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Video of PM Modi’s visit to the Queen of Denmark is shared as his visit to the Queen of England - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 29, 2023
A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a royal family is going viral on social media, claiming that the Prime Minister of India was invited by the queen of the United Kingdom for the first time in history. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: The queen of the United Kingdom invited a Prime Minister of India (Narendra Modi) to her home for the first time in history.
Fact: The visuals show Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to an official dinner hosted by the Queen of Denmark Margrethe II on the occasion of the golden jubilee of her reign. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Danish Queen’s residence. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On performing a reverse image search of the keyframes of the video, we found that the video clip is from the foreign visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Denmark in 2022 (here, here, and here).
Met Her Majesty, the Queen of the Kingdom of Denmark, Margrethe II in Copenhagen. pic.twitter.com/YZkS1BJbIH
Prime Minister paid a visit to the queen of Denmark during his official visit to Germany, Denmark, and France from 02-04 May 2022. PM Modi visited Denmark from 3-4 May 2022 at the invitation of Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen to hold a discussion on bilateral issues. Post the discussion, Modi was invited to the official dinner hosted by Queen Margrethe II on the occasion of the golden jubilee of her reign. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark mentioned that it was the first time in 20 years that an Indian Prime Minister had made an official visit to Denmark. Before PM Modi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. Manmohan Singh had visited Denmark during their tenure as Prime Minister of India.
To check if PM Modi was invited by the Queen of the UK to her palace, we found that Prime Minister Modi was invited to Buckingham Palace several times (here and here).
Her Majesty The Queen with PM @narendramodi at Buckingham Palace. @BritishMonarchy pic.twitter.com/tDVAuz0D6P
However, this is not the first time the queen has hosted a Prime Minister of India in her place. Queen Elizabeth had hosted former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at Buckingham Palace in 1969.
To sum up, a video of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the Queen of Denmark is shared as his visit to the Queen of England.


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Video of police arresting ‘screwdriver’ gang in Noida is shared as the Azamgarh incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 8, 2021
A video accompanied by a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the person caught by the UP police in the video is Ansar Ahmed, who threatened to remove Durga Puja Pandal in Azamgarh. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of UP police arresting a person who threatened to remove a Durga Puja Pandal in Azamgarh.
Fact: The video is from an incident in Noida when police arrested a group of four miscreants. The group was infamously called as ‘screwdriver’ gang as they would attack the victims with screwdrivers and later rob them. The group were identified as Anand Verma, Shiv Kumar Verma, Deepak Verma and Bablu Verma. However, the Azamgarh Police did arrest a person and registered a case for waving illegal firearm at a religious place (Durga Puja Pandal). The accused was identified as Ansar Ahmed of Azamgarh, who threatened to remove Durga Puja Pandal and kill people. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, a tweet with the same video was found. The tweet was by Pankaj Jha, Editor ABP News. Pankaj Jha, in his tweet says that a group of four miscreants was caught by the Noida police. In the pretext of offering a lift in their car, the group coerces and robs people of their money from ATMs. There was no mention of Durga Puja Pandal in the tweet.
#नोएडा में कार में लिफ़्ट देकर लूटपाट करने और  जबरन #ATM से रूपये निकलवाने वाले इंटर स्टेट गैंग के 4 बदमाश आज पुलिस @noidapolice से  मुठभेड़ के बाद पकड़े गए. बीते दिनों पुलिस ने शहर के कई इलाक़ों में लोगों से अनजान व्यक्ति से लिफ़्ट न लेने की अपील भी की थी pic.twitter.com/ZtVb3Go7H5
Taking the cue that the video could be from Noida, we found several articles that reported about the same incident. According to the articles (here and here), the group of four miscreants was identified as Anand Verma, Shiv Kumar Verma, Deepak Verma, and Bablu Verma. The group was infamously called as ‘screwdriver’ gang as they would attack the victims with screwdrivers and later rob them.
The Police Commissionerate of Gautam Buddh Nagar tweeted about the same incident. The tweet carried the photo of the accused as seen in the viral video.
थाना बीटा-2 क्षेत्र में चेकिंग के दौरान पुलिस व गाड़ी में लिफ्ट देकर लोगों को पेंचकस मारकर घायल व लूट करने वाले अंतराज्यीय बदमाशों के बीच हुई मुठभेड़ के दौरान 04 बदमाशों के पैर में लगी गोली,घायल/गिरफ्तार, कब्जे से करीब 01 लाख रुपये नकद, 17 पेंचकस, कार व अवैध हथियार बरामद। pic.twitter.com/wzmqzq1W0h
However, the Azamgarh Police did arrest a person and registered a case for waving an illegal firearm at a religious place (Durga Puja Pandal). The accused was identified as Ansar Ahmed of Azamgarh. Ansar Ahmed threatened to remove Durga Puja Pandal and kill people who put up the pandal in Azamgarh.
थाना तरवा क्षेत्र में धार्मिक धार्मिक स्थल (दुर्गा पूजा पंडाल) पर अवैध तमंचा लहराने वाले व्यक्ति पर अभियोग पंजीकृत कर अभियुक्त को पुलिस ने किया गिरफ्तार । गिरफ्तारी के संबंध में #Spazh का आधिकारिक वक्तव्य* pic.twitter.com/omXTVDameU
To sum it up, a video of police arresting ‘screwdriver’ gang in Noida is shared as the Azamgarh incident.

source: news-factly

created: November 8, 2021

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Video of a police constable caught stealing in a mall in Lucknow is passed off with a communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 6, 2021
A post accompanying a video of a group of people manhandling and undressing a man in Police uniform is being shared with a claim that the video shows people manhandling a Muslim soldier named Salim who tried to steal garments in a mall. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of people thrashing Salim, a soldier who tried to steal garments in a mall.
Fact: The video actually shows a mob beating up a UP police constable Adesh Kumar for stealing in a mall in Lucknow. Multiple regional Hindi news agencies reported the incident. His name is not Salim. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to a Hindi regional news article that reported the same video. According to the article, the video shows a mob beating up a police constable for stealing t-shirts in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Further search led us to another regional news article dated 26 February 2021 which reported the same video. As per this article, Adesh Kumar, a UP police constable was caught stealing a t-shirt from V-Mart mall in Hussainganj. The article also reported Lucknow police Commissioner DK Thakur saying constable Adesh Kumar was suspended after the incident came to light. Another news article reported that an FIR has been registered against those who have beaten up the police constable. Another news article that reported the incident can be read here. None of these news reports mentioned that the accused is a Muslim named Salim.
To sum it up, video of police constable caught stealing in a mall in Lucknow is passed off with a communal spin.


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Video of police destroying CCTV camera is from CAA protests, not from tractor rally protests on Republic day - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 27, 2021
A post accompanying a video showing a group of policemen destroying CCTV cameras is being widely shared on social media with a claim that the video shows visuals from the tractor rally organized by protesting farmers on Republic day. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Policemen destroying CCTV cameras during the tractor rally organized by protesting farmers on Republic day.
Fact: This video is captured during CAA protests. There are multiple similar videos available on YouTube which are almost a year old. Multiple news organizations reported this incident linking it to the CAA protests. This video has nothing to do with the tractor rally on Republic day. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
YouTube search with relevant keywords led us to multiple old videos similar to the one in the post. As per the description of these videos, the visuals show police destroying CCTV cameras in Delhi’s Khurej Khas during the CAA protests. These videos can be seen here and here. This establishes that the video is an old one and not related to the tractor rally.
Further Google search with relevant keywords led us to a February 2020 news article that reported the video. As reported in the news article, ‘when they spoke to some shopkeepers around the petrol pump seen in the video near Khureji Khas area they have confirmed that police have indeed destroyed the cctv cameras setup by them’.
In view of violent clashes between protesters and police during the tractor rally organized by the protesting farmers on Republic day, posts like these are being widely shared on social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, old video police destroying CCTV camera during CAA protests is passed as that from the farmers tractor rally on Republic day.

created: January 27, 2021


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Video of Pongal celebrations from Canada falsely shared as G20 guests in India having lunch with bare hands - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 12, 2023
India is going to host the G20 Summit in September 2023. As the summit is approaching, various events with the delegates of the G20 nations as guests are being held. Amidst the news (here and here) related to these events, a video showing foreigners eating a traditional Indian meal with bare hands is being shared on social media, claiming that the people in the video are G20 guests. Let’s verify this claim through this article.
Claim: Visuals of G20 guests in India having a traditional meal with bare hands.
Fact: This video is from Canada and was filmed when the Tamil Culture Waterloo Region organised a traditional meal for the officials of Waterloo during an event they organised celebrating the Pongal festival in January 2023. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
A reverse image search on a few keyframes of the video obtained using the InVid tool led us to a similar video uploaded on Facebook in January 2023. The Tamil Culture Waterloo Region page uploaded this video with a caption that reads ‘ TCA Tamil Thai Pongal Celebration (Tamil Thanksgiving) region of Waterloo politicians, Regional Chair City Mayors, councillors and Police Chief and staff.’
The Tamil Cultural Association of Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, organised this event during this year’s Pongal festival. Their website contains images of this event in which we can see the same officials as in the viral video.
After attending the event, the mayor of Waterloo, Dorothy McCabe, posted a tweet thanking the local Tamil community for organising this event.
Thank you to the local @waterlootamils community for a wonderful evening of entertainment, enjoyment and delicious food!
It is an honour to celebrate Tamil Heritage Month and Thai Pongal with our vibrant and growing community. #tamilheritagemonth #ThaiPongal pic.twitter.com/oltwmNQI8n
Earlier this year, this video went viral with a false claim that British PM Rishi Sunak arranged a Pongal meal for the officials of the UK Govt. We had debunked that claim, the fact-check of which can be read here.
To sum up, a video of a few officials of Waterloo City in Canada having Pongal dinner is passed off as G20 guests in India eating food with bare hands.


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Video of Priyanka Gandhi losing her cool is shared with a misleading context - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 6, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post with a video of Priyanka Gandhi, alleging that she was beating her own party woman after drinking vodka. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
Priyanka Gandhi, after getting intoxicated, was found hitting her own party woman.
Fact: The video was taken when Priyanka Gandhi lost her cool when her daughter was groped during a protest against Unnao and Kathura rape incidents. Hence, the claim is Misleading.
When the video in the post is divided into frames using InVid plugin and the frames are searched on Google Reverse Image search, the video was found to be the one taken during Priyanka Gandhi’s midnight march against Unnao and Kathura rape incidents. From the video, it is clear that Priyanka was accompanied by her husband and daughter. During the protest, few people among the crowd groped both Priyanka Gandhi and her daughter. Priyanka was angered by this and rushed away from the crowd. It is clear that she was not drunk.
While the post claims that this as breaking news and that the incident happened on 27th April, 2019, the video by India Today was uploaded on 12th April, 2018. Hence the claim that it is a recent event is false.
Hence, the video of Priyanka Gandhi losing her cool during a protest is shared as Priyanka beating her own party woman in an inebriated state.


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Video of Priyanka Gandhi raising slogans against Central Government is being shared with a false audio - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 7, 2022
Amid recent protests by Congress party leaders against the Central Government over several issues, a video of Indian National Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi is being widely shared on social media. In this video, Priyanka Gandhi, can be seen sitting on the road and singing some song, while being surrendered by police. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Priyanka Gandhi sitting on the road and singing a song during a protest against the central government.
Fact:  The original video was uploaded on the official Twitter account of Indian Youth Congress on 05 August 2022. In this video, Priyanka Gandhi can be seen shouting the slogan, “जब जब मोदी डरता है पुलिस को आगे करता है”. This Video was recorded during her protest in Delhi against central Government over multiple issues. The audio in the video is replaced with an unrelated song. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We searched the internet with the related keywords and found a news article related to the incident. According to the article, several Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were detained by the Delhi police on Friday as they led protests against the central government on multiple issues, including price rise and unemployment.
Taking the cue from this, we searched the web with relevant keywords and found a video on the official twitter account of Indian Youth Congress. The description says “जब जब मोदी डरता है पुलिस को आगे करता है” (English translation: Whenever Modi is afraid, he puts the police forward). The tweet can be found here.
जब जब मोदी डरता है पुलिस को आगे करता है…!#महंगाई_पर_हल्ला_बोल pic.twitter.com/IzHoOw0YRC
In this video, one can hear Priyanka Gandhi and her supporters shouting, “जब जब मोदी डरता है पुलिस को आगे करता है”.’V6 News Telugu’ also uploaded a video on its official YouTube video about the same incident but from a different angle. This video also shows Priyanka Gandhi and her supporters shouting the same slogan.
Upon further research, we found that the song used in the viral video was extracted from this video which is uploaded on YouTube on 09 January 2019.
To sum it up, the visuals of Priyanka Gandhi protesting are being shared with a false audio.

created: August 7, 2022


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Video of professor G. Mohan Gopal shared as Chief Justice of Singapore Sundaresh Menon’s remarks on theocratic judges in the Indian Judiciary - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 20, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of Sundaresh Menon, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Singapore, making comments on how the constitution of India was being hijacked by a few theocratic judges to turn India into a Hindu Rashtra. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Chief Justice of Singapore Sundaresh Menon’s remarks on theocratic judges in the Indian Judiciary.
Fact: The man expressing concerns over theocratic judges in the video is Professor Dr. G. Mohan Gopal, a Constitutional Law Expert, a well-known legal academician and the former Director of the National Judicial Academy. Mohan Gopal while addressing a seminar organised by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR), raised concerns over the appointment of judges with political bias and highlighted the motive of hijacking the judiciary and establishing a Hindu theocracy in the country.  The video has nothing to do with Singapore Supreme Court Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
A watermark of ‘Live Law’ can be seen in the top-right corner of the video. When we searched for this video using relevant keywords on the internet, a video with similar visuals was found published on the Live Law YouTube channel on 21 February 2023. Live Law published the video with a description, “Theocratic Judges Who Find Source Of Law In Religion Than Constitution Increased: Dr Mohan Gopal”.
Professor Dr. G. Mohan Gopal is a renowned legal academician and the Former Director of the National Judicial Academy.  While addressing a seminar organised by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR), G. Mohan Gopal raised concerns over the appointment of judges with political bias and highlighted the motive of hijacking the judiciary and establishing a Hindu theocracy in the country. Live Law published an article reporting the complete speech of Dr. G. Mohan Gopal at the CJAR seminar.
On 03 February 2023, Chief Justice of Singapore Sundaresh Menon watched the proceedings of the Supreme Court alongside the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. Sundaresh Menon was the chief guest at the event to commemorate the 73 anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Court on 03 February 2023. Sundaresh Menon did not make any such comments as mentioned in the post on Indian Judiciary and about the appointment of judges in the country.
To sum it up, a video of renowned legal academician G. Mohan Gopal is shared as Chief Justice of Singapore Sundaresh Menon’s remarks on theocratic judges in the Indian Judiciary.


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Video of Rahul Gandhi during a book release is edited and shared with a false narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 27, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a book launch. The post claims that Rahul Gandhi showed his back when Journalists asked to show the backside view of a book launched by him. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Rahul Gandhi showing his back when journalists asked to show the backside view of the book held by him.
Fact: Video shared in the post is an edited clip of the press conference held by Rahul Gandhi on 19 January 2021. In the press conference, Rahul Gandhi released the ‘Kheti Ka Khoon’ booklet published on new farm laws. While showcasing this booklet to the Journalists, Rahul Gandhi turned back alleging BJP leaders would have showcased their book in a hiding manner unlike them. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for the press conference video shared in the post, we found the visuals of  Rahul Gandhi’s special press briefing held at AICC headquarters on 19 January 2021. Live streaming of this press briefing was shared on the official YouTube channel of the Indian National Congress (INC). In the press conference, Rahul Gandhi released the ‘Kheti Ka Khoon’ booklet written on new farm laws. We can see those visuals at 2:07 timestamp of the video.
While showcasing this booklet to the journalists, Rahul Gandhi turned back saying “ देखो  कितना फेयर  हे  हम लोग. इदर  भी ढीकाथे, उधर  भी ढीकाथे. बीजेपी होती थो बस  छुपाते इस तरह” (see how fare we are. We are showing our booklet to each one of you. If it was BJP, their leaders would have showcased in a hiding manner like this). We can see those visuals from the 2.24 minute of the video. The audio where Rahul Gandhi alleged that BJP leaders would have showcased the booklet in a hiding manner, is edited and shared with a false narrative.
We can see the same visuals with the original audio in the YouTube video posted on the Indian Youth Congress channel. Articles and media reports published on Rahul Gandhi releasing ‘Kheti Ka Khoon’ booklet can be seen here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is an edited one.
To sum it up, an edited video clip is shared as Rahul Gandhi showing his back in a press conference when journalists asked to show the backside view of the book.


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Video of Rahul Gandhi illustrating the government's Misuse of Investigative agencies falsely portrayed as insulting the Indian flag - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 15, 2024
A viral video featuring Rahul Gandhi alleges that he insulted the Indian national flag. In the clip, Rahul Gandhi can be heard asking the crowd at his rally for a stick. When the crowd attempts to hand him a stick with a flag attached, he requests that they remove the flag and only hand him the stick. This article aims to fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video depicting Rahul Gandhi insulting the Indian flag.
Fact: In his speech, Rahul Gandhi asks the crowd for a flag-less stick to illustrate the alleged misuse of investigative agencies by the central government. However, this context is deliberately omitted, while sharing only the part where he requests the stick resulting in a false narrative. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
In the extended version of the widely circulated video clip, it becomes clear that Rahul Gandhi did indeed ask the crowd to remove the flag from the stick. Nevertheless, he did so within a broader context, aiming to illustrate the purported misuse of central investigative agencies by the government.
A YouTube search using relevant keywords provided us with the full footage of the video, from which the viral excerpt is extracted. According to the video description, the incident occurred during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Dondaicha, Maharashtra, on 13 March 2024.
Approximately ten minutes into the video, translated loosely from Hindi, “Rahul Gandhi can be heard inviting a man named Santosh Patil to approach him, indicating he will illustrate how the government employs agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Gandhi then addresses the crowd, suggesting that Patil symbolizes ordinary Indians, and asserts that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is diverting attention to issues like foreign trips, Pakistan, and China. He proceeds to claim that Adani will exploit the man’s situation and then requests the crowd for a stick. When they attempt to offer a stick with a flag attached, he asks them to remove the flag and hand over just the stick.
Later, when the crowd presents only the stick, he explains to the audience that the stick symbolizes Home Minister Amit Shah, who will deploy the ED and CBI against their critics.”
Therefore, from the entirety of the speech, it is apparent that Rahul Gandhi merely requested a stick to illustrate the alleged misuse of investigative agencies by the central government. However, this crucial context is selectively omitted, and only the segment where he asks for a stick is being circulated, leading to a false narrative.
FACTLY previously debunked the latter portion of the viral video, which allegedly claims that he insulted the Bharat Mata. You can read the fact-check article debunking the video here.
To sum it up, a video of Rahul Gandhi illustrating the government’s Misuse of investigative agencies falsely portrayed as insulting the Indian flag.


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Video of Ram Navami celebrations held in Srinagar is shared as that from Pakistan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 6, 2023
A video of a Hindu procession is being shared on social media with the claim that it belongs to Ram Navami festival celebrations that took place in Pakistan. The post’s description in Hindi translates to ‘Ram Navami is safe in Pakistan, but it’s unsafe in India, why?…‘ Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Visuals of ‘safe‘ Ram Navami celebrations in Pakistan.
Fact: The video shows a ‘Shobha Yatra’ procession taken out by Kashmiri Pandits in Srinagar on the occasion of this year’s Sri Rama Navami. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
To check the claim’s veracity, we performed a keyword search on Google which did not lead us to any credible media reports that contained the visuals in the viral post. We then ran the video through the InVid tool and performed a reverse image search on a few keyframes obtained in the process. When run through the Google lens, the Urdu text on one of the keyframes was revealed to be ‘Kashmiri Pandits in Srinagar.’
We also observed a logo of the VOA: Voice Of America News on the top right corner of the video, with Urdu text under it. Taking these as hints, we performed a keyword search on Google, which led us to a tweet by VOA Urdu which contained footage similar to the viral video.
بھارت کے زیرِ انتظام کشمیر میں جمعرات کو کشمیری پنڈتوں نے سخت سیکیورٹی انتظامات کے دوران ایک جلوس نکالا جو سرینگر کے مختلف مقامات سے گزرتا ہوا اپنی منزل پر پہنچا۔ کشمیری پنڈت ہر سال اپنے ایک مذہبی تہوار کے موقع پر 'شوبھا یاترا' نامی یہ جلوس نکالتے ہیں۔ زبیر ڈار کی رپورٹ#VOAUrdu pic.twitter.com/se6ys4eDLS
According to the tweet, the video show Kashmiri Pandits taking out a ‘Shobha Yatra’ on 30 March 2023 in Srinagar. ANI published a video report on this ‘Shobha Yatra’, which was held to celebrate the Ram Navami festival.
‘The Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF provided tight security cover for the Shobha Yatra which started from Zaindar Mohalla in the old city of Srinagar and passed through the city’s commercial hub Lal Chowk….,’ Zee News reported. A few other media houses also reported this event which you may check here and here.
To sum up, visuals of Ram Navami celebrations held in Srinagar, India, is shared as celebrations of Ram Navami in Pakistan.


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Video of rescue operation in Uttarakhand is falsely shared as the Indian army demolishing Chinese bunkers. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 22, 2021
A post accompanying a video that seems to be of a rescue operation, that shows JCBs clearing the debris is being shared across social media with a claim that the video shows Indian army soldiers demolishing Chinese bunkers near Pangong lake. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Indian army soldiers demolishing Chinese bunkers near Pangong lake.
Fact: The video actually shows rescue operations for missing people after the glacier burst in Uttarakhand carried out by ITBP and other organisations. Multiple news agencies have reported the same video identifying the video as ITBP rescue operation in Uttarakhand. Even the ITBP tweeted the same video iterating the same. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video in the post led us to ANI news video dated 15 February 2021, which reported the same incident. The title of the video reads ‘Chamoli disaster: 56 bodies recovered; rescue operation underway’. According to the description, the video shows rescue operations carried out at Raini village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district by ITBP personnel along with NDRF, after a flash flood that was triggered due to glacier burst on Feb 07 in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli. Further, ANI has also reported another video of the rescue operation which can be seen here.
Further Google search with keywords led us to a tweet thread dated 15 February 2021 by ITBP which shared the same video along with a set of images. According to the tweet, the video shows the search operation of ITBP along with other sister organizations for those missing due to the glacier burst.
ITBP personnel with other sister organizations looking for missing at Raini, #Tapovan, #Uttarakhand today. #UttarakhandGlacierBurst pic.twitter.com/GB7aMiCucy
Further, Economic Times has also reported the same ANI news video, which reiterates that the video is related to the rescue operation in Uttarakhand and not the Indian army demolishing Chinese bunkers. Also, we could not find any news reports or official statements from the government which mention the Indian army demolishing Chinese bunkers near Pangong lake.
In view of the talks between Indian and Chinese armies regarding the disengagement process on the banks of the Pangong lake in Ladakh, videos like these are being circulated on social media with misleading claims.
To sum it up, a video of a rescue operation in Uttarakhand is falsely is shared as the Indian army demolishing Chinese bunkers.

created: February 22, 2021


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Video of Russian figure skater Ivan Bukin is being shared with a false narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 23, 2023
A social media post accompanying a video of an ice-skating performance, reportedly performed in the World Figure Skating Championships, held in Helsinki is being widely shared with a claim that the male dancer seen in the video is Babo, and he is blind since childhood. The post further elaborates that his mother died in the same fire accident which left him blind. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a blind ice skater’s performance.
Fact: The viral visuals are extracted from the 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships footage, available on YouTube. The original footage clearly identifies the viral dancers as Russian figure skaters Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin. The male dancer Ivan Bukin is not blind and there are no reports claiming that he met with any fire accident in his childhood as claimed in the viral post.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The male dancer seen in the viral video is not Babo but Russian ice-skater Ivan Bukin, and he is not blind. Upon observation of the viral video, we can see boards saying ‘2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, Helsinki, Finland’. Taking a cue from this, an internet search with relevant keywords led us to a lengthier version of the viral video on the official YouTube channel of International Skating Union.
According to the description associated with the video on YouTube, the visuals are from 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, held in Helsinki. Further the video identifies the viral couple as Russian figure skaters Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin.
Comparison of few screenshots of the viral video with that of video posted on YouTube channel of International Skating Union establishes that the viral video excerpt is extracted from this YouTube video. Further, there are no reports mentioning he is blind and attributing any fire accident incident as claimed in the viral post to Ivan Bukin.
Some interviews and performances of Ivan Bukin can be seen here, here, and here. Even his body language in these videos clearly suggests that he is not blind.
To sum it up, video of Russian figure skater Ivan Bukin is being shared with false information.

created: January 23, 2023


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Video of Sree Guruvayurappan temple’s priests collecting money from donation boxes shared with a misleading narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 12, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it is visuals of priests stealing from the donation boxes in a temple. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of priests stealing money from donation boxes in a temple.
Fact: The video shows the priests of Kerala’s Guruvayurappan temple collecting money from donation boxes as part of their regular customs. An all-time record of Rs. 6.86 crores worth of treasure was collected from the Bhadaram or donation boxes of Guruvayurappan temple this September 2022. The Guruvayoor Devaswom Managing Committee administers the donation money received by the Guruvayurappan temple. The priests of the temple have no authority over this donation money. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found in an article published by ‘Kalayanthanikazhchakal’ news website on 29 September 2022. This news website reported it as the visuals of priests collecting money from the Bhandara or the donation boxes of the Sree Guruvayurappan temple in Kerala. Reporting the same, a few other news websites and Facebook pages published the same video. They can be seen here and here.
When searched for further sources using keywords on the internet, a photo showing similar visuals of priests collecting money from a donation box was found in an article published by a news website. This news website confirmed it as the visuals of priests at the Sree Guruvayurappan temple collecting money from donation boxes as part of their regular customs. According to a few press reports, the Sree Guruvayurappan Temple accounted for an all-time record of Rs. 6.86 crores worth of donations in September 2022. In addition to the currency notes, more than four kilos of gold and 18 kilos of silver was obtained from the treasury boxes of the Sree Guruvayurappan Temple.
CSB Guruvayur Branch is responsible for counting the money from these treasury boxes. According to the Guruvayoor Devaswom Act, 1978,  the Guruvayoor Devaswom Managing Committee has the complete authority and administration of this donation money received by the Sree Guruvayurappan temple. The Guruvayurappan temple priests do not have any direct authority over the money collected from the donation boxes. A few old videos showing similar visuals of Guruvayurappan temple priests collecting money from donation boxes can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, video of Sree Guruvayurappan temple’s priests collecting money from donation boxes is shared with a misleading narrative.

created: October 12, 2022


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Video of Sri Ranganathaswamy temple's golden dome in New York shared as that of Tirupati temple - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 12, 2020
A video is being shared on Facebook with a claim that it’s the video of the golden dome at the top of the Tirupati temple. The video which was shared on social media last year is still being shared by many. Let’s try to analyze the extent of truth claimed in this post.
Video of the golden dome at the top of Tirupati temple.
Fact: The video of the golden dome shown in the post is related to the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in New York. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the posted video, at around 0.40 seconds,  a person saying about Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam can be heard. With that information when searched on youtube using keywords in English and Tamil, many search results were found. Some of the search results with the same video said that the golden dome shown in the video is from Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. But under one of the videos found in the search results, a person has commented that most of them are mistaking the Ranganathaswamy temple in Newyork as Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. From that information, when searched on Google about that temple in Newyork, a photo of that temple’s golden dome was found. When this photo was compared with the golden dome at 0.17 seconds of the posted video it was found that both are similar. Furthermore, the surroundings seen in the posted video can also be seen in the satellite image of the Ranganathaswamy temple in Newyork.
The temple shown in the posted video is not of Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam because when the photo of the temple in Srirangam was compared with the golden dome of the temple shown at 0.57 seconds in the posted video, it was found that there are many differences between both the temples, which can be seen in the collage below.
To summarize, the posted video is not related to the Tirupati temple, it is a video of Ranganathaswamy temple in New York.
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Video of a woman flashing in public is from UEFA Euro Cup held in 2021; not from FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 23, 2022
In the context of recent England vs. Iran match in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, video of a woman flashing in public is being widely shared on social media claiming that the incident took place at FIFA World Cup 2022 and she was the first woman to be imprisoned at Qatar for breaking the FIFA regulations. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a woman flashing at FIFA world cup 2022 held in Qatar.
Fact: The same video was uploaded on meme sharing website ‘9GAG’ on 16 July 2021. The England jersey seen in the video is from the UEFA Euro 2020 championship held in June-July 2021. But the FIFA world cup Qatar 2022 began on 20 November 2022. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search using the keyframes extracted from viral video led us to the same video which was uploaded on the meme sharing website ‘9GAG’ on 16 July 2021. The title of the video says, “At least this coming home”. This video is posted after England lost to Italy in the final of UEFA Euro 2020 championship held on 11 July 2021. The title “at least this coming home” is a satire on the England football’s popular rhetoric ‘It’s coming home’.
Taking a cue from this, we further compared the England’s jersey seen in the viral video with that of 2020 Euro championship and 2022 Qatar World Cup. Based on this, we can confirm that this video is taken during 2020 Euro Cup held in June-July 2021.
To sum it up, this video of a woman flashing in public is from UEFA Euro Cup held in 2021, not FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

created: November 23, 2022


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Video of traffic signal post being swept away in a flooded street is from China, not India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 20, 2020
Video of a traffic signal post being swept away in a flooded street is shared on social media claiming it as the situation in India because of the floods. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Traffic signal post being swept away in a flooded street of India.
Fact: In 2018, due to the heavy rain, a temporary traffic signal post was swept down in the flooded streets of Yulin city in South China. It is an old video and not related to India. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On observing carefully, we found that names on the signboards and stickers on a bike are not in any of the Indian languages. When we searched for the language on the signboards and stickers, we found that it is Mandarin, the official language of China and Taiwan.
On reverse image search of screenshots in the video, we found a similar video in the official YouTube channel of Chinese Government news channel ‘CGTN’. In the description of this video, they mentioned that a temporary traffic signal post was swept down in a flooded street of Yulin city in South China. Also, it is mentioned in the video that it was shot on ‘11 May 2018’. ‘CGTN’ news channel posted the same video in their official twitter account. It can be watched here. This same video was shared in ‘The Weather Channel’ website. In this website also, it is mentioned as an incident in Yulin city of South China.
To sum it up, the video of traffic signal post being swept away in the flooded streets is not from India, It’s from Yulin city in South China.
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Video of a truck catching fire in Pune is passed off as that from Hyderabad. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 15, 2021
A post accompanying a video of a truck catching fire is being shared on social media with a claim that the incident happened on the Gachibowli flyover, Hyderabad. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Oil tanker explosion on Gachibowli flyover, Hyderabad.
Fact: This incident of truck catching fire took place on the Warje bridge, Pune at least a month ago. Cyberabad traffic police have confirmed the same through a tweet. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video in the post yielded us few YouTube suggestions which carried similar visuals. These can be seen here, here, and here. All these videos are uploaded in the first week of December 2020.  Description of one such video reads ‘TRUCK BLAST AT WARJE FLYOVER/PUNE BANGLORE HIGHWAY ACCIDENT’.
Taking a cue from the YouTube videos, Google search with relevant keywords led us to a month old local news article that reported the incident. According to this news article, the incident happened on the Warje bridge of Bengaluru-Pune highway.
Further Google search led us to a tweet by Cyberabad Traffic Police which cleared the air surrounding the location of the incident. The tweet confirms that the incident took place on Warje bridge, Pune a few days ago. Also, the tweet categorically stated that no such incident happened in Hyderabad. All these establish that the incident indeed happened in Pune but not in Hyderabad.
This viral video is not of Gachibowli flyover. It is a FALSE news.
It had happened on the Warje bridge, Pune a few days back.
No such incidents have occurred in Hyderabad.
Warning : Persons spreading rumours/misinformation leading to public fear will be dealt as per law. pic.twitter.com/ViOYlpxJDA
To sum it up, this incident of a truck catching fire happened in Pune, not in Hyderabad.

created: January 15, 2021


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Video of two female advocates fighting in the premises of a UP court is shared as from Maharashtra - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 26, 2022
A video of a fight between two women is being shared widely on social media. According to the post’s description, the visuals allegedly belong to a fight that broke out between an advocate and a judge; both women. The post also mentions that this incident occurred in Maharashtra. Let’s fact-check this claim through his article.
Claim: Visuals of a fight that broke out between a female lawyer and a female judge in a court in Maharashtra.
Fact: The video actually shows a fight between two female lawyers in the District sessions court of Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We searched the internet with relevant keywords to find out whether there were any reports about an incident as alleged in the video. This led us to various media reports from October 2022, which can be read here, here and here. Reportedly, a fight broke out between two lawyers in the district sessions court of Kaaganj, Uttar Pradesh.
According to Dainik Bhaskar, a fight erupted between lawyers Yogita Saxena and Suneetha Kaushik on the court’s premises over an argument. ‘An advocate standing there made a video and made it viral on social media. On the Tahrir of lawyer Yogita, a case has been registered against Aligarh’s female lawyer Sunita Kaushik, Rahul and all their associates,‘ Dainik Bhaskar said in the report.
Kasganj police also tweeted about this video on 28 October 2022, saying that they were registering charges under relevant sections, and are taking that action.
प्रकरण के संबंध में कल दिनांक 27.10.2022 को कोतवाली कासगंज पर तहरीर दी गई, तहरीर के आधार पर सुसंगत धाराओं में अभियोग पंजीकृत कर अग्रिम कार्यवाही की जा रही है।
To sum up, a video of two female advocates fighting in the premises of a court in Uttar Pradesh is shared as that from Maharashtra.

created: December 26, 2022


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Video of under-construction toilets from Varanasi is falsely linked to Ayodhya's Ram Mandir - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 8, 2024
A post accompanying a video of under-construction toilets is being widely shared across social media platforms, with the claim that the video shows how arrangements are being made for visitors in Ayodhya. This is being shared in the context of the consecration of Lord Ram idol that will take place at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on 22 January 2024. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing construction of toilets at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Fact: These visuals depict the construction of toilets at Swarved Mahamandir in Varanasi.  These visuals were reported in December 2023. Although fiber toilets are being built for visitors for the upcoming Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, these visuals have nothing to do with this. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To learn more about the viral clip, we broke the video into keyframes and ran a reverse image search using Google Images. This led us to several YouTube videos with similar visuals that were uploaded in December 2023. A YouTube channel named Maya Bhai uploaded this video on 01 January 2024, with a caption linking it to the Swarved Mahamandir of Varanasi.
A relevant keyword search led us to a video uploaded by the YouTube channel, Ankit Promo on 13 December 2023. In this video, visuals similar to those in the viral video can be observed at 3:38 timestamp. The video’s description mentioned its association with Swaraveda Mahamandir in Varanasi. The vlogger in the video shared that numerous tents had been erected for people to stay, and temporary toilets were also constructed for their use.
Similarly, we came across another video on the YouTube channel called AMT YouTuber, where it was mentioned that Swarved Mahamandir Dham was prepared for the inauguration. The section of the toilet visuals that are being circulated under the name of Ayodhya can be observed at 10:35 timestamp. Below, one can see a comparison of visuals seen in the viral video with the videos of Swarved Mahamandir Dham on YouTube.
Upon comparing the visuals of the viral video with that of the above-mentioned YouTube videos of Swarved Mahamandir Dham, it becomes evident that the viral video pertains to Swarved Mahamandir Dham in Varanasi. The visuals in question have no connection with the Ram Mandir complex in Ayodhya.
We also found news reports on the inauguration ceremony at Swarved Mahamandir which was attended by PM Modi on 18 December 2023. Hindustan Times reported that PM Modi had inaugurated the Swarved Mahamandir, which is a seven-floor temple located in Varanasi’s Umaraha area.
Meanwhile, on 18 December 2023, News18 Uttar Pradesh’s Facebook page shared a video showcasing the construction of toilets and changing rooms in Ayodhya. This video differs from the one currently being shared. The news report stated, “1500 fiber toilets will be constructed in Ayodhya, along with changing rooms for women.”
To sum it up, the video of under-construction toilets at Swarved Mahamandir, Varanasi is falsely linked to Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir.

created: January 8, 2024


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Video of woman performing tapping exercise is not from Tata Memorial Hospital - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 21, 2022
Update (10 February 2023): CS Pramesh, Director at Tata Memorial Hospital tweeted a clarification on this video stating, “@TataMemorial has nothing to do with this video, and any attribution to Tata Memorial Hospital is strongly refuted.”
Video of a woman performing tapping exercises and explaining their benefits is being widely shared on social media claiming that it is belongs to Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH). Other posts claimed that TMH has requested everyone to watch this video.
Claim: Video from Tata Memorial Hospital in which a woman performs tapping exercises and explains their benefits.
Fact: The name of the woman seen in the video is Manishaa. She is the founder of Om Sairam Perfect Health located in Koti, Hyderabad. It is an an Alternative and Holistic health service centre. She doesn’t belong to Tata Memorial Hospital, and the hospital has never shared her video. Hence the claim made in the video is MISLEADING.
We searched YouTube with relevant key words and found an extended version of the viral video uploaded by ‘Sanjana John’ YouTube channel on 02 June 2021 with the title “Tapping exercise for good health”. This channel also contains other videos of her speeches, exercises, and therapies.
Taking a cue from this, we searched further and found that her name is Manishaa, founder of Om Sairam Perfect Health located in Koti, Hyderabad. According to their official Facebook page, it is an Alternative and Holistic health service centre. Visuals of the videos available on this centre’s YouTube channel match with that of viral video.
This shows that the video was not shot in Tata Memorial Hospital. We also checked the Tata Memorial Hospital’s website and social media handles and couldn’t find any such post asking people to watch this video. Also, according to WebMD, some studies showed that these kind of tapping exercises can improve psychological disorders while other researchers say that the improvement is because of placebo effect.
To sum it up, video of woman performing tapping exercise is not from Tata Memorial Hospital

created: October 21, 2022


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Video of Youngsters Misbehaviour at Women’s Colleges in Madurai is shared with a false Communal Narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 7, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of Muslim boys eve-teasing Hindu girls and assaulting a parent who came to pick up his daughter outside a women’s college in Tamil Nadu. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Muslim boys eve-teasing Hindu girls and assaulting a girl’s parent in front of a women’s college in Tamil Nadu.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows visuals of two different incidents that took place recently near the premises of the Lady Dock College and the Sri Meenakshi Government Arts College in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Madurai Police arrested all the accused youth involved in both these incidents and shared their details through Facebook posts. None of the accused in both these incidents is a Muslim. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The video shared in the post shows two different video clips. Let’s find the details of each video clipping one by one.
Video clip 1:
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found published by the ‘Thanthi TV’ YouTube channel on 03 November 2022. This news channel reported it as the visuals of youth trespassing into a girl’s college and misbehaving with the students in Madurai. Reporting the complete details of the incident, the ‘Times of India’ news website published an article on 05 November 2022. TOI in the article reported that Madurai city police have arrested nine youths who forcibly entered the Lady Doak College and harassed students on Thevar Jayanti on 30 October 2022.
Madurai Police published a Facebook post informing the details of the incident and the arrest of the accused. Madurai Police informed the public that a case has been filed on this incident at the Tallakulam Police station and that they have arrested the 10 people involved  in this incident. Madurai police mentioned the names of the ten accused as Surya, Muthu Navesh, Arunbandian, Manikandan, Sethupandi, Manikandana, Pearl Vignesh, William Francis, Vimaljoy Patrick and Arun.
Video clip 2:
On reverse image search, similar visuals were found in an article published by ‘Times Now’ on 05 November 2022. ‘Times Now’ reported it as the visuals of a student’s father being brutally attacked by a group of youngsters in front of the Sri Meenakshi Government Arts College in Madurai. According to the reports, a mob of youngsters brutally assaulted a parent, who came to pick up his daughter from Sri Meenakshi Government Arts College, for questioning their behaviour in front of girls while they were following a funeral procession. Madurai police arrested 6 people involved in this attack under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act and other sections.
Madurai Police through a Facebook post informed the details of the accused who were involved in this incident that took place on 04 November 2022. Madurai Police detailed the arrested six youths names as Satish Kumar, Ramamurthy, Naveen alias Nagapiriyan, Ajit Kumar, Somasundaran, Sivaganam. Going by the names of the accused and their father’s details mentioned by the Madurai police, none of the accused in these cases is a Muslim.
The FIR copies of both these cases were presently blocked on the Tamil Nadu Police website. Reacting to these recent mischievous activities of youth in front of women’s colleges, Madurai Deputy Commissioner N. Mohan Raja told the media, “In the wake of the recent ruckus created by youth in front of women’s colleges in the city, parents of the youngsters who had misbehaved will be given counselling along with their wards.” It is nowhere reported that the youth involved in the ruckus outside these women’s colleges in Madurai were Muslims.
To sum it up, a recent video showing the ruckus created by a few youths in front of Madurai’s women’s colleges is shared with a false communal narrative.

created: November 7, 2022


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Video related to a robbery case is shared as jewellery seized during IT raids on TTD Board member - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 27, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of the Income-tax department seizing 128 kgs of gold, 150 crore rupees cash, and 70 crore worth diamonds from one of the 16 trustee members of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Board. A few other social media posts claim the raided trustee as J. Sekar Reddy and also, shared a photo of him in their posts. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing the seized jewellery from TTD Board member J. Sekar Reddy’s house.
Fact: The video shared in the post is related to a recent jewellery robbery in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. On the midnight of 14 December 2021, 15 kgs of gold and almost 500 gms of diamonds was robbed from the Jos Alukkas showroom in Vellore. The Tamil Nadu Police recovered all the lost jewellery and arrested the culprit Deekaraman. In 2016, the Income Tax Department officials raided the residences of the then TTD Board member J Sekar Reddy and seized ₹100 crores cash and 120 kg gold. However, the case filed by the CBI against Sekar Reddy was dismissed by a special court in September 2020 on grounds of lack of evidence after CBI filed a closure report. Sekar Reddy was back on the TTD Board when the cases were closed. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found in a video published by the ‘Jaya TV’ news channel on 22 December 2021. This news channel reported it as visuals of the recovered jewellery that was robbed recently from the Jos Alukkas showroom in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Reporting the same, several other Tamil news websites have published similar videos on their YouTube channels. They can be seen here and here.
On the midnight of 14 December 2021, 15 kgs of Gold and almost 500 gms of diamonds were robbed from the  Jos Alukkas showroom in Vellore. Following an investigation, the Vellore police have recovered all the stolen jewellery buried in a cemetery in Vellore. The police arrested Deekaraman, the culprit who robbed the gold and diamonds from the Jos Alukkas showroom. Reporting the complete details of this robbery, several other news websites have also published articles. Thye can be seen here and here.
In 2016, the Income Tax Department officials raided the residences of the then TTD Board member J Sekar Reddy and seized ₹100 crore cash and 120 kg gold from his houses. The Andhra Pradesh government removed Sekar Reddy as a member of TTD following these IT raids. The case filed by the CBI against Sekar Reddy was dismissed by a special court in September 2020 on grounds of lack of evidence after CBI filed a closure report. Sekar Reddy was back on the TTD Board when the cases were closed. However, he was not included in the new TTD board which was constituted in August 2021. Recently, when a similar post claiming that the IT department conducted a raid on a TTD member went viral on social media, FACTLY published a fact-check article debunking that claim. It can be seen here.
To sum it up, Income-tax officers raided TTD Board member Sekar Reddy’s house in 2016 but the video shared in the post is related to a recent robbery in Vellore.

created: December 27, 2021


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Video related to the 2020 Beirut explosion is being shared as recent visuals from Ukraine - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 4, 2022
A video of a ravaged city is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows Ukraine. The video is being shared in the context of the current conflict between the forces of Russia and Ukraine. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows a ravaged city in Ukraine amid the current invasion by the armed forces of Russia.
Fact: The video is not related to Ukraine. It shows the city of Beirut (Lebanon) after an explosion in 2020. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image, a similar video was found to be tweeted by a Twitter user in August 2020. In her tweet, she wrote – “My city Beirut after the explosion”. On 04 August 2020, an explosion took place at the port area in Beirut (Lebanon). More details regarding the incident can be read here.
My city Beirut after the explosion. What a tragedy. It's too much to bear 💔😢@akhbar pic.twitter.com/2GVePyZMOT
Many similar visuals can be seen in the articles published by various news agencies on the Beirut explosion.
Recent visuals of some devastated places from Ukraine can be seen here, here, and here.
To sum it up, a video related to the 2020 Beirut explosion is being shared as recent visuals from Ukraine.


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Video report about a climate change protest is shared as western media showing fake dead bodies of Ukrainian citizens - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 3, 2022
Amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, a video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that western media is showing fake dead bodies of Ukrainian citizens. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video depicting western media showing fake dead bodies of Ukrainian citizens.
Fact: The video is from a climate change protest in Vienna, it is not from Ukraine. The people who were lying as corpses in the background were symbolically referring to a new study which says that there could be 49 deaths every day in Austria because of climate change. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, the full video with similar visuals was found on an Austrian news website. The full video uploaded on 04 February 2022 says the visuals are from a demonstration in Vienna. The same video was uploaded on YouTube by the official channel of OE24.TV. The English translation of ‘WIEN: DEMO GEGEN KLIMAPOLITIK’ is, ‘Vienna: Demo against climate policy’. The English translation of the banners held by people in the video reads, ‘Climate Protection Act Saves Lives’ and ‘Current Climate Policy Don’t’. The interview of a climate activist can be seen on the same website which was uploaded on the same day.
The person who reported the incident in Vienna was OE24.TV’s reporter, named ‘Marvin Bergauer’. In his Facebook page, Marvin Bergauer clarified that the video was from a ‘Fridays for Future’ climate protests in Vienna. The people who were lying as corpses in the background were symbolically referring to a new study that says that there could be 49 deaths every day in Austria because of climate change. The reporter, in another post earlier, said the video also went viral linking it to COVID-19 before.
To sum it up, a video report about a climate change protest in Vienna is being shared as western media showing fake dead bodies of Ukrainian citizens.


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[Video] Rules to be followed by Theatres in Telangana & Andhra Pradesh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 1, 2018
This short explainer video is about the rules & regulations to be followed by Movie/Cinema theatres in the states of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana. For detailed reading, click here
In case of violations, you can make a complaint to the Licensing Authority (the city police commissioners in the Urban areas and District Collectors in other rural areas)
In Telangana:
Cyberabad Police Whatsapp: 9490617444
Rachakonda Police Whatsapp: 9490617111
Warangal Police Whastapp: 9491089257
In Andhra Pradesh
Vizag Police Whatsapp: 9493336633
Vijayawada Police Whatsapp: 73289 09090
Tirupati Police Whatsapp: 80999 99977

created: September 1, 2018


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Video shared as non-Hindu security personnel manhandling Hindu devotees is not from Tirumala - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 27, 2019
A video of a policeman misbehaving with devotees at a temple is being shared with the claim that non-Hindu security personnel are manhandling Hindu devotees at Tirumala in Tirupati. Let’s try to check the authenticity of the video posted.
Video of non-Hindu security personnel manhandling Hindu devotees at Tirumala.
Fact: Video shows a policeman mishandling devotees at Banke Bihari temple in Uttar Pradesh. That incident has taken place in 2014. Hence, the claim made in the post stands FALSE.
The video has been in circulation on Facebook for 2 years. It can be seen posted by a page ‘Amaravati – AP Capital’ on April 17, 2017, with a similar claim. The post has attracted 5 million views and 126k shares since then.
Due to the fact that AP CM Jagan Mohan Reddy is a Christian by faith and the recent allegations about printing ads related to Jerusalem pilgrimage on Tirumala bus tickets, the ground has been set for that video to be shared again.  Many Facebook users are posting the video afresh and are accusing Jagan. The links of those posts can be seen here and here.
When the video in the post is run through ‘InVid’ plugin, several keyframes of it are obtained. On subjecting these keyframes to reverse image search technique, a certain keyframe directed to a news video of ‘APN’ news which is nothing but the same video. As per this video, the incident has taken place at Banke Bihari temple in Uttar Pradesh. The news reporter said that due to the huge crowd in the temple, the police may have manhandled the devotees and received severe criticism from them. When one goes through the timestamp of that video, it was known to be uploaded on July 30, 2014.
If one observes the video carefully, the side pillars and the green cloth are similar to the one used in the Banke Bihari temple.
To sum it up, an old video of an incident at a UP temple is being circulated as non-Hindu security personnel manhandling Hindu devotees at Tirumala.
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Video shot at Ponnani beach in Kerala is shared as ‘People standing on Ram Setu in Tamilnadu’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 9, 2020
A video is being shared on Facebook claiming that it shows people standing on Ram Setu (near Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu) in the middle of Indian Ocean. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of people standing on Ram Setu (near Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu) in the middle of Indian Ocean.
Fact: The video is shot at Ponnani beach in Kerala. It shows people walking on the newly-formed sandbed post the floods in Kerala in 2018. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
If we look at the video in the post carefully, at the bottom left, a watermark ‘Abhilash Viswa Photography’ can be seen. So, when we searched on Facebook to know if there is any photographer with that name, a profile ‘Abhilash Viswa’ was found. The same video was posted by him on his Facebook account in September 2018. But the description accompanying the video mentions that the video was shot at Ponnani Beach.
Also, after the video he shot went viral, as the one shot at Ram Setu,  Abhilash Viswa clarified  in another Facebook pos that it was taken at Ponnani beach in Kerala and not at Ram Setu.
Various news agencies had also published articles that a sandbed was formed across the sea at Ponnani beach post the floods in Kerala in 2018.
To sum it up, a video shot in 2018 at Ponnani beach in Kerala is being shared as ‘People standing on Ram Setu in Tamilnadu’.
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Video showing a controlled explosion by an Engineering company is passed off as lightning striking a river - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 21, 2021
A video accompanying a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that lightning strikes a river. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of lightning striking a river.
Fact: The video does not show lightning striking a river. It was taken by a Finnish Water Engineering Company named ‘Rannikon Merityö’ which handles dredging, excavation, and beach construction; and according to company’s webpage, the excavation is carried out by placing an underwater special explosive. When the video is slowed down it is clear that the lightning doesn’t come from the sky, but from up the hill. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search of the screenshots of the video is done, the same video was published on YouTube by the channel named ‘Rannikon Merityö’ on 21 December 2012. The title of the video in English translates to ‘Drilling rig, part 3: Blasting’, and the description in the video says that ‘In this video, we deepen the waterway’. According to the Rannikon Merityö website, it is a Finnish water engineering company. Also on the website, the same video was included on a page about underwater mining and blasting. According to the explanation on the page, excavation is carried out by placing an underwater special explosive in the boreholes, which is immersed in the holes drilled in the rock.
When the video is slowed down it is clear that the lightning doesn’t come from the sky, but from up the hill. At the 7-second mark in the video, moments before the impact, a bright coloured line can be seen up from the hill.
A similar explosion can be seen in a YouTube video showing the removal of the City Mill Dam in the U.S. State of Georgia’s Chattahoochee River.
To sum it up, video showing a controlled explosion by an Engineering company is passed off as lightning strike on a river.


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Video showing a mob vandalizing the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Ujjain is being shared with a false communal narrative attributing it to Karnataka - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 27, 2024
Several posts (here, here, here, & here) accompanied by a video showing a mob vandalizing a statue with a tractor are being widely shared across social media platforms. The claim accompanying the video suggests that Muslims are vandalizing statues belonging to the Hindu community recently in Karnataka. In this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in these posts.
Claim: Video depicting Muslims vandalizing statues belonging to the Hindu community recently in Karnataka.
Fact: There is no communal angle involved in this incident. The viral video depicts a mob vandalizing the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. According to reports, the conflict arose between the Malviya’s, who belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC), and the Patidars, who belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), when two groups demanded to install statues of two different prominent figures, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, in a vacant space near Krishi Upaj Mandi. However, on the night of 24 January 2024, someone installed the statue of Sardar Patel there. The following morning, on 25 January 2024, members of the other community gathered and demolished the statue using a tractor.  Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim and to gather more information about the viral video, we conducted a Google reverse image search using the keyframes from the video. This search led us to a news report featuring the same visuals as the viral video which was published by “Dainik Bhaskar” on 25 January 2024. According to this news report, there was a dispute between two groups in Makdon tehsil of Ujjain regarding the statues of notable figures. On the morning of 25 January 2024, one party pulled down the statue of Sardar Patel using a tractor. Subsequently, the opposing side arrived at the scene and protested. This led to a conflict between the two groups, which escalated into violence. The dispute intensified, resulting in stone pelting and arson as the crowd grew increasingly agitated.
Taking a clue from this, and seeking further information about the incident, we conducted a relevant keyword search and found a news report by the ‘Indian Express’. According to this report, clashes broke out between the dominant Malviyas, who belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC), and the Patidars, who belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), on the morning of 25 January 2024. The clashes occurred when members of the Patidar community installed a statue of Patel in Makdone tehsil in Ujjain district.
Several other news reports regarding this incident can be found here, here, here, and here. According to these reports, the issue arose when a vacant space near Krishi Upaj Mandi was identified, and individuals from both groups demanded the installation of statues of two different prominent figures there: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. However, someone installed the statue of Sardar Patel there on the night of 24 January 2024. Upon learning about this, members of the other community gathered at the spot on the morning of 25 January 2024, and demolished the idol by hitting it with a tractor. Subsequently, the situation escalated, resulting in a clash. Upon receiving this information, the police immediately arrived at the scene. From all this information, it is evident that the video depicts a mob vandalizing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, and there is no communal angle involved in this incident.
To sum it up, a video depicting a mob vandalizing the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh is being shared with a false communal narrative, falsely attributing it to Karnataka.


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Video showing a scuffle between Mexican soldiers and their citizens shared as the visuals of Indian army - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 18, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of Indian army soldiers restraining the rebellious locals at the borders. The video shows soldiers firing bullets in the air to control the locals confronting them. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Indian army soldiers firing bullets in the air and restraining the locals confronting them at the borders.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a recent scuffle between Mexican soldiers and the residents of Nuevo Laredo in Mexico over the killing of five youths in the city. The video has nothing to do with Indian Army. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video shared in the post, a video with similar visuals was found on a YouTube channel describing it to be the visuals of Mexican soldiers controlling the locals confronting them. When we searched for the details of the video using these keywords,  a video showing similar visuals was found published by the ‘Al Jazeera English’ YouTube channel, with the title, “Locals fight with Mexican soldiers after killing of five men”.
‘Al Jazeera English’ in the description of the video reported that residents of Nuevo Laredo confronted Mexican soldiers accusing them of killing five unarmed young men. Reporting the complete details of the incident, several news websites have published articles. They can be seen here and here.
According to the news reports, in February 2023, Mexican soldiers opened fire on a pickup truck in the violent northern Mexico border of Nuevo Laredo over disobeying their orders to stop. Five local youths have reportedly lost their lives in the incident that provoked a scuffle between soldiers and the angry residents of Nuevo Laredo on 26 February 2023. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows a scuffle between Mexican soldiers and angry residents of Nuevo Laredo and has nothing to do with the Indian army.
To sum it up, a video showing a scuffle between Mexican soldiers and their citizens is shared as the visuals of Indian army soldiers controlling rebellion at the borders.


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Video showing attendees of Azerbaijan army swearing-in ceremony falsely shared as exodus from Gaza strip - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 17, 2023
As the Israel-Palestine war intensifies, a video portraying a large group of people walking in an open space is going viral on social media platforms. The accompanying narration states that the footage is showing an exodus from the Gaza Strip. This fact-check article looks at this exodus claim.
Claim: The video shows a mass exodus from the Gaza Strip amidst the Israel – Palestine tensions.
Fact: The video actually shows a crowd of parents at the swearing-in ceremony of Azerbaijani soldiers in August 2023 and not an exodus from the Gaza Strip. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To learn more about the viral video, we performed a reverse image search on a few frames to find similar media on the internet. This search led us to the Azerbaijani news platform Baku TV’s YouTube channel, which uploaded the same video on 14 August 2023.
According to the title of this video, it documented a crowd of parents at a swearing-in ceremony of the Azerbaijani army recruits.
In addition, we cross-referenced this video with reliable reporting on such an event in Azerbaijan. A search on the internet led us to a news report on this swearing-in ceremony of young soldiers. Azertac, the Azerbaijan state news agency, published this report.
We also found a few more articles on this event (here and here). Contrary to the claim that the viral video shows people in the Gaza Strip, it actually shows a crowd gathered at a swearing-in ceremony of soldiers in Azerbaijan. Also, this video is available on the internet from August 2023, way before the Palestine-Israel conflict started on 7 October 2023.
To sum up, the video circulating visuals showing exodus from the Gaza Strip is actually from a swearing-in ceremony for Azerbaijani soldiers.

created: October 17, 2023


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Video showing golden Goddess Meenakshi idol at Chemmanur International Jewellers shared as from Madurai Meenakshi Temple - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 5, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of the Madurai Meenakshi idol decorated in golden attire. This post claims that golden attire will be offered to the Madurai Meenakshi idol once a year in the Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple in Madurai. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of the Madurai Meenakshi idol when decorated with golden attire.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows Madurai Meenakshi idol displayed at Chemmanur International Jewellers showroom in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. This idol was carved using 210 kg of gold and silver. This video does not show the Meenakshi idol inside the Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple in Madurai. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image searching the screenshots in the video, a similar picture of a golden idol was found on the Getty Images website. The description of the photo states, “Idol of Goddess Madurai Meenakshi Amman made from 210kg of pure gold and silver displayed at a jewelry shop near the historic Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple (Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple) located in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India”.
When we searched for further sources using these keywords, we found similar visuals of a golden Meenakshi idol in a video published by the Chemmanur International Jewellers Madurai on their Facebook page. Describing it as a video for customers, Chemmanur International Jewellers in the description stated, “Blessing of Goddess Meenakshi Amman is Here. Idol carved using 210 Kg Gold & Silver Blessed in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Kovil”. A text description below the Meenakshi idol displayed outside the Chemmanur International Jewellers showroom states, “The Goddess Madurai Menakshi Amman is here. This idol carved using 210 kg of gold and silver Blessed in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Kovil”.
A few pictures of this golden Madurai Meenakshi idol displayed outside the Chemmanur International Jewellers Madurai can be seen here, here and here. During the festivals, Tirukalyanam and other ceremonies, goddess Meenakshi will be decorated with Gold ornaments. But the photo shared in the post does not show the actual Meenakshi idol inside the Madurai Meenakshi Temple.
To sum it up, a video showing a golden idol of goddess Meenakshi displayed at Chemmanur International Jewellers is shared as from Madurai Meenakshi Temple.

created: August 5, 2022


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Video showing Nitish Kumar’s old comments against BJP shared as recent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 1, 2022
A video is being widely shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of Janata Dal United Party (JD-U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar explaining the abbreviation or meaning of BJP. This post claims that Nitish Kumar, who is running the Bihar Government with the help of the NDA alliance, had recently called BJP as a ‘Badka Jhootha Party’ (A Big Liar Party). Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of Nitish Kumar calling BJP a ‘Badka Jhootha Party’.
Fact: The video shared in the post is an old one. Nitish Kumar made these comments in 2015, before the formation of the JD(U)-BJP alliance government in Bihar. Responding to Narendra Modi’s statement referring to JD(U) as a ‘Janata Ka Dhaman aur Uthpadan’ party in a rally, Nitish Kumar called BJP a ‘Badka Jhootha Party’. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, we found the same video in an article published by ‘NDTV’ on 09 August 2015’. ‘NDTV’ reported that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a press conference after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally on ‘09 August 2015’, and called BJP a ‘Badka Jhootha Party’ (A Big Liar Party). Nitish Kumar had reportedly made these comments responding to Narendra Modi’s statement referring to JD(U) as a ‘Janata Ka Dhaman aur Uthpadan’ party (A party that oppresses and represses the people) in the rally.
Reporting the complete details of this press conference of Nitish Kumar, several news agencies published articles in August 2015. A few of them can be seen here and here. In 2014, while attacking BJP on the black money issue, Nitish Kumar called BJP a ‘Brasht Jhoothi Party’ (A Corrupt and a Liar Party).
The present JD(U) and NDA alliance government in Bihar was formed in July 2017. Ending the JD(U)’s Mahagathbandhan alliance with Lalu Yadav’s RJD and Congress, Nitish Kumar, with the support of the BJP, took oath again as the Chief Minister of Bihar on 27 July 2017. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows Nitish Kumar’s old comments that were made before the JD(U)-BJP alliance in Bihar.
To sum it up, a video showing Nitish Kumar’s old comments against BJP was shared as a recent one.


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Video showing the manufacturing of recycled plastic granules shared as the visuals of plastic wheat production - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 12, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it shows visuals of plastic wheat production in a factory. The video shows the process of converting plastic sheets into tiny plastic pellets in the shape of wheat grains. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing the process of plastic wheat production at a factory.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows the recycling process of converting plastic sheets into tiny plastic granules. The visuals do not show the production of plastic wheat. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On observing the video carefully, one could see a watermark with the text “Smartest Workers” at the bottom center of the video. When we searched for the details of the video using these keywords, we found the same video published on a YouTube channel named Smartest Workers on 24 September 2023. This YouTube channel published the video with the title, “Plastic’s New Purpose: Unveiling the Recycling Journey.”
When we searched for further sources, we found many similar videos showing the plastic recycling process in industries. A YouTube channel named ‘Manufacturing skills’ published a video showing similar visuals of the manufacturing of plastic dana or granules in an industry. This YouTube channel published the video with the description, “How Recycled Plastics Granules are made For Automobile Industries.” From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows the manufacturing of plastic granules, not the process of plastic wheat production.
Earlier, when a similar video showing the manufacturing process of plastic granules was shared as the visuals of plastic rice production, Factly published a fact-check article debunking that claim.
To sum it up, a video showing the manufacturing process of recycled plastic granules was shared as the visuals of plastic wheat production.

created: October 12, 2023


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Video showing Tiku Talsania’s character from an upcoming drama series is being shared with a communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 15, 2022
A collage of images and a video are being widely circulated on social media claiming that popular Bollywood actor Tiku Talsania had recently converted to Islam. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Famous Bollywood actor Tiku Talsania converted to Islam and grew a beard.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows Bollywood comedian Tiku Talsania’s character from an upcoming drama series/film. Tiku Talsania did not make any such announcement of him converting to Islam. Recent interviews and Instagram videos showed Tiku Talsania in a clean shave only with a moustache on his face. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether Bollywood actor Tiku Talsania had made any such announcement of him converting to Islam, we could not find any such announcement on the official Instagram handles of Tiku Talsania and his daughter Shikha Talsania. If Tiku Talsania had made any such announcement on Islam conversion, several mainstream news and entertainment websites have reported the same. But we could not find a single news article reporting this alleged development.
Several YouTube channels clarified that the viral video shows Tiku Talsania’s look from an upcoming drama series or a film. They can be seen here, here, and here. Several websites have published articles reporting this clarification.
In a recent interview by the ‘Shemaroo’ entertainment channel, Tiku Talsania was seen in a clean shave with only a moustache. A recent Instagram video of Tiku Talsania with Krishna Mukherjee can be seen here. Regarding the video shared in the post, we contacted Tiku Talsania through Instagram for clarification. We will update this story once we receive a response from Tiku Talsania.
#VanadaPathak and #TikuTalsania speak about their days from #HumPaanch.
Bask in #nostalgia with #VishalMalhotra on #RoobarooWithStars, every Sat & Sun @ 4:30 pm on #TataSkyClassicTv. Tune in to 152.@Vishhman #Shemaroo #Clips #Shows #OldShows pic.twitter.com/MA0l8XVPSc
The India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) had contacted Tiku Talsania for clarification regarding this video. Tiku Talsania clarified AFWA that there is no truth in these rumours of him converting to the Islam. Tiku Talsania told AFWA that the pictures and videos circulating on social media were taken during the shooting of one of his upcoming ‘BBC’ shows in which he was said to be playing a character of deaf person. Further, he clarified that in one of the episodes, he will be seen in a Muslim look. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that Tiku Talsania had not converted to Islam and the viral video shows Tiku Talsania’s character (role) from an upcoming web series.
To sum it up, the video of Tiku Talsania’s character (role) from an upcoming drama series was falsely shared with a communal narrative.

created: February 15, 2022


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Video shows a market in Langowan (Indonesia), not in Wuhan (China). - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 30, 2020
A video of an animal market is being widely shared on social media with a claim that it shows a market in Wuhan (China), the suspected origin of the novel Coronavirus outbreak. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of an animal market in Wuhan (China).
Fact: The video was taken at an animal market in Langowan (Indonesia). Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
At the beginning of the video, the words ‘Pasar EXTREME Langowan’ (English translation – ‘Market Extreme Langowan’) can be seen. So, when searched with those words on Google, many similar videos were found in the search results. A user has uploaded the same video on YouTube, in December-2019, with the title: ‘VIRALL Pasar EXTREME Langowan INDONESIA’. Langowan is in Indonesia.
At 0:20 secs, in the video, the words ‘KANTOR PASAR LANGOWAN’ can be seen on a poster hanged on the wall. The English translation of the words– ‘Office of the Langowan Market’. This indicates that the video was taken at the Langowan market (Indonesia), not at the Wuhan market (China).
Also, many other similarities can be seen when the photos of the Langowan market on the ‘Getty Images’ website are compared with the visuals in the posted video.
To sum it up, the video shows a market in Langowan (Indonesia), not in Wuhan (China).
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created: January 30, 2020


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Video shows a procession during Charak Puja and not a punishment to rapists - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 28, 2022
Video of three youngsters whose backs are hooked to a moving crane is being widely shared claiming it as the punishment given to the rapists. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of the 3 youngsters hanging to crane as a part of punishment for rape.
Fact: The video shows a procession during Charak Puja, a Hindu folk festival. During Charak Puja, a select group of worshippers are strung on hooks and swung by rope from a wooden pole, a devotional act intended to satisfy the lord Shiva. This video doesn’t show any punishment given to rapists. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We ran a reverse image search using the keyframes extracted from the viral image and found that the same video was uploaded on ‘Josh App’ by a user named ‘Akhilesh Parjpatie’ with the caption “Har Har Mahadev”. However, the users who reposted the same video shared it as a punishment for rapists.
Taking a cue from this, we searched more about this kind of event and found that it is a part of Charak Puja. Charak Puja is a Hindu folk festival held in honour of Lord Shiva on the last day of the month of Chaitra. According to Philadelphia Museum of Art’s website,  this festival is predominantly observed in West Bengal and Southern Bangladesh. During Charak Puja, a select group of worshippers are strung on hooks and swung by rope from a wooden pole, a devotional act intended to satisfy the lord Shiva.
Similar video of a procession during Charak Puja where devotees are hooked to the crane can be seen here.
Also, during Thaipusam/Thaipooyam, a festival celebrated by Hindu Tamil and Malayali communities, similar rituals are followed.
To sum it up, the video shows a procession during Charak Puja, and not a punishment to rapists.

created: October 28, 2022


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Video shows a student protest in Indonesia, not in Kashmir - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 10, 2019
A video with the logo of ‘BBC News Kashmir’ that shows Policemen firing tear gas at some protestors is being shared widely with the claim that the incident took place in Kashmir. Let’s analyze the authenticity of that claim.
Video of Police firing tear gas at students in Kashmir.
Fact: Video shows Jakarta Police using teargas to disperse a student protest in Indonesia. So, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When one goes through the video, the clues like the text ‘Polisi’ and flags spotted at various instances hint that the video may be related to an incident in Indonesia.
When searched on YouTube with the keywords ‘Police use teargas to disperse student protest Indonesia’, many search results were obtained. Among them, the search result of a Russian Television channel ‘RT’, had similar visuals in its news video as that of those in the video clip. The video had the following description – ‘Protesters clashed with police in Jakarta as thousands of Indonesian students resumed demonstrations against a new law they say has crippled the country’s anti-corruption agency’.
From the ‘Guardian’ article, it was found that students were protesting against the new anti-corruption law in Indonesia. So, the video is related to an incident in Indonesia.
The video clip has the logo ‘BBC News Kashmir’ on it, but there is no such subsidiary of British Broadcasting Channel (BBC) News. The clip is posted by a Facebook page with the name ‘BBC News Kashmir’ that has no connection with the BBC News channel.
To summarize, the video of Police using tear gas at a student protest in Indonesia is being falsely shared as that of protests in Kashmir.
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created: October 10, 2019


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Video shows altercation between a couple and a staff member over ‘baby formula tins’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 15, 2020
A video of an altercation between shoppers at a supermarket is being shared with the claim that Chinese are not being allowed into the supermarkets of Australia. Let’s check the claim made in the post.
Video of Chinese not being allowed into the supermarkets of Australia.
Fact: The video shows an altercation between a couple and a staff member over the former’s attempt to purchase the ‘baby formula tins’ beyond the supermarket’s permissible limit. So, the claim is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were subjected to reverse image search, an article of ‘Daily Mail’ was obtained in the search results. As per this article, at a Big W store in Melbourne (Australia), an altercation broke out between a couple and a staff member over the former’s purchase of ‘baby formula tins’ beyond the permissible limit in the store. The couple seen wearing face masks in the video was confronted by a staff member as they were over the limit with four tins and were seen in the same store with more of the same product earlier that day.
The same can be seen in the ‘Newshub.co.nz’ article. Also, as per the article, Woolworths, which owns Big W, has a two-tin limit on purchasing baby formula to stop people from bulk-buying them for re-sale.
To sum it up, the video shows an altercation over the baby formula tins at a Big W store in Melbourne (Australia).
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Video shows Arunachal Pradesh’s Deputy CM residence being burnt during the protests in February 2019 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 13, 2019
A post with a video is being widely shared on Facebook. In the video, a person says that, in Arunachal Pradesh, the house of the State’s Deputy Chief Minister was set on fire as part of the protests against the NRC and CAB. Also, few visuals of a house being burnt were shown. Let’s analyze the authenticity of the claim in the post.
Arunachal Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister residence being burnt during the protests of NRC (National Register of Citizens) and CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill).
Fact: Video shows residence of Arunachal Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister being burnt during the protests of ‘Permanent Residence Certificate row’ in the state in February 2019. So, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
In the video, at -1:04 duration, a news clip can be seen with the headline, “Shocking visuals of Dy CM’s house burnt by protestors”. So, when searched with that text, the same article was found and a video in the article had the same visuals as seen in the viral video. In the article, it was mentioned that the residence of Arunachal Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein was burnt down during the protests in Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) on 24 February 2019. In that article, no details of the contextual background of that incident were mentioned.
When searched on Google with the above information, a tweet of ‘ANI’ dated 24 February 24 2019, was found. From the tweet, it was found that the residence of Arunachal Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister was burnt down during the protests of ‘Permanent Residence Certificate row’ in the state.
#WATCH Permanent residence certificate row: Violence broke out in Itanagar during protests against state’s decision to grant permanent resident certificates to non-#ArunachalPradesh Scheduled Tribes of Namsai & Chanaglang; Deputy CM Chowna Mein's private house also vandalised. pic.twitter.com/FrcmqWbL8c
To sum it up, the video shows the residence of Arunachal Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister being burnt during the protests of ‘Permanent residence certificate row’.
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created: December 13, 2019


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Video Shows Crowd at PM Modi's Surat Rally, Not Supporters of Wrestlers' Protest in Delhi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 12, 2023
Amid the escalating protests by Indian wrestlers calling for action to be taken against alleged sexual harassment by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a video showcasing a vast crowd has circulated on social media. This video claims to depict the crowd heading towards Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, rallying in support of the ongoing protest. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of huge crowd rallying in support of ongoing protest by Indian wrestlers in Delhi.
Fact: The video in question actually captures scenes from PM Modi’s rally in Surat on 29 September 2022. Despite the considerable support from various organizations and individuals for the wrestlers’ protest in Delhi, this viral video has no connection to those demonstrations. Therefore, the claim made in the post is categorically FALSE.
A reverse image search of the viral video led us to a more distinct version of the same footage, which was uploaded on 30 September 2022. This video mentions that the visuals show a crowd at Nilgiri Maidan, congregating after PM Modi’s Roadshow in Surat. Upon closer scrutiny of this video, we identified BJP flags and hoardings featuring PM Modi.
Following this clue, we identified the statue visible in the viral video as the statue of Rani Lakshmi Bai, located at the Nilgiri Circle in Surat, Gujarat.
Upon conducting a side-by-side comparison of the visuals from PM Modi’s rally (here & here) and the viral video, we can conclusively confirm that the scenes in the viral video are indeed from the said rally held on 29 September 2022.
While it’s true that numerous organizations and individuals have shown their support for the wrestlers’ protest in Delhi, this video is unrelated to the ongoing protest.
To sum it up, an old video, unrelated to the current situation, has been incorrectly presented as a crowd rallying in support of the wrestlers’ protest in Delhi.


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Video shows flash flood at Kote Gate in Bikaner (Rajasthan), not in Amritsar (Punjab). - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 20, 2019
A flash flood video is being shared widely on Facebook with a claim that the video was taken in Amritsar. Let’s try to check whether the video was taken in Amritsar.
Video of a flash flood in Amritsar (Punjab).
Fact: The video in the post was taken at Kote Gate in Bikaner (Rajasthan). Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, it was found that a user uploaded the same video on YouTube. But the description below the video reads, “कोटगेट बीकानेर || राजस्थान बीकानेर में फुल बारिश || rain in rajasthan || Tejaji vlog” (Kota Gate Bikaner || Rain in Rajasthan’s Bikaner). So, when searched for ‘Kote Gate Bikaner’, it was found that Kote Gate resembles the structure (with similar opening, windows, parapet wall and chattris) in the video.
Also, in another picture, it can be seen that the surrounding buildings beside the structure in the video were also matched with buildings beside Kote Gate.
To sum it up, the video shows flash flood at Kote Gate in Bikaner(Rajasthan), not in Amritsar (Punjab).
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Video shows Gandhi hospital staff sitting in the hospital corridor, not COVID-19 patients - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 6, 2020
A video of two women dressed in PPE kits seen sitting in a hospital corridor is being shared on social media claiming that it shows the pathetic situation of COVID-19 patients in Gandhi hospital. Gandhi Hospital is a COVID-19 dedicated hospital treating the COVID-19 infected persons in Hyderabad, Telangana. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of the pathetic situation of COVID-19 patients in Gandhi hospital (COVID-19 dedicated hospital) in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Fact: The video shows Gandhi hospital staff resting in the corridors after finishing their shift. So the persons in the video are not COVID-19 patients in Gandhi hospital. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video are subjected to reverse image search technique, an article of ‘The News Minute’ was found in the search results. Speaking to ‘The News Minute’, spokesperson for Gandhi hospital (from the Health Ministers office) refuted the claim and said that the two persons in the video were class IV sanitation staff and were resting after finishing their 12-hour shift. The spokesperson also said that the women were wearing full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits but patients only wear masks when moving between two locations within the hospital. As the video went viral with the claim, ‘TNIE’ has also reported that the Gandhi hospital officials have clarified that the women in the video are their hospital’s staff. Local newspaper ‘Andhra Jyothi’ in one of its articles carried a visual from the video and mentioned in the description that the women in the photo are Gandhi hospital staff. FACTLY spoke to a doctor in Gandhi hospital who confirmed the people in the video are hospital staff and not COVID-19 patients.
To sum it up, the video shows Gandhi hospital staff sitting in the hospital corridors, not COVID-19 patients in the hospital.
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