since 2013, it can be concluded that it has nothing to do with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) protests in India.
To conclude, the images of Policemen holding placards of ‘NO NRC NO CAA’ are photoshopped.
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created: December 26, 2019


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Old image shared as ‘People in Kalabari district participated in Chariot pulling festival despite the current lockdown’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2020
An image is being shared on Facebook claiming that people in Kalabari district participated in a ‘Chariot pulling’ festival despite the current lockdown in the country. Let’s check the claim made in the post.
Image of people participating in a ‘Chariot pulling’ festival in Kalabari district (Karnataka) despite the current lockdown in the country.
Fact: The image is old and is that of a ‘Chariot pulling’ event in Koppal district (Karnataka). It was found to exist on the internet at least since 2017. So, the claim is FALSE.
When screenshots of the video were subjected to reverse image, an article of ‘Deccan Herald’ was obtained in the search results. The article was published on 09 January 2017 and the image had the following description – ‘POPULAR Gavisiddeshwara Rathotsava in progress’. ‘Gavisiddeshwara Jathre’ is a religious procession at Gavimath in Koppal district (Karnataka). As part of that festival, a ‘Rathotsava’ is held wherein people pull a chariot and carry out a procession. So, the image is old and related to a ‘Chariot pulling’ festival in Koppal district (Karnataka). Also, there is no Kalabari district in Karnataka.
However, it was found from an ‘ANI’ tweet that a similar event was carried out in Kalburgi district of Karnataka on ‘16 April 2020’; wherein people in large numbers have participated in a religious festival despite the existing lockdown to contain COVID-19 transmission. More details about this event can be read here.
#Karnataka: People in large numbers today participated in a religious festival in Chitapur, Kalaburagi district, amid lockdown to contain COVId19 transmission pic.twitter.com/4AMr2Exj16
To summarize, an old unrelated image shared as ‘People in Kalabari district participated in Chariot pulling festival despite the current lockdown’.
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Old images and videos are being shared as recent events in Jammu and Kashmir - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 8, 2019
After the Central Government’s announcement to repeal the special status given to the State of Jammu and Kashmir under the Articles 370 and 35A, social media platforms are being flooded with images and videos claiming that those visuals show the current situation in J&K. The posts claim that those images and videos were taken after the Central Government’s announcement on 5 August 2019. Let’s try to check the claims made in those posts.
Post 1:
Photos show the current situation of Kashmir.
Fact: The photos in the post are old photos. In an article published by a Russian website (‘Geopolitica.ru’) on 28 February 2019, all the posted photos can be found. A photo, similar to the one posted on Facebook, can also be found to be uploaded in a blog post back in 2011. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Post 2:
Pictures of Kashmir on 6th August 2019.
Fact: The photos in the post were not taken after the Central Government’s announcement on Article 370. All the photos in the post can be found in a YouTube video uploaded on 12 February 2019. Some photos in the post can also be found in articles published by ‘The Indian Express’ (in 2015) and ‘The Free Express Journal’ (in 2016). Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Post 3:
In the video, the police are beating the Muslims in Kashmir.
Fact: When the screenshots of the video were run through Yandex Reverse Image Search, a similar video was found to be uploaded on YouTube in August-2015. The description of the video reads: “Patna police is beating to the Madrasa teachers in Patna on August 27.” So, when searched for that news, an ‘India TV’ story on this issue was also found. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Post 4:
India Army beating Kashmiris after the abrogation of special provisions under Article 370.
Fact: The description of the post does not say anything about when the video was taken but it was posted after the Amit Shah’s statement in the Rajya Sabha. When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image search, the video was found in an article published by ‘The Indian Express’ in April-2017. So, an old video was posted again to show that it is a recent incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Apart from the above posts, there are also other fake posts related to Kashmir which are being shared widely on social media. FACTLY has already fact-checked some of those fake posts, which can be found below:
Fact Check 1: Last year’s funeral procession video is being shared as a recent protest in J&K to liberate Kashmir
Fact Check 2:The houses in the video were not burnt by the Indian Army. It’s a fire incident at Uri which happened last year
Fact Check 3: An old funeral procession video of a Kashmiri policeman is being shared with a false narrative
Fact Check 4: No, these are not the latest photos from Kashmir. Also, one photo is from Odisha
Fact Check 5: An old video of ‘Indian Army carrying out search operations in Kashmir valley’ is falsely shared as ‘Live encounter of terrorists in Kashmir’
To sum it up, old images and videos are being shared as recent events in Jammu and Kashmir.
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created: August 8, 2019


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Old images are being shared as recent incidents in Jammu & Kashmir - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 26, 2019
A post with several disturbing images is being shared widely on Facebook claiming that they belong to recent events in Kashmir. Let’s try to check the authenticity of the images posted.
Photos of the present situation in Kashmir.
Fact: The photos are old ones relating to various incidents. And, one photo is not that of India. They resurfaced on social media after the amendment of Article 370 in Kashmir. Hence, the claim that the photos posted depict the present situation in Kashmir is MISLEADING.
When the photos in the post are subjected to reverse image search technique, they are found to be old photos.
Image-1:
This image was found in a WordPress article of “sweetneha.wordpress.com” dated May 12, 2009.
Image-2:
This image was found in a WordPress article of “sudhan.wordpress.com” dated February 2, 2011. The Police in the photo is not Indian Police.
Image-3:
This image was found in a WordPress article of “kumarsushilkumar.wordpress.com” dated December 27, 2012.
Image-4:
This image can be seen in the blog “fashion786pk.blogspot.com”. It was published in September 2016.
Image-5:
This image can be found in the article “avaxnews.com” that reported about ‘Kashmir Violence’. From the article, it was found that the image was clicked in August 2016.
To sum it up, old images are being shared as those of recent events in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Old images are being shared with a false narrative of ‘62-degrees temperature in Kuwait’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 17, 2019
On Facebook, a few posts with claims that Kuwait has recorded the world’s highest temperature of 62 degrees Celsius this Saturday are going viral. In the post, three photos are enclosed, one showing the temperature recording of 62 degrees and the other two photos allegedly show the effects of the extreme heat. Let’s try to verify the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Kuwait has recorded the world’s highest temperature of 62 degrees Celsius this Saturday.
Fact:  The photo showing the temperature as 62 degrees Celsius is a photoshopped one. All of the photos enclosed in the post are old ones. Hence, the claim made in the post stands FALSE.
The news that Kuwait has recorded a temperature of 62 degrees Celsius has been doing rounds for the past 3 years. So, in July 2017, “Kuwait Times” has published an article claiming the news to be fake. According to this article, the photo showing the temperature of 62 degrees is a photoshopped one and also, never in the history, the temperature in Kuwait reached 62 degrees Celsius.
Another photo showing the cars burnt is from Arizona, USA. As per the fact-check article published by Snopes.com, the cars were burnt due to fire from a construction site nearby and the cars parked in the vicinity were burnt.
This photo was also in circulation with the claim that the cars have melted in Saudi Arabia due to the extreme heat of 52-degree Celsius. AltNews had written a fact-check article on it.
The photo showing traffic signals burnt is also an old one. It was found in a tweet dated July 7, 2017, by some Twitter user.
To sum it up, old images are being shared with a false narrative of ‘effect of 62-degrees Celsius temperature in Kuwait’.
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పాత ఫోటోలు పెట్టి, హాలీవుడ్ హీరో విల్ స్మిత్ హిందూ ధర్మాన్ని స్వీకరించినట్టు తప్పుగా ప్రచారం చేస్తున్నారు - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 12, 2021
‘క్రైస్తవ మతం అంత దౌర్బాగ్యం మతం ఇంకొకటి లేదు. అందుకే నేను హిందూ ధర్మాన్ని స్వీకరించాను’, అని హాలీవుడ్ హీరో విల్ స్మిత్ అన్నాడని చెప్తూ, కొన్ని ఫోటోలతో కూడిన పోస్ట్ ని సోషల్ మీడియాలో చాలా మంది షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు. ఆ పోస్ట్ లో ఎంతవరకు నిజముందో చూద్దాం.
క్లెయిమ్: హిందూ ధర్మాన్ని స్వీకరించినట్టు చెప్పిన హాలీవుడ్ హీరో విల్ స్మిత్. దానికి సంబంధించిన ఫోటోలు.
ఫాక్ట్: హిందూ ధర్మాన్ని స్వీకరించినట్టు విల్ స్మిత్ ఎక్కడా కూడా చెప్పలేదు. పోస్ట్ లోని ఫోటోలు విల్ స్మిత్ 2018 లో హరిద్వార్ సందర్శించినప్పుడు తీసినవి.  కావున పోస్ట్ లో చెప్పింది తప్పు.
హాలీవుడ్ హీరో విల్ స్మిత్ క్రైస్తవ మతాన్ని తప్పు బట్టి, హిందూ ధర్మాన్ని స్వీకరించాడా అని ఇంటర్నెట్ లో వెతకగా, పోస్ట్ లోని వ్యాఖ్యలు విల్ స్మిత్ చేసినట్టు ఎక్కడ కూడా సమాచారం  దొరకలేదు. తన సోషల్ మీడియా ప్రొఫైల్స్ లో కూడా ఈ వ్యాఖ్యలు చేసినట్టు కనపడలేదు. పోస్ట్ లోని వ్యాఖ్యలు విల్ స్మిత్ చేసి ఉంటే, ప్రపంచంలోని మీడియా సంస్థలు అన్నీ ఆర్టికల్స్ ప్రచురించేవి. 2013 లో ఒక ఇంటర్వ్యూ లో ‘మీరు మతాన్ని అనుసరిస్తున్నారా?’ అనే ఒక ప్రశ్నకి బదులిస్తూ, ‘లేదు, మేము ప్రపంచ మతం యొక్క విద్యార్థులము. మేము అన్ని మతాలను గౌరవిస్తాము’, అని విల్ స్మిత్ సమాధానమిచ్చినట్టు ఇక్కడ చదవొచ్చు.
అంతేకాదు, 2007 లో ఒక ఇంటర్వ్యూలో మాట్లాడుతూ, ‘నేను బాప్టిస్ట్ ఇంట్లో పెరిగాను మరియు కాథలిక్ పాఠశాలకు వెళ్ళాను, కానీ బైబిల్ యొక్క ఆలోచనలు 98 శాతం సైంటాలజీ వలె అదే ఆలోచనలు; 98 శాతం బౌద్ధమతం మరియు హిందూ మతం వంటి ఆలోచనలు’, అని విల్ స్మిత్ అన్నాడు. ఇదే విషయం లిసా రాసిన విల్ స్మిత్ బయోగ్రఫీ బుక్ లో కూడ చదవొచ్చు.
పోస్ట్ లోని ఫోటోలు విల్ స్మిత్ 2018 లో హరిద్వార్ సందర్శించినప్పుడు తీసినవి. ఆ ఫోటోలను విల్ స్మిత్ తన ఇన్‌స్టాగ్రామ్ లో పెట్టుకున్నాడు. అయితే, ఎక్కడా కూడా తను హిందూ ధర్మాన్ని స్వీకరించినట్టు రాయలేదు.
‘విల్ స్మిత్స్ బకెట్ లిస్ట్’ ప్రోగ్రాం లో భాగంగా భారత్ కి వచ్చిన విల్ స్మిత్,  హరిద్వార్ ని సందర్శించాడు. ఆ ప్రోగ్రాం కి సంబంధించిన వీడియోని విల్ స్మిత్ తన ఫేస్బుక్ అకౌంట్ లో ఏప్రిల్ 2019 లో పోస్ట్ చేసిన్నట్టు ఇక్కడ చూడవొచ్చు. ఆ వీడియోలో తను ఆధ్యాత్మిక గురించి మాట్లాడినట్టు తెలుస్తుంది.
అయితే, హరిద్వార్ లో వేద జ్యోతిష్కుడు దగ్గర విల్ స్మిత్ జ్యోతిష్యం చూయించుకొని, జ్యోతిష్కుడు చెప్పిన విధంగా తగిన పూజలు నిర్వహించినట్టు ‘టైమ్స్ ఆఫ్ ఇండియా’ ఆర్టికల్ లో చదవొచ్చు. విల్ స్మిత్ పర్యటన గురించి జ్యోతిష్కుడు చెప్పిన విషయాలను ఇక్కడ చూడవొచ్చు.
చివరగా, హిందూ ధర్మాన్ని స్వీకరించినట్టు విల్ స్మిత్ ఎక్కడా కూడా చెప్పలేదు. పోస్ట్ లోని ఫోటోలు విల్ స్మిత్ 2018 లో హరిద్వార్ సందర్శించినప్పుడు తీసినవి.

created: January 12, 2021


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Old images are falsely shared as ‘Gautama Buddha statues found at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 9, 2020
An image of Gautama Buddha statues being excavated at a site is shared social media claiming that they were unearthed at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. Another image of the Gautama Buddha statue is also being shared claiming it to be found during those excavations. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Images of Gautama Buddha statues unearthed during the excavations at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.
Fact: In May 2020, during excavations at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, the remains of ancient temples such as pillars and idols of deities were found. But these images of Gautama Buddha were found to exist on the internet much prior to May 2020. So, the claim about the images in the post is MISLEADING.
In May 2020, during excavations at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, the remains of ancient temples such as pillars and idols of deities were found. The reports published by various newspapers regarding this can be seen here, here and here. Let us now look at the images in the viral post.
Image- 1:
On reverse search, this image was found in a tweet by a user in December 2015.
everywhere buddha..the real nd unseen history of india..that was golden time of india.,nd now?who responsible ? pic.twitter.com/oXeyk6YRE6
Image- 2:
On reverse search, this image was found in a tweet by a user in June 2016.
Excavation near #jagdispur #Nalanda #Bihar unearthed century old #Buddha sculputures . pic.twitter.com/Z7LXEsO0qy
The exact details of the location of these images could not be ascertained by us. But as the images are found to exist on the internet at least for a few years, it can be concluded that these are not related to the recent excavations at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.
To sum it up, old  images are being falsely shared as ‘Gautama Buddha statues found at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya’.
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Old Images are linked to recent Gaza attacks amidst the Israel-Palestine conflict - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 18, 2021
Multiple images are being shared on social media claiming them as photos of recent Gaza attacks amidst the Israel-Palestine conflict. They can be seen here, here, here, and here. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent images of Gaza amidst the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Fact: The first two images were reported to be from Gaza, but they are old images. Similarly, the next two images are from Syria which were widely circulated for many years across social media platforms. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Image-1:
When reverse image search was done on the image, a Facebook post published on 03 April 2019 with the same image was found. The post mentions that the photo was from Gaza where ‘Al Shawa’ family was celebrating the birthday of their son Walid al-Shawa on the ruins of their house which was destroyed a few days ago by Israeli shelling; photo credits were given to Belal Khaled/ TRT. On further search, we found several social media posts and websites that carried the same image which can be seen here and here. None of the posts were related to the recent Gaza attacks.
Image-2:
When reverse image search was done on the image, a news article with the same image, published on 03 June 2016 was found. According to the article, the Hawn Media channel published a photo of a Palestinian girl addressing the consciences of human beings and wrote: This Palestinian girl, whose tears will not be shed, whose house was destroyed by Israel and she collected her books and hugged her and could not calm down. Seeing these scenes, it affects the heart of every human being. Another article on a website mentions that the image was from Gaza, but this was published on 19 October 2020. On further search, we found that this image was being circulated on social media since 2016. Some of these posts can be seen here and here. Therefore, this image does not belong to the recent Gaza attacks.
Image-3:
When reverse image search was done on the image, a YouTube video uploaded on 10 May 2014 containing the image was found. The video is titled as People of Syria Tour chanting Abu Ammar. On further research, we found that a couple of Tumblr posts, one published on 27 December 2011 and the other published 5 years ago and titled A Young Boy Cleaning Blood At His Parents Slaughterhouse’  contained the same image. Therefore, this image does not belong to the recent Gaza attacks.
Image-4:
When reverse image search was done on the image, a news article containing the image and published on 03 October 2016 was found. The article reports that a photo trending on social media shows a boy in Syria defending his wounded mother with cutlery from a soldier pointing a gun at him. Another article published on 01 March 2017 also had the same image but did not report where the photo was taken from. A Facebook post published on 01 November 2018 had the same image claiming that it was from Syria.
To sum it up, old Images are linked to recent Gaza attacks amidst the Israel-Palestine conflict.


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Old images are passed off as photos of the ongoing Kumbh Mela gathering - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 15, 2021
In view of the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country, few social media posts (here & here) accompanying images showing large gatherings of Hindu devotees are being shared with a claim that these pictures show a gathering of devotees at the 2021 Kumbh Mela. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Images of large Hindu devotee gatherings at recent Kumbh Mela.
Fact: These images are not related to the ongoing 2021 Kumbh Mela at Haridwar. While one image shows a huge devotee gathering in Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj back in 2019, the other image shows a devotee gathering at Kumbh Mela back in 2013. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Photo 1:
Reverse image search of this photo led us to a 2019 news article by CGTN which shared the same image. As per this article, the image shows ‘an aerial view of the five-kilometer main bathing place at the holy Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India’.
Further search led us to a similar image but a slightly closer view on Alamy, a stock image repository. As per the details of this photo available on the website, this image was clicked during the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, UP back in 2019. Few news articles which published the same image attributing it to 2019 Kumbh Mela can be read here and here. All these establish the fact that this particular image is not related to the ongoing Kumbh Mela at Haridwar.
Photo 2:
Reverse image search of this particular photo led us to an article which published the same image back in 2013. The author in this article writes about his experience of visiting Kumbh Mela back in 2013 and about Kumbh Mela in general. The article publishes few more images which show devotees in the same attire as in the image shared with the post. This proves that this image has nothing to do with the ongoing Kumbh Mela at Haridwar.
In view of reports of at least 1000 COVID-19 cases in two days in the ongoing Kumbh Mela at Haridwar, posts like these are being shared with misleading claims. According to news reports, the ongoing Kumbh Mela is being organized under strict COVID-19 norms. Also, a negative RT-PCR test report not older than 72 hours before arrival has been made mandatory for devotees gathering for the Kumbh. Some images of the ongoing Kumbh Mela at Haridwar can be seen here.
To sum it up, old images are being shared as those related to the ongoing Kumbh Mela gathering amidst the increase in India’s COVID-19 cases.


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Old images from Bangladesh are being circulated now as BJP Polling agents beaten in Bengal - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 7, 2019
In West Bengal, even after the completion of elections and declaration of the poll results, the political turmoil  hasn’t ended. In a recent Facebook post, a user alleged that three youth were punished for working as polling agents for BJP in the recent elections. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
In West Bengal, three youth were punished for working as polling agents for BJP
Fact: In Cox Bazar of Bangladesh, three men were beaten for looting the valuables of the people of the Rohingya community. The photo pertaining to this incident is being shared with a false narrative. Hence, the claim stands FALSE.
When the image in the post is run through Yandex Reverse Image Search, it was found to be that of an incident that took place in Bangladesh in 2011. At Cox Bazar in Bangladesh, three men were punished for looting the clothes, silver and gold from the people of Rohingya community. The photo pertaining to this incident is now being falsely shared as three youth punished for working as polling agents of BJP.
Hence, Old images from Bangladesh are being circulated now as BJP Polling agents beaten in West Bengal.
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Old images of a dead body being packed in a sack at a CHC in Odisha shared as a recent incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 4, 2020
A collage with two images is being widely shared on Facebook claiming them to be of a recent incident in Odisha. ‘#आत्मनिर्भर भारत’ (‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’) is mentioned in the post. ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is a campaign recently launched by the Government of India and under this campaign, an economic stimulus package of Rs 20 lakh crore was announced. FACTLY found the images to be related to an old incident. In 2016, a woman died after she was run over by a goods train near a railway station in the Balasore district of Odisha. The images show Community Health Centre (CHC) workers standing over the dead body of the woman, breaking her bones and wrapping it in a sheet so as to sling it on a bamboo pole as the body has to be taken to the Balasore district hospital for post-mortem. The Government Railway Police (GRP) have said that they have done so as no ambulance was available to transport the body.
Sources:
Claim –
1. Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. News article – https://www.jansatta.com/national/odisha-woman-body-broken-then-carried-to-railway-station/135389/
2. News article – https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/no-ambulance-odisha-womans-body-broken-at-hip-slung-on-bamboo-pole-2996634/
3. News article –https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Gruesome-hospital-tales-make-Odisha-a-house-of-horrors/articleshow/53880276.cms
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Old images of a festival are shared in the wake of BJP leader’s statement that cow dung may help cure Coronavirus - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 6, 2020
A couple of images are being widely shared on Facebook with the claim that they show BJP men smearing cow dung on one another after their party leader Suman Haripriya said that cow dung may help cure Coronavirus. Let’s check the veracity of the claim made in the post.
Images of BJP men smearing cow dung on one another after their party leader Suman Haripriya has said that cow dung may help cure Coronavirus.
Fact:  Assam BJP MLA Suman Haripriya has made those statements on 02 March 2020. But the images are from ‘Goraihabba’ festival that was celebrated in Thalavadi (Tamil Nadu) on 30 October 2019. In the festival, people smear cow dung on one another as part of their celebration. So, the claim is FALSE.
As per 2 March 2020 article of ‘New18’, Assam BJP MLA Suman Haripriya claimed that cow dung may help cure Coronavirus.
When the images were subjected to reverse image search technique, a video of ‘News flare’ website was obtained in the search results. In that video, visuals related to both the images were seen.  The video had the description that it is related to ‘Goraihabba’ festival that was celebrated in Thalavadi (Tamil Nadu) on 30 October 2019. In ‘Goraihabba’ festival, people smear cow dung on one another as part of their celebration. More about the festival can be found here and here.
Image-1
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To conclude, old images of people smearing cow dung during a festival are being shared in the wake of BJP leader’s statements about cow dung being a cure for Coronavirus.
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Old images of Assam, Bihar & UP floods are shared as images of recent floods - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 23, 2020
Images claiming to be of recent Assam, Bihar and UP floods are doing rounds on social media platforms. Through this article lets fact-check the claim.
Images of recent flood in Assam, UP, Bihar.
Fact: Though floods occurred in Assam, Bihar & UP in recent times, not all images shown in the post belongs to recent floods, some of them date back to 2017 and 2019 floods. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Image 1:
When we ran a reverse image search with this image on google, we found that the image is from the floods which occurred in August 2017 in Bihar. The news article which published this image can be seen here.
Image 2:
Through google reverse image search of this photo, we found that the image is from the recent floods which occurred in Bihar. The news article which published this image can be seen here.
Image 3:
On reverse image search, we found that this image is from the floods in Assam which occurred in August 2019. The newspaper article in which this photo was published can be seen here.
Image 4:
We found that this image is from the recent floods of Uttar Pradesh when we ran a reverse image search on google. The news article which published this image can be seen here.
To sum it up, though the images belong to Assam, UP & Bihar floods some of them are old, which are also being claimed as images of recent floods.
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Old images of bullet sticking out of a Iraqi man's head falsely linked to the recent Israel-Palestine conflicts - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 6, 2021
A collage of images is being shared on social media claiming it as the recent visuals of a Palestinian man who survived a bullet shot from the Israeli forces during the clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. These photos show a person with an unpenetrated bullet on his head. This post claims that the person had survived because of the blessings of Allah. In the wake of recent violent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, this post is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent photos of a Palestinian man who has survived a bullet shot from the Israeli forces at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Fact: The person with a bullet on his head is Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al-Rawi from Iraq. Sheikh Al-Rawi got hit by a bullet to his head during the 2014 clashes between clan revolutionaries and Iraqi government troops. These photos were shot while Sheikh Al-Rawi was getting treatment at the Fallujah General Hospital in Iraq. These photos have nothing to do with the recent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photos shared in the post, similar photos were found in an article published by ‘Al Arabiya’ news website in 2014. This article mentioned it as the visuals of an Iraqi man who survived a bullet shot to his head. According to the article, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al-Rawi, a resident of Fallujah city in Iraq, got hit by a bullet to his head during the shootout between clan revolutionaries and Iraqi government troops. This incident reportedly took place while Sheikh Al-Rawi was returning from his evening prayers in Fallujah, Iraq.
The photos shared in the post were captured while Sheikh Al-Rawi was getting treatment in the Fallujah General Hospital. Sheikh Al-Rawi had survived the bullet shot as it could not penetrate through his head. Several other news websites have also published articles about the person in these photos. They can be seen here, here, and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the photos shared in the post are real but they are not related to the recent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
To sum it up, 2014 images of a bullet sticking out of an Iraqi man’s head are falsely linked to the recent Israel-Palestine conflict.


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Old images of Congress top leaders and party men in jubilant mood are being circulated with false claims - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 15, 2019
A post containing few pics of Congress top leaders and party men in jubilant mood are being circulated on Facebook. The post contained the narration that  Congress Party is celebrating China‘s blockade of India‘s bid to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar  as a global terrorist in the UN Security Council. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The archived version of the post can be found here.
When the three pictures in the post are run through Google Reverse Image Search it is found that each of the pictures are from Congress party‘s victory celebrations on different occasions. The first image is taken during NSUI‘s (youth wing of Congress) victory in the Delhi University Students Union elections-2012.An article with this pic can be found in ‘The Hindu‘ dated September 16,2012.
The second image is captured during celebrations in Lucknow on the occasion of Rahul Gandhi taking over as Congress chief. An article regarding it can be found in ‘The Statesman‘ dated December 16, 2017.
The third image corresponds to the Congressmen celebrations for their victory in 2018 State Elections.An article with the image can be found in ‘GULF NEWS INDIA‘ dated on December 11,2018.
Finally, pictures in the post are old images which correspond to the Congress party‘s celebrations after its victory on various occasions.


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Old images of corpses floating in Ganga are passed off as recent ones - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 17, 2021
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, multiple media agencies reported that scores of corpses were floating along the banks of Ganga in Uttar Pradesh & Bihar. It is in this context that several social media users are sharing images of corpses floating along the riverbanks attributing them to the current discovery of corpses in Ganga. A couple of such social media posts can be seen here, here, and here. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claims made in these posts.
Claim: Recent images of corpses floating in Ganga.
Fact: All these are old images clicked back in 2008, 2012 & 2007 on the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi & Haridwar. These images have nothing to do with recent discovery of corpses floating in Ganga. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Image 1:
This image is actually clicked way back in 2008 near Varanasi ghat in Uttar Pradesh. Reverse image search of this photo yielded the same image on Alamy, a stock image repository.  The description of the image on this website reads ‘Dog eating dead man on Varanasi ghat, Uttar Pradesh, India’.
Image 2:
Reverse image search of this photo led us to the same photo on Getty Images, a stock image repository. As per the details related to this image provided on this website, the image was clicked back in 2012 on the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Image 3:
Reverse image search of this photo led us to the same photo on Flickr, an American image and video hosting platform. The description of the image reads ‘dead body in Ganga, Haridwar’. According to Flickr, the image was clicked back in 2007.
It is true that scores of dead bodies of alleged COVID-19 patients were discovered floating along the banks of Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Multiple news agencies have also reported the same. However, the above images shared in the post are old and have nothing to do with COVID-19.
Dead bodies found buried in sand near river Ganga in UP's Unnao
"Our team has found buried bodies in an area far from river. Search being conducted for more bodies in other areas. I've asked team to carry out inquiry. Action will be taken accordingly," said DM (12.05) pic.twitter.com/qFT1tpfsjH
To sum it up, old images of corpses floating in Ganga are passed off as recent ones.


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Old images of farmers protest are being shared as those of the current protest - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 29, 2020
A post with images of farmers protest is doing rounds on social media with the claim that these photos are of the latest farmers protest against the three farm bills. Another post with another image is also being shared with a similar claim. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Images of farmers protests claiming to be those from the latest protests against the farm bills.
Fact: Except for one, the rest of the images are from farmers protests in 2017 and 2018 on different occasions. These images have nothing to do with the current farmers protest against the farm bills.  Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Image 1:
Reverse image search of the photo led us to a tweet which shared the same image. According to the tweet, the image is from farmers protest which took place in New Delhi back in 2018. The description of the image reads ‘Indian farmer displays skulls of colleagues who have committed suicide, during a march in New Delhi, India.’
Image 2:
Reverse image search of the photo led us to a similar image uploaded on Shutterstock. The description of the image reads ‘TMC protest against Farm Bill, Kolkata, West Bengal, India’. The image is uploaded on 23 September 2020 and the editorial credit reads ‘Dipa Chakraborty/Pacific Press/Shutterstock’
Taking a cue from the stock image, google search with the keyword ‘pacific press TMC protest against farm bills’ we found the same image uploaded on 23 September 2020 and the description of the image reads ‘Indian Farmers take part in a rally at the Trinamool Congress Student cell during a protest against farm bills in Kolkata’. Hence it is clear that this particular image is from the latest protest against the farm bills.
Image 3:
Reverse image search the photo led us to a news article in which the same image but from a different angle is featured. According to the article, the image is of Tamil Nadu farmers protest at Jantar Mantar demanding relief in the light of the Cauvery basin’s drought back in 2017.
Taking a cue from the article, YouTube search with keywords ‘Tamil Nadu farmers protest at Jantar Mantar’ led us to a 2017 news video in which the image of the same man in the post but from another angle is featured. According to the video, the visuals are from the protests carried out by Tamil Nadu farmers at Jantar Mantar demanding relief against the Cauvery drought.
Image 4:
Reverse image search of the photo led us to a 2018 tweet by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The image shared with a caption which reads ‘CPM-led ‘long march’ of farmers in Maharashtra heralds the future of resistance struggle in India’.
In the light of the protests being carried out by farmers across the country against the farm bills bought by the central government, images like those in the post are being widely shared across all social media platforms.
To sum it up, old images of farmers protests on different issues are being shared as of latest protest against the farm bills.

created: September 29, 2020


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Old images of flood-hit streets falsely shared as the condition of JEE and NEET examination centres - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 2, 2020
A collage with the images of flood-hit streets is being shared on social media claiming it as the condition of examination centres conducting JEE and NEET exams in the country. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Images of flood-hit JEE and NEET 2020 examination centres in India.
Fact: Images shared in the post shows the flood-hit streets from different parts of India in the past. They are not JEE and NEET examination centres as claimed in the post. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Image-1:
On reverse image search, we found the same photo in an article published by ‘Patrika’ news website in 2016. It is mentioned in the article that a school in Allahabad closed because of the heavy rains. So, this photo is not a recent one.
Image-2:
On reverse image search, we found the same photo in an article published by ‘News18’ website on ‘31 August 2017’. In the article, it is mentioned that the photo shows the flood-hit street in Mumbai. It is also mentioned that this photo was shot on ‘29 August 2017’.
Image-3:
On reverse image search, we found the same photo in an article published by ‘Jagran’ news website on ‘4 August 2019’. In the article, it is mentioned that the photo shows a flooded street in Haridwar.
Image-4:
On reverse image search, we found the same photo in an article published by ‘Jagran’ news website on ‘09 July 2019’. It is mentioned in the article that photo shows the flood-hit street in Patna, Bihar.
To sum it up, old images of flood-hit streets from different locations in India are now falsely shared as the condition of examination centres conducting JEE and NEET exams.
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created: September 2, 2020


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Old images shared as people killed in Bengaluru police firing during protests against Nupur Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 14, 2022
A photo through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the images show people who died in police firing in protests in Bengaluru, after Nupur Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammad. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Images showing three Muslims killed in Bengaluru police firing when they were protesting Nupur Sharma’s statements on Prophet Muhammad.
Fact: The images are from a 2020 incident in Bengaluru; and not a recent one. In August 2020, a large Muslim crowd protested an alleged blasphemous Facebook post insulting Prophet Muhammad made by a local politician in Bengaluru. As the mob set fire to vehicles and attacked policemen, the police fired on the crowds; hence killing three and injuring several others. There are no recent reports of police firing in Bengaluru when during protests against Nupur Sharma’s statements. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When reverse image search is done on the photo with relevant keywords, the same images were found posted on Facebook and Twitter, at least since August 2020. Those posts claim that the three people killed were part of the protests that happened in Bengaluru in August 2020. So, the images are old, and have nothing to do with the recent comments by Nupur Sharma on Prophet Muhammad. Other posts from 2020 carrying the same images can be seen here and here.
When we searched in google with relevant keywords, we found several articles regarding the incident in 2020. A large Muslim crowd protested an alleged blasphemous Facebook post insulting Prophet Muhammad made by a local politician in Bengaluru. As the mob set fire to vehicles and attacked policemen, the police fired on the crowds; hence killing three and injuring several others. The violence started after a huge crowd was amassed outside the politician’s house, as well as a police station in Bengaluru. However, the relatives of the three people killed said that they were just bystanders caught in the crossfire.
To sum it up, old images are shared as people killed in Bengaluru police firing during protests against Nupur Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammad.


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Old images shared as staged photoshoot of farmers protesting against the new farm legislation - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 17, 2020
A collage with the images of farmers is shared on social media claiming these as the photoshoot pictures of farmers doing protests against the new farm legislation. In the collage, we can see a photo of farmers along with Rahul Gandhi. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Staged photoshoot images of farmers protesting against the new farm legislation.
Fact:  Photo of Rahul Gandhi with farmers was captured during Tamil Nadu farmers protest at Jantar Mantar during 2017. The other photos shared in the post are also the old ones. These photos have nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest against the new farm legislation. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the first photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found in an article published by ‘The Asian Age’ news website on ‘01 April 2017’. In the article, it is mentioned as the photo of Rahul Gandhi meeting Tamil Nadu farmers at Jantar Mantar during 2017. Indian National Congress had also shared the live video of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Tamil Nadu farmers on ‘31 March 2017’ on YouTube. Tamil Nadu farmers organised this protest in demand for loan waiver and compensation for their crop failure.
On searching for the other photos shared in the post, similar photos were found in a tweet posted by Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson SJ Suryah on ‘23 April 2017’. In the tweet, he mentions them as related to the photoshoot of farmers by ‘India Today’ news channel. We could not ascertain the exact details about these photos. But, it can be concluded that these photos are old ones.
To sum it up, old images shared as the photoshoot images of farmers doing protest against the new farm legislation.

created: December 17, 2020


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Old magic show video shared as ‘Men burnt alive in India for slaughtering a cow’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 11, 2020
A video clip showing few men being chained and locked in a cage is doing rounds on social media with a claim that those men were burnt alive in India for slaughtering a cow. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Video of men burnt alive in India for slaughtering a cow.
Fact: The video is of a magic show performed by magicians in Kerala in 2008. The entire stunt can be watched in a longer version of the video in which the magicians come out of the fire. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots obtained from the video through ‘InVid’ plugin, a longer version of the video clip was found on the YouTube channel of a user ‘MM Puthiyath’. The video had the title – ‘World’s first mass fire escape | Malappuram Kottapadi stadium | fire escape 2008 |’. In the description of the video, it can be read that the four men who performed that trick were magicians MM Puthiyath Edavanna, Shajahan Mampad, Sudeer Chungathara, and Hameed Edakkara. So, the video is of a magic show performed in Kerala in 2008.
In the video, the four men who were chained can be seen taken into a steel cage which is lifted by a proclainer and placed inside a hay pile which is then set on fire. At 5:14 in the video, while the hay pile is burning, the four men can be seen coming out of it unhurt. Also, at 0:35 in the video, a fire engine for safety can be seen.
Based on the above findings, it is clear that an old video of a magic show in Kerala is shared as ‘Men burnt alive in India for slaughtering a cow’.
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Old media reports shared as the recent news about the government enforcing a ban on Facebook and other social media sites in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 11, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it to be the latest report of the ‘Republic Bharat’ news channel reporting about the possible ban of WhatsApp, Facebook, and other social media platforms in India. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: A recent news video of Republic TV reporting about the ban on Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media sites in India.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows an old news report published by Republic TV on 26 May 2021. In the video, the Republic TV anchor discussed the possibility of Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms facing bans if they fail to adhere to the new intermediary guidelines announced by the government in February 2021. Lately, the Government of India has not imposed any ban on Facebook and WhatsApp. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched for the video using relevant keywords on the internet, we found the same video published on the Republic TV news channel on 26 May 2021. In the video, the Republic TV anchor discussed the possibility of Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms facing bans if they fail to adhere to the new intermediary guidelines announced by the government in February 2021.
The Government of India announced the ‘The Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021’,  comprising of new social media regulations, in February 2021. The government set 25 May 2021 as a deadline for social media giants like Facebook, Twitter (now ‘X’) and others to adhere to the newly introduced social media regulations.
Announcing their decision to comply with the intermediary guidelines announced by the government, on 25 May 2021, Facebook spoke to the media and said– “We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government. Pursuant to the IT Rules, we are working to implement operational processes and improve efficiencies. Facebook remains committed to people’s ability to freely and safely express themselves on our platform.” Lately, the Government of India has not imposed any ban on Facebook or WhatsApp.
Earlier, when old news reports were linked to the India-China border conflict in a similar manner, Factly published a fact-check thread debunking those claims.
To sum it up, old media reports are shared as the latest news on the government planing to impose a ban on Facebook, WhatsApp, and other social media sites.

created: September 11, 2023


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Old merit list of provincial civil service- Judiciary examination of UP is shared with misleading information - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 26, 2023
A post while sharing the ranks of specific candidates of the provincial civil service- Judiciary (PCSJ) examination conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) claimed that despite the number of Brahmins in the country being 3.5%, 100% of them have been made civil judges. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Despite the number of Brahmins in the country being 3.5%, 100% of them have been made civil judges in the provincial civil service- Judiciary examination, UPPSC.
Fact: The candidates mentioned in the claim post are the ones who qualified for the provincial civil service- Judiciary examination in the year 2018-19. Moreover, the commission released a press note where it was mentioned that approximately 50% of the qualified candidates are under the unreserved category. This category is open to not just Brahmins but to all Indian citizens irrespective of religion, caste, or economic status. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
With the relevant keyword search about the information given in the claim post, we found that the candidates mentioned are the ones who qualified for the provincial civil service- Judiciary examination in the year 2018-19, from a news article published by Hindustan Times.
Further, we found that the press note released by the commission clearly mentioned that ‘In the examination, 610 candidates have been selected against a total of 610 vacancies. Out of these, 306 candidates have been selected against 306 vacancies in the unreserved category (approximately 50%), 164 candidates against 164 vacancies in the Other Backward Class category, and 128 candidates have been selected against 128 vacancies in the Scheduled Caste category. Relative to 12 vacancies in the Scheduled Tribe category, 12 candidates have been declared successful. In this regard, it is also worth noting that under horizontal reservation, against 01 vacancy of the PB category of disabled and 07 vacancies of the PD category, due to the non-availability of any candidate, it has been recommended to be moved forward.’
Here, it is important to note that the unreserved category is open to not just Brahmins but to all Indian citizens, regardless of their caste, tribe, or economic status. Moreover, candidates from reserved categories can also compete for seats in the unreserved category, based on their merit. However, candidates in the unreserved category cannot compete for seats reserved for specific categories.
To sum up, the old merit list of qualified candidates for the provincial civil service- Judiciary examination of UP is shared with misleading information.

created: September 26, 2023


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Old message revived as new lockdown restrictions in various countries to contain second wave of COVID-19 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 18, 2021
A message is being circulated on social media claiming that several countries across the world have imposed new lockdown restrictions amid the rise in COVID-19 cases in their countries. This post claims that Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Brazil, Spain, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy have imposed lockdown once again to control the second wave of the COVID-19 virus. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The list of countries that imposed new lockdown restrictions to contain the second wave of COVID-19 virus.
Fact: The same message is being circulated on social media at least since December 2020. According to the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, several countries eased the lockdown restrictions imposed during the rise of second-wave cases in their countries. The countries mentioned in the list are implementing lockdown with only a few restrictions. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched for the details of the claim made in the post, it is found out that the same message is being circulated on social media at least since December 2020. Old social media posts that shared the same message can be seen here, here, and here.
The Governments in different countries are implementing a wide range of preventive measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  To track and compare the policy responses of different countries, Oxford University created a database called ‘The Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker’. This tool provides the visual representation of the lockdown measures using the ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’, a composite score developed by researchers at Oxford University. ‘Financial Times’ provided the visual representation of the ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ of different countries on their website. Based on this information, let’s check the lockdown measures of different countries mentioned on the list.
Saudi Arabia:
According to the latest report of ‘Geo News’, Saudi Arabia lifted most of the COVID-19 virus-related restrictions from 07 March 2021. In February 2021, Saudi Arabia banned travellers from 20 different countries as a preventive measure to control the spread of COVID-19 second-wave. Saudi Arabia lifted these restrictions on 07 March 2021. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of Saudi Arabia was between 50-75.
Tanzania:
According to the article published by ‘QUARTZ AFRIA’, the Tanzania government underreported the rise of COVID-19 cases in their country. On 21 February 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) called upon Tanzania Government to take robust actions to contain the COVID-19 virus spread in their country. Acknowledging the rise in COVID-19 cases, Tanzania President John Magufuli advised the people of Tanzania to wear masks and maintain physical distance. John Magufuli reiterated that country will not impose a lockdown again.
Brazil:
According to the latest reports, Brazil Government imposed a two-week lockdown in ‘Brazilia’ amid the rise of COVID-19 cases in the state. Hundreds of Brazilians protested the Brazil Government’s decision to reimpose a lockdown in Brazilia. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ composite score of Brazil was between 50-75.
Spain:
According to a news report, Spain lifted down most of the lockdown restrictions from 15 March 2021. Night curfew remains in place from 10 pm. The Oxford ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of Spain is 50-75.
United Kingdom:
According to the ‘Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker’, UK is implementing strict lockdown measures to contain the COVID-19 virus spread in their country. The Oxford ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of the UK was between 85-100. On 08 March 2021, Boris Johnson led UK Government implemented the first phase of England’s roadmap to lift down the lockdown restrictions. Boris Johnson assured the people of the UK that almost all COVID-19 restrictions in the country could be lifted by 21 June 2021.
France:
According to a BBC news report, France is implementing a curfew between 6 pm to 6 am. Schools have opened with extra testing in place. France imposed weekend lockdown measures in parts of the French Riviera, including Nice and Cannes, as well as parts of the north coast. The Oxford ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ composite score of France is 50-75.
Germany:
According to the latest report of ‘The Hindu’, Germany extended lockdown restrictions until 28 March 2021. But, the German Government eased most of the restrictions and allowed the businesses to reopen in areas with low infection rates. The Oxford ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ composite score of Germany was between 75-85.
Italy:
According to the latest report of ‘The New York Times’, Italy imposed a strict regional lockdown from 15 March 2021 to contain the spread of the coronavirus. A nationwide curfew between 10 pm to 5 am continues in Italy. The country is divided into red, yellow, orange, and white zones depending on the infection rates. The Oxford ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ composite score of Italy was between 75-85.
To sum it up, an old message is now revived as the new lockdown restrictions in different countries to contain the second wave of COVID-19.


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Old Message revived as new lockdown restrictions in various countries to contain the third wave of COVID-19 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 25, 2021
A message is being circulated on social media claiming that several countries across the world have recently imposed new lockdown restrictions amidst the COVID-19 third wave in their countries. This post claims that Canada, Saudi Arabia, Columbia, Spain, and other countries have imposed lockdown once again to control the third wave of the COVID-19 virus. Also, it claims that the COVID-19 third wave shall have a great impact on Indians and recommends a few precautionary measures to protect themselves and their families. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: List of countries that imposed new lockdown restrictions to contain the third wave of COVID-19 virus.
Fact: A similar message is circulating on social media at least since December 2020. According to the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, most of the countries mentioned in the post have eased the lockdown restrictions in their countries. These countries are implementing lockdown with only a few restrictions. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On searching for the details of the claim made in the post, it is found out that a similar message was circulating on social media at least since December 2020. Old social media posts that shared a similar message about the COVID-19 second wave can be seen here, here, and here.
The Governments in different countries are implementing a wide range of preventive measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  To track and compare the policy responses of different countries, Oxford University created a database ‘The Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker’. This tool provides the visual representation of the lockdown measures using the ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’, a composite score developed by researchers at Oxford University. ‘Financial Times’ provided the visual representation of the ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ of different countries on their website. Based on this information, let’s check the lockdown measures of different countries mentioned on the list.
Canada:
On searching for the details of the travel restrictions imposed in Canada, it is found that the Canada Government has extended its COVID-19 restrictions on non-essential international and US travel until 21 July 2021. The Canada Government eased the mandatory two-week quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated nationals and residents arriving in the country after travelling abroad. These travel relaxations do not apply for fully vaccinated foreign nationals, including US citizens.
According to the latest press release by the Canada Government, an average of 815 new cases and 17 deaths reported in the last 7 days. Canada had experienced the third wave of COVID-19 virus during April 2021. The Canada Government had recently identified new delta variant cases in their country. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of Canada was 72.69 (100 = strictest).
Saudi Arabia:
In February 2021, Saudi Arabia banned travellers from 20 different countries as a preventive measure to control the spread of COVID-19 second-wave. The Saudi Arabian Government has lifted the travel restrictions on 11 of these 20 different countries in May 2021. The other 9 countries including India are still on the travel ban list. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of Canada is 89.81.
Columbia:
According to an article published by ‘AP News’, the Columbia Government had eased lockdown measures from 02 June 2021 despite fighting a peak rise in the third wave. The Columbia Health Ministry said that Columbia will no longer require a negative coronavirus test from travellers entering the country. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of Columbia is 87.04.
Brazil:
According to the latest reports, Brazil reported 2343 deaths on 23 June 2021 and 2042 deaths on 24 June 2021. The 7-day average deaths in Brazil were reported as 1915. The COVID-19 death numbers in Brazil can be found on the official COVID-19 tracking website of the Brazilian Government. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of Brazil is 81.02.
Spain:
Amid the rise of the COVID-19 cases, the Spain Government had declared a new Coronavirus state of Emergency in October 2020. The Spanish Government had lifted this state of emergency on 09 May 2021. Celebrating the end of the emergency, Spanish people celebrated, danced, and partied on the streets of Barcelona and other places in Spain. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of Spain is 81.94.
United Kingdom:
According to the latest reports, Prime Minister Boris Johnson delayed his plans to lift COVID-19 lockdown measures till 19 July 2021. Amid the fast growth in new cases caused by the Delta Variant, Boris Johnson extended the lockdown measures till July. The British Government is implementing lockdown with only a few restrictions. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of the United Kingdom is 79.63.
France:
According to a latest press release by the France Government, France has lifted most of its lockdown restrictions in their country. The nationwide night curfew in the country was lifted on 20 June 2021. Restaurants, cafes, and bars allowed to serve customers indoors, with 50% capacity and up to six people per table. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of France is 87.96.
Germany:
In April 2021, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that lockdown and curfew would play a vital role to break Germany’s third wave. Angela Merkel extended lockdown and curfew measures till the end of June. But, Germany had eased several restrictions in these lockdown measures. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of Germany is 64.35.
Italy:
According to the latest article by ‘BBC’, the Italian Government had lifted the nationwide night curfew from 21 June 2021. Italy had eased most of the lockdown measures imposed earlier to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Oxford University ‘COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index’ score of Italy is 68.52.
Earlier, when a similar message shared with a similar claim, FACTLY published a fact-check article. It can be seen here.
To sum it up, an old message revived again as the new lockdown restrictions in various countries to contain the third wave of COVID-19.


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Old message that the Taliban are about to execute 229 Christian missionaries in Afghanistan is revived again - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 19, 2021
A post is being shared on social media claiming that the Taliban are about to execute 229 Christian missionary families in Afghanistan. This post urges people to pray for all those Christians who have been the victims of radical Islamic groups. Let’s verify the claims made in the post.
Claim: Taliban terrorists are about to execute 229 Christian missionary families in Afghanistan.
Fact: A similar message has been circulating on social media at least since 2009. In July 2007, the Taliban kidnapped 23 South Korean Christian volunteers and took them hostage for six weeks. Two members of the group were executed, and the remaining 21 hostages were released after the South Korean government paid USD 20 million to the Taliban. Two years later, this message started circulating on social media. As per latest news reports, the Taliban are going door-to-door in certain provinces but it is nowhere reported that the Taliban are going to execute 229 Christian missionary families in Afghanistan. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to find the latest news reports about the claim made in the post, we could not find any such news reports. If the Taliban had announced the execution of 229 Christian missionaries, several news organizations would have published the news by now.  But we could not find a single news article reporting this information.
On searching for the details of the message shared in the post, we found that a similar message was shared by several social media users in 2017 and 2018. They can be seen here and here. Revealing the truth behind this message, the ‘ACI Press’ media had published an article in February 2020. According to the article, the Taliban kidnapped 23 South Korean Christian volunteers in 2007. Two members of the Christian volunteer group were reportedly executed, and the remaining 21 hostages were released after the South Korean government paid USD 20 million to the Taliban. This article reported that after two years, in 2009, this message started circulating on social media. Reporting the same, the ‘Snopes’ and ‘AFP’ websites published fact-check articles. They can be read here and here.
On 15 August 2021, the Taliban took complete control over Afghanistan. According to the latest reports, the Taliban are going door-to-door in certain provinces. Several news websites have published articles reporting this information. Some Christian websites have expressed concern over the fate of Christians in Afghanistan which can be read here and here. But it is nowhere reported that the Taliban are going to execute 229 Christian missionary families in Afghanistan.
To sum it up, an old message that the Taliban are about to execute 229 Christian missionaries in Afghanistan is revived again.


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Old military exercise photo is linked to clashes between India and China at Eastern Ladakh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 9, 2020
A photo is being shared on social media as the one related to the clashes at Eastern Ladakh between Indian and Chinese troops. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Photo of recent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops at Eastern Ladakh.
Fact: Photo in the post shows a Joint military exercise carried out between Indian and Chinese troops at Eastern Ladakh during 2016. It is an old photo and has nothing to do with the ongoing clashes between India and Chinese troops at Eastern Ladakh. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, we found a similar photo in an article published by ‘Rediff’ website on ‘20 October 2016’. Sharing this photo in the article, it is mentioned as one of the stills from joint military exercise carried out between Indian and Chinese troops at Eastern Ladakh. This exercise was held in the Indian side of Line of Actual Control on ‘19 October 2016’. Northern Command of Indian Army shared the same photo in a tweet posted on their official handle on ‘20 October 2016’. It is mentioned in the tweet that a Joint Sino-Indian Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster relief exercise conducted by soldiers in Ladakh.
Joint Sino-Indian Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief Exercise conducted by soldiers in Ladakh.@adgpi pic.twitter.com/x1GIF2OzdP
The Government of India in a press note on 31 August 2020, mentioned about a fresh standoff between the Indian and Chinese soldiers on the intervening night of 29/30 August 2020. An incident of firing is also reported on 08 September 2020, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh sector where the troops of India and China have been engaged in a stand-off for over three months.
To sum it up, an old photo is now falsely shared as the recent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops at Eastern Ladakh.

created: September 9, 2020