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No, it is not Hindus who have the highest fertility rate across all religious groups around the World - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 25, 2023
A social media post that claims that ‘Hindus have the highest fertility rate in World’ is being widely circulated. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: ‘Hindus have the highest fertility rate in World’.
Fact: According to studies conducted by Pew research organisation, globally Muslims have the highest fertility rate of any religious group, with an average of 2.9 children per woman, followed by Christians at 2.6 children per woman. Hindus and Jews, stand next with a fertility rate of 2.3 per woman, just below the global average of 2.4. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
According to a recent report published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFP), India is set to surpass China as the world’s most populous nation, with 142.86 crore people. The report puts the total fertility rate of the country, per woman at 2.0.
There is no mention of the fertility rates of different religions in this report. None of the prominent world bodies like the UN, World Bank, etc. delineate fertility rates based on a religious basis.
Muslims have the highest fertility rate globally
However, as per the studies conducted by Pew research organisation, globally, Muslims have the highest fertility rate of any religious group, with an average of 2.9 children per woman, followed by Christians at 2.6 children per woman.
Hindus and Jews, stand next with a fertility rate of 2.3 per woman, just below the global average of 2.4.  This implies that contrary to the viral claim, it is not the Hindus who have the highest fertility rate.
In India, fertility rates of major religions are on the decline:
India is home to almost 94% of Hindus across the world. Even in India, it is not Hindus who have the highest fertility rate. As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2019-21, the fertility rate of Muslims stands at 2.36. While that of Hindus stands slightly less at 1.94.
It is noteworthy to mention that the report highlights the decline in the fertility rate across all major religious groups of the country. Over the course of five rounds of NFHS surveys starting from 1992-93, Muslims have witnessed the highest downfall in the total fertility rate.
Muslim total fertility rate has fallen by 46.5% from 4.41 (NFHS-1) to 2.36 (NFHS-5) while that of Hindus fell by 41.2%, i.e., it declined from 3.3 to 1.94.
To sum it up, it is not Hindus who have the highest fertility rate across all religious groups.


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No Jamia Millia Islamia University student has succumbed to injuries. Jamia VC condemns false rumours - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 16, 2019
A photo of an injured man is being shared on Facebook with a claim that Shakir, a student of Jamia Millia Islamia University, has died during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA). Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Shakir, a student of Jamia Millia Islamia University, died during the protests against the CAA.
Fact: Najma Akhtar, the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia University, has clarified in a press conference on 16th December 2019 that none of the Jamia students has succumbed to injuries. While around 200 students have got injured in the protests, there are no causalities. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched about Shakir’s death on Google, a tweet by Yogendra Yadav regarding Shakir was found. In the tweet, Yogendra Yadav has clarified that Shakir is alive. Also, Mohammad Reyaz, an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia University, has posted on his Facebook account that ‘Shakir, the boy from Kota rumour of whose death spread on Sunday evening is alive. He was severally injured but is being treated in hospital’.
Also, in a press conference on 16th December 2019, Najma Akhtar, the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia University, has clarified that none of the Jamia students has succumbed to injuries. She said that around 200 students have got injured in the protests.
#CAAshowdown – Students were beaten up in the library. Our first priority was to get out the detained students. There were rumors that a student has succumbed to injuries. This is false. Nearly 200 students were injured: VC, Jamia Millia Islamia University Najma Akhtar. pic.twitter.com/WOluFS25hW
To sum it up, no Jamia Millia Islamia University student hassuccumbed to injuries. Jamia VC condemns false rumours.
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source: news-factly

created: December 16, 2019

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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No, Joe Biden has not issued any orders to send unvaccinated Americans to quarantine camps - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 2, 2021
A screenshot of a news article is being shared on social media with a claim that US President Joe Biden had recently issued orders to send unvaccinated Americans to quarantine camps. This post claims that US citizens who do not get vaccinated before 2022, will be detained indefinitely in quarantine camps. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: US President Joe Biden recently issued orders to send unvaccinated Americans to quarantine camps.
Fact: The article shared in the post was published by a financial satire website ‘The Stone Market’. On 29 July 2021, Joe Biden announced strict vaccination rules for federal employees working in the United States. The Joe Biden administration asked federals workers to submit COVID-19 vaccination status or asked them to face weekly testing. US Government had not issued any orders to send unvaccinated Americans to quarantine camps. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether US President Joe Biden had issued any such orders to send unvaccinated Americans to quarantine camps, we found nothing. No such order was available on ‘The White House’ website. Joe Biden’s Office hasn’t tweeted anything on sending unvaccinated US citizens to quarantine camps.
On 29 July 2021, Joe Biden announced strict vaccination rules for federal employees working in the United States. The Joe Biden administration has mandated COVID-19 vaccination for federal workers in the United States. Failing to submit the COVID-19 vaccination status, federal workers are required to follow mandatory face masking, weekly testing, physical distancing, and other measures. Amid the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in the United States, the Biden administration issued these orders to federal workers. But, the administration had not issued any orders to send unvaccinated Americans to quarantine camps.
Following these strict vaccination measures from the US Government, the US Public Health and Employment experts said that the Biden administration’s new rules could lead more private-sector companies to implement their own vaccination rules.
When we searched for the article shared in the post, it is found out that the financial news website ‘Value Walk’ has published this article on 21 June 2021. At the bottom of the story, there is a disclaimer that it is a satire article and first appeared on ‘The Stone Market’ website. ‘The Stone Market’ is a US-based financial satirical website. Reporting the same, the ‘Reuters’ published a fact-check article when this satire article went viral on social media.
To sum it up, this article reporting the Joe Biden administration’s orders to send unvaccinated US citizens to quarantine camps is a satirical one.

created: August 2, 2021


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No, Justice Khosla did not make any mention in his book that he sentenced Godse under the influence of the government - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 12, 2023
A social media post claims that Justice G D Khosla, who presided over Nathuram Godse’s trial and sentenced him to death, expressed regret about his decision in his book “The Murder of Mahatma and Other Cases from a Judge’s Diary.”  The post also includes passages from the book that describe Godse’s courtroom statement. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Justice G D Khosla, who presided over Nathuram Godse’s trial expressed regret about his decision in his book “The Murder of Mahatma.”
Fact: In his book, Justice Khosla conveyed his unease regarding the death penalty as a concept. However, at no point did he mention that Godse is innocent, nor did he refer to Yamraj nor claim that he had sentenced an innocent patriot, nor did he mention that he imposed the death sentence under any influence from the government or administration. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Justice GD Khosla, who presided over the appeal filed by Godse and his co-convicts challenging the trial court’s decision in the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case, authored a book titled ‘The Murder of the Mahatma’ in 1965, documenting the events.
During the trial, Godse took more than five hours to read out a 150-paragraph statement in court. And it is true that Justice Khosla in his book had mentioned that Godse’s statement had an emotional impact on the crowd and that there was a profound silence in the court following his statement, as claimed in the viral post.
In the book, Khosla conveyed his unease regarding the death penalty as a concept. He even mentioned that sentencing an innocent man to death was his biggest fear during his days of inexperience. However, at no point did he mention that Godse is innocent, nor did he refer to Yamraj or claim that he had sentenced an innocent patriot.
He recognized the seriousness of Godse’s crime but raised doubts about whether the death penalty was a suitable punishment. However, it’s worth noting that Justice Khosla did not mention in the book that he imposed the death sentence under any influence from the government or administration.
In fact, he explicitly mentioned, ‘The man is going to die soon’, as Godse delivered his lengthy statement. Furthermore, when reflecting on Godse’s final days in prison, Justice Khosla added, “Godse had, during his last days in jail, repented of his deed and declared that were he to be given another chance he would spend the rest of his life in the promotion of peace and the service of his country”.
At this juncture, it’s important to note that Godse did not contest his conviction for murder or question the appropriateness of the death penalty. His appeal focused solely on challenging the verdict regarding the conspiracy aspect.
To sum it up, Justice Khosla did not make any mention in his book that he sentenced Godse under the influence of the government.

created: September 12, 2023


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No, Kapil Sibal hasn’t said ‘I will not let Ram Mandir built till I am alive’. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 13, 2019
An image with a photo of Congress leader Kapil Sibal and an accompanying message is being shared widely on social media. The message is in Hindi and its English translation is- ‘I will not let Ram Mandir built till I am alive’. Let’s try to analyze the claim.
Kapil Sibal: “I will not let Ram Mandir built till I am alive”.
Fact: Kapil Sibal hasn’t made that statement. Information from no credible source was found which confirms that the comments were made by him. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The image in the post seems to be a screenshot of a newspaper article, so when searched on Google with that text (जब तक ज़िंदा हूँ राम मंदिर नहीं बनने दूंगा: कपिल सिब्बल), an article of ‘Digital India Tv’ and a WordPress article of ‘Yogi Adityanath Ki Sena’ were found. Both the articles had that text as a headline and were published in March 2018. But in the body of these articles, nothing was mentioned about Congress leader Kapil Sibal making that statement in the post. Both those articles mentioned about Supreme Court’s then yet to take place hearing of Ayodhya dispute case and the preparations made by the parties involved in it. In those articles, it was also mentioned about Kapil Sibal stating that he was never a lawyer for the ‘Sunni Waqf Board’ in the Ayodhya dispute case. So, the headline of both those articles was different from the content mentioned in them and such a thing is usually done to garner views and are referred to as clickbait.
If Sibal had really made such statements, owing to their sensitivity, they would have been reported by all the major newspapers and channels in India. But no news agency has reported anything about Sibal making those comments. So, false statements are being attributed to Kapil Sibal.
To conclude, Kapil Sibal hasn’t said that he wouldn’t let Ram Mandir built till he is alive.
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created: November 13, 2019


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No, Karnataka High Court did not pass a verdict allowing Hijab in educational institutions - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 11, 2022
A post is being shared on social media claiming that the Karnataka High Court had given a historic verdict on the ongoing Hijab row by allowing Muslim girls to attend educational institutions wearing Hijab. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Claim: Karnataka HC issued an order allowing Hijab in educational institutions.
Fact: On 10 February 2022, the Karnataka HC issued an interim order in the writ petitions filed against the Hijab ban in educational institutions. In the interim order, the Karnataka HC restrained all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa), scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom, until further orders. The next hearing of the case will be on 14 February 2022. Challenging the Karnataka HC interim order, students filed a petition in the Supreme Court on 11 February 2022. The Karnataka HC’s interim order did not allow Hijab practise in educational institutions. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on the internet with relevant keywords, it is found out that, on 10 February 2022, the Karnataka High court issued an interim order in the petitions filed against the Hijab ban in education institutions in Karnataka. According to the media reports, the Karnataka High Court had requested the State Government to re-open educational institutions and also, restrained the students of all religions from wearing shawls, scarves, Hijab, and any religious flag within the classroom.
We found the interim order on the Karnataka High Court website. The interim order of the Karnataka High court reads, “In the above circumstances, we request the State Government and all other stakeholders to reopen the educational institutions and allow the students to return to the classes at the earliest. Pending consideration of all these petitions, we restrain all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa), scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom, until further orders”. Further, the Karnataka HC clarified that the interim order is confined to such educational institutions wherein the College Development Committees have prescribed the student dress code/uniform. The next hearing of this case is slated for 14 February 2022. The Karnataka HC’s interim order did not allow Hijab practice in educational institutions.
Challenging the Karnataka HC interim orders on disallowing students from wearing religious attire, a student filed a petition in the Supreme Court on 11 February 2022. But the Supreme Court rejected an urgent hearing on this petition. Declining the urgent hearing on the petition, Chief Justice NV Ramana said, “Don’t spread these things to a national level. We will interfere only at an appropriate time”. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that neither the Karnataka HC nor the Supreme Court had passed a verdict allowing Hijab practice in educational institutions.
To sum it up, the Karnataka High Court did not pass a verdict allowing Hijab in educational institutions.

created: February 11, 2022


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No, Kashmiris on the flight neither questioned Rahul Gandhi about purpose of his visit nor did they tell him to go back - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 28, 2019
A video of a woman speaking to Rahul Gandhi in anguish is being shared with a claim- ‘Kashmir people in flight to Rahul…Modi is doing good for us. Why do you want to visit Kashmir and trouble us. Please go back’. Let’s check the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Kashmir people in the flight have said to Rahul- ‘Modi is doing good for us. Why do you want to visit Kashmir and trouble us’.
Fact: The woman in the video has explained to Rahul Gandhi about the existing situation in Kashmir due to the restrictions in place after the abrogation of Article 370. She hasn’t spoken anything that was claimed in the post. Hence, the claim made in the post stands FALSE.
In the entire video, a woman can be seen speaking to Rahul Gandhi. She narrated to Rahul Gandhi about the conditions in which the Kashmiris are living due to the existing restrictions there. She has spoken in Hindi and its English translation is- ‘Even children aren’t allowed to step out of their houses. In case if any child goes missing, they are holding the person who goes in search of him. My brother is a heart patient. He was held when he went in search of his missing child. It’s been 10 days and we do not know where he is and how he is. We are living in stress in all the ways’. In the video, the woman has nowhere questioned Rahul Gandhi about the purpose of his visit to Kashmir and she did not even tell him to go back.
From ‘India Today’ article, which carried a story about this video, it was found that this incident took place when Rahul Gandhi was returning to Delhi in a flight after he was prevented from entering Srinagar.
To conclude, Kashmir people in the flight neither questioned Rahul Gandhi about the purpose of his visit nor did they tell him to go back
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No, Khushboo Mirza has not been promoted as a Director at ISRO - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 11, 2021
A social media post claiming that scientist Khushboo Mirza, an alumna of Aligarh Muslim University has been promoted as a director at the ISRO is being widely shared across social media platforms. The post which shares the photo of Mirza further claims that Mirza is only the second Indian Muslim after former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam to hold the post. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Khushboo Mirza, an alumna of Aligarh Muslim University has been promoted as a director at the ISRO. She is only the second Indian Muslim after former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
Fact: While it is true that Khushboo Mirza is part of the ISRO’s Chandrayaan missions 1 & 2, she is not promoted to the rank of director at the ISRO. Khushboo Mirza categorically rejected the claim that she has been promoted to the director rank in ISRO. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple Hindi regional news articles which reported about Khushboo Mirza selection into the research team of the prestigious Chandrayaan- 2 mission of ISRO. According to these articles, Khushboo Mirza, an alumna of Aligarh Muslim University hails from the Amroha district in Uttar Pradesh. She has also been part of the checkout team of Chandrayaan-1. These news articles can be read here, here, and here.
In fact, back in 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind through a tweet praised Khushboo Mirza for her role in the Chandrayaan mission.
इस्मत चुगताई और मुमताज़ जहान जैसी महिलाओं ने भारतीय समाज और AMU की शान में इजाफा किया है। अमरोहा के एक साधारण परिवार की बेटी खुशबू मिर्ज़ा ने चंद्रयान मिशन में अहम भूमिका निभाई है। खुशबू जैसी बेटियों ने ‘चिलमन से चाँद’ तक के सफर को शानदार अंजाम दिया है — राष्ट्रपति कोविन्द
However, in her correspondence with Quint regarding the viral claim, Khushboo Mirza rejected the claim that she has been promoted to the director rank in ISRO and further stated that such claims have been made in the past as well.
Also, the head of ISRO is called the chairman and not the director. Although Dr Kalam headed various positions at ISRO including Project Director of India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle in 1980, he never held the top position at ISRO.
To sum it up, Khushboo Mirza has not been promoted as a director at ISRO.


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No, Kim Jong-un has not warned the people who are conspiring to kill Modi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 11, 2019
A photo of a news article is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has warned the people who are conspiring to kill Narendra Modi. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Kim Jong-un has warned the people who are conspiring to kill Narendra Modi.
Fact: The news article in the ‘janta se rishata’ website gives information credit to ‘orientaltimes.in’, whose domain is expired now. Also, no credible news source was found to have published about these statements by Kim Jong-un. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the photo, it can be seen that the article was published on the ‘janta se rishata’ website. On the website, it can be found that the information credit for the article was given to ‘orientaltimes.in’. But, that website domain is expired now. On the Twitter handle of ‘Oriental Times India’, it can be seen that they have published similar articles that Kim Jong-un has commented praising Modi. But, when searched on Google for comments by Kim Jong-un on Modi, it was found that no credible news agency has published anything about Kim Jong-un commenting on Modi.
To sum it up, Kim Jong-un has not warned the people who are conspiring to kill Modi.
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created: September 11, 2019


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No, L.K. Advani did not say that he voted for Congress after coming out of the polling booth - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 24, 2019
In recent times, L.K. Advani has become the target for generating content against the BJP on social media. Now, a post is being shared on Facebook by many users claiming that Advani has said that he voted for Congress in the current elections. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
L.K. Advani after casting his vote: “For the first time in my 70+ years of voting life, I have voted for the Indian National Congress party.”
Fact: After casting his vote, L.K. Advani just left the booth without talking to the media. He just said “Jheet Hamari Hogi” (victory will be ours) while leaving. Also, the picture in the post was taken during the 2009 elections. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the Advani’s statements on Google, it is found that Advani did not speak with the media after casting his vote. According to the Indian Express article, L.K. Advani just said “Jheet Hamari Hogi” (victory will be ours) before leaving the booth but did not make any additional comments.
When the image in the post was run through Yandex Reverse Image search, a New18 article with a similar photo was found in the search results. According to that article, the photo was taken when Advani, along with his wife, voted in the 2009 elections at Shahpur in the Ahmedabad (West) Lok Sabha constituency. L.K. Advani wore a red jacket when he came to vote in 2019 elections but in the post, it can be seen that he is wearing a black jacket.
Finally, L.K. Advani did not say that he voted for Congress after coming out of the polling booth.


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No, lakhs of Shiva Lingas did not emerge from the Shalmala River at the Sahasralinga pilgrimage site in Karnataka - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 15, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming that lakhs of Shiva Lingas have recently surfaced from the Shivakashi River in Karnataka for the first time in India’s history. According to the post, these shiva lingas, numbering in the lakhs, have appeared following a decline in water levels along the banks of the Shivakashi River. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Lakhs of shiva lingas recently surfaced for the first time, following a decline in water levels, in the Shivakashi river in Karnataka.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows the Sahasralinga pilgrimage site, located near the Sirsi city in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. This pilgrimage site is renowned for being the location where a thousand Shiva Lingas are carved on the rocks along the banks of the Shalmala River. These shiva lingas, installed by the rulers of the Sodhe dynasty between 1678 and 1718 AD, are 1000 in number, not in lakhs as claimed in the posts. These shiva lingas usually appear during the winter and summer seasons every year. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, the same video was found recently published by multiple users on social media. These social media users described it as the visuals from Sahasralinga (Sahasralinga translates to 1000 lingams), a pilgrimage site located near the Sirsi city in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.
On searching for further details using these keywords, we found several old YouTube videos showing similar visuals of numerous Shiva lingas carved on the rocks along the banks of a river. The YouTube channels described it as the visuals from the Sahasralinga pilgrimage site, located near the Sirsi city in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.
Sahasralinga pilgrimage site is renowned for being the location where a thousand shiva lingas are carved on the rocks along the banks of the Shalmala River. These shiva lingas were carved during the regime of the Sodhe dynasty between 1678 and 1718 AD. Speaking about the pilgrimage site to the media, a priest named Raji Bhatt said, “They were installed by Sodhe kings and are 1,000 in number. If you take 8 km upstream and downstream into consideration, in Sahasralinga there are over 200 of them. But now their numbers are dwindling, and only 80 are left.”  Several news sites and travel YouTube channels published videos and articles showing Shiva Lingas at the Sahasralinga pilgrimage site in the past.
A few Shiva Lingas and Nandi carvings reportedly get submerged in river waters during the monsoon season. However, these shiva lingas usually appear during the winter and summer seasons every year at Sahasralingam. The Shiva lingas did not unexpectedly surface for the first time as claimed in the post. In 2018, the Times of India published a fact-check article confirming that the rumours of the emergence of one lakh shiva lingas’ in a river in Karnataka as false news.
To sum it up, there are only 1000 Shiva Lingas at the Sahasralinga pilgrim site located near the banks of the Shalmala River in Karnataka.

created: December 15, 2023


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No, man did not fake being deaf and dumb for 62 years - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 8, 2019
A post is being shared by many users on Facebook claiming that a man faked being deaf and dumb for 62 years to avoid listening to his wife and when the wife got to know about it, she applied for divorce. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The man who faked being deaf and dumb for 62 years to avoid listening to his wife is now facing divorce from his wife after she found out the truth.
The news being shared is from a website that publishes satirical & fictional stories. This story is also one such.  Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When one searches for the news on Google, a link to the exact post (World News Daily Report article) is found. The Disclaimer section of that website reads as “World News Daily Report assumes all responsibility for the satirical nature of its articles and for the fictional nature of their content. All characters appearing in the articles in this website – even those based on real people – are entirely fictional and any resemblance between them and any person, living, dead or undead, is purely a miracle.” So, any news on that website should not be taken seriously. Hence it can be concluded that the posted article is a satire and the reasons being stated are purely fictional.
However, the people in the pictures used by World News Daily report are Burton Handelsman & his wife Lucille Handelsman. Burton is a real estate tycoon who owns most of the commercial property in World Avenue, Palm Beach, Florida. Lucille filed for divorce after 67 years of marriage alleging that her husband is in an illicit relationship with another woman. The Daily Mail reported this story.
To sum it up, man did not fake being deaf and dumb for 62 years. The story is a satirical one.


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No, man lynched to death over blasphemy allegations in Pakistan is not a Christian - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 14, 2023
In light of a recent incident in Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, wherein a man was lynched and set on fire by mob over blasphemy charges, a social media post claiming that the victim, who was set on fire is a Christian is being widely shared. The viral post also shared a video of mob setting a man on fire, attributing the visuals to the recent incident. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Mob lynched a Christian and set him on fire over blasphemy charges in Pakistan’s Nankana Sahib.
Fact: The deceased in the mob lynching incident that took place recently in Pakistan’s Nankana Sahib is identified as Muhammad Waris, a Muslim. Multiple news agencies have reported this. Even the concerned police official confirmed that deceased is a Muslim. However, we could not find any report associating the viral visuals to the recent incident. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
According to the news reports, recently in Pakistan’s Nankana Sahib, a mob killed a man who was accused of blasphemy. Earlier, the man was arrested over blasphemy charges, after a mob attacked him for allegedly desecrating the Quran. Later, the mob entered the police station and dragged him out, beat him to death and set him on fire.
Multiple news reports identified the man as Muhammad Waris, a Muslim. And none of the news reports claimed the man as a Christian. These news reports can be viewed here, here and here.
A BBC news report identified the deceased as Wari’s Ali, and his parents as Nooran Bibi and Isa. Further BOOM, a fact-checking agency contacted the Nankana Sahib Police spokesperson, who rejected the viral claim and confirmed that the deceased is a Muslim.
Visuals related to the incident were reported by multiple news agencies, and can be viewed here and here. Although, we could not find the context and location of the video shared in the viral post, we did find any reports associating these visuals to the recent incident.
To sum it up, man lynched to death over blasphemy allegations in Pakistan is not a Christian.

created: February 14, 2023


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No, Manmohan Singh hasn’t asked people to vote for BJP - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 24, 2019
A post with an image that has a photo of Manmohan Singh and some text in Hindi is being shared by many Facebook users. The text is in Hindi and its English translation is- ‘I was helpless but not you, so press the button to vote for BJP and bring the BJP government to power’. Let’s check if Manmohan had really made such statements.
Though the post may seem silly, it has attracted more than 390 shares till the time of writing this article and also, if one goes through the comments section, it can be seen that many users are commending Manmohan for such comments.
Manmohan Singh: “I was helpless but not you, so press the button to vote for BJP and bring the BJP government to power”.
Fact: Manmohan hasn’t made these comments. Information from no credible source was found which confirms that the comments were made by him. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched on Google with keywords ‘Manmohan Singh said to vote for BJP and bring BJP government’, no relevant information was obtained in the search results about Manmohan Singh making those statements.
If Manmohan had really made suchstatements, they would have been reported by all the major newspapers andchannels in India. But no news agency has reported anything about Manmohanmaking those comments. So, false statements are being attributed to Manmohan.
To conclude, Manmohan hasn’t asked people to vote for BJP and bring the BJP government to power. False statements are being attributed to him.
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created: October 24, 2019


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There is no Research to support the effectiveness of ‘Variko stop’ cream in curing Varicose Veins - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 16, 2022
An advertisement video promoting the skin cream ‘Variko stop’ is being widely shared on social media claiming that it cures varicose veins. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: ‘Variko stop’ cream can cure varicose veins.
Fact: ‘Variko stop’ is not approved by FDA, CDSCO, or the AYUSH Ministry. Further, there is no research to support the effectiveness of the ‘Variko stop’ cream in curing varicose veins. Recommended treatments for varicose veins are elevating the legs when sitting or lying down, wearing elastic stockings, and procedures like Sclerotherapy, Laser treatment, High Legation, Vein stripping, Catheter-based procedures using radiofrequency or laser energy, ambulatory phlebectomy, etc. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
First, we searched the websites of the Food and Drug Administration, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, and Ministry of AYUSH to know the status of ‘Variko Stop’ but couldn’t find any product by the name in the list of approved drugs/medicines.
According to Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, recommended treatments for varicose veins are elevating the legs when sitting or lying down, wearing elastic stockings, and procedures like Sclerotherapy, Laser treatment, High Legation, Vein stripping, Catheter-based procedures using radiofrequency or laser energy, ambulatory phlebectomy, etc.
Further, no scientific study was conducted to test the efficiency of this cream in treating varicose veins.
To sum it up, there is no medical research to support the effectiveness of ‘Variko stop’ cream in curing varicose veins.

created: December 16, 2022


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No, Modi has not been awarded by NASA with the non-existent ‘Best Scientist Leader’ award - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 15, 2019
A post is being widely shared on Facebook with a claim that the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has awarded Modi with the ‘Best Scientist Leader’ award and a sum of Rs. 2500 crore. It is also being claimed that Modi has donated that total amount to ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post
NASA has awarded Modi with the ‘Best Scientist Leader’ award.
Fact: Modi has not been awarded by NASA with the ‘Best Scientist Leader’ award. There is no NASA Award with that name. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the news on Google with the keywords ‘NASA award to Modi’, it was found that no such award was announced by the NASA. If any such award was given by the NASA to Modi and Modi has donated that amount (Rs 2500 crore prize money) to ISRO, then all the prominent media organizations would have written articles about it. But, there were none in the search results.
Also, when searched for that award on Google, it was found that there is no NASA Award with the name ‘Best Scientist Leader’. The list of Honor Awards given by NASA can be read here and the list of NASA’s 2019 Honor Awardees can be found here.
To sum it up, Modi has not been awarded by NASA with the non-existent ‘Best Scientist Leader’ award.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Indian Rivers?

created: September 15, 2019


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No, Modi was not having lunch with Imran Khan. It’s a photoshopped image - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2019
An image is being shared on Facebook by some users claiming that Narendra Modi was sitting with Imran Khan (Prime Minister of Pakistan) on the dining table. Let’s try to check the authenticity of the image posted.
Modi, wearing a Muslim skull cap, was seen sitting beside Imran Khan on the dining table.
Fact: The image has been photoshopped. In the original picture, Imran Khan’s wife can be seen sitting beside him. Also, a Muslim skull cap has been placed over the picture of Modi. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the image posted on Facebook is cropped (keeping only Imran Khan) and ran through Yandex Reverse Image search, the original picture can be found in the search results. In the original picture, beside Imran Khan, his wife Reham Khan can be found. In the edited photo, Modi’s picture has been placed in her place to misguide people.
When the Modi’s portion in the edited photo is cropped and ran through Yandex Reverse Image search, the original photo from where the Modi’s portion was taken can be found in the search results. The original picture of Modi was taken in 2015 while having lunch in the Parliament canteen. In the picture, it can be found that Modi was not wearing any skull cap. So, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Finally, Modiwas not having lunch with Imran Khan. It’s a photoshopped image.


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No, Modi wasn’t paying tributes to Godse. He was offering his respects to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 10, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post with a collage alleging that Modi pays tributes to both Mahatma Gandhi and his murderer Nathuram Godse. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
Modi pays tributes to both Mahatma Gandhi and his murderer Nathuram Godse.
Fact: In the photo on the right side of the collage, Modi was paying tributes to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (the present Bharatiya Janata Party). So, the claim in the post stands FALSE.
On cropping the left and right images in the collage and running them through Google Reverse Image search technique, the image on the left was found to be taken when Modi inaugurated Mahatma Gandhi Museum at Rajkot, Gujarat. The image on the right was found to be the one taken when Narendra Modi paid tributes to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (the present Bharatiya Janata Party). Every year, Pandit Deen Dayal’s birthday is celebrated as BJP Sthapana Diwas. So, on April 6, 2017, Modi along with his party men Amit Shah, Venkaiah Naidu and Suresh Prabhu has offered his respects to Deen Dayal during the party’s 38th Foundation day celebrations.
To sum it up, Modi wasn’t paying tributes to Godse. He was offering his respects to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay.


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No, Modi wasn’t paying tributes to Godse. He was offering his respects to Veer Savarkar - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 13, 2019
A few Facebook users are sharing a post with a collage alleging that Modi was paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and also his murderer Nathuram Godse. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
Modi was paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and also his murderer Nathuram Godse.
Fact: In the picture at the bottom of the collage, Modi was paying tributes to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. So, the claim in the post stands FALSE.
On cropping the top & bottom parts in the collage and running them through Google Reverse Image search technique, the top image was found to be taken when Modi inaugurated Mahatma Gandhi Museum at Rajkot, Gujarat. The bottom image was found to be the one taken when Narendra Modi paid tributes to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar on his 131st birth anniversary in Parliament Central Hall. The complete coverage of this event can be seen in the news video of AajTak news channel uploaded on YouTube on May 28,2014.
To sum it up, Modi wasn’t paying tributes to Godse. He was offering respects to Veer Savarkar.


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No, ‘Modi Zindabad’ slogans were not raised in the Pakistan Parliament praising India’s evacuation efforts in Ukraine - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 7, 2022
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that ‘Modi Zindabad’ slogans were raised in the Pakistan Parliament after the success of India and the troubles of Pakistan in the evacuation of their respective citizens from Ukraine. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of ‘Modi zindabad’ slogans in the Pakistan Parliament praising India’s evacuation efforts in Ukraine.
Fact: The video is an old one. It was taken in the National Assembly (Pakistan) on 26 October 2020. So, it is not related to any latest evacuation efforts in Ukraine. Also, the people in the video were shouting ‘voting…voting…”, not ‘Modi zindabad’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for the posted video on the internet, the extended version of the video was found to be uploaded on YouTube, in October 2020, with the title – “Shah Mehmood Qureshi Hard-Hitting Speech On France Islamophobia”. The posted video clip can be seen at 35 seconds in the YouTube video. So, an old video is being falsely linked to the current evacuation efforts of the Indian and Pakistan governments in Ukraine.
Also, the people in the video were shouting ‘voting…voting…”, not ‘Modi zindabad’. In the ‘Dawn’ article, it can be read – “With opposition members chanting “voting! voting!” for the resolution presented by Asif, a furious Qureshi accused the opposition of “doing politics” on the sensitive matter…...Pointing to Asif, the minister said it appeared to him that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “spirit has been transferred into him”.” In the extended video, the Speaker can be seen telling the shouting members – “voting…sab kuch hoga…sabar rakhe aap” (translation – “voting…everything will take place…be patient”). For more information regarding the posted video, one can see the National Assembly’s (26 October 2020) debate document.
To sum it up, ‘Modi zindabad’ slogans were not raised in the Pakistan Parliament praising India’s evacuation efforts in Ukraine.


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No, Moeen Ali did not demand apology from India over remarks against Prophet Muhammad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 8, 2022
In light of the recent comments by BJP’s official spokesperson’s on the Prophet Muhammed, which drew backlash from Arab countries, a social media post claiming that England cricketer Moeen Ali has tweeted demanding an apology from India in regard to the blasphemous statements insulting Prophet Muhammad is being widely shared. The post further claims that the cricketer has threatened to boycott the IPL and would never visit India if India fails to apologise. The post shares the screenshot of the alleged tweet by Moeen Ali. Through this article let’s fact-check veracity of the tweet.
Claim: England cricketer Moeen Ali tweets demanding an apology from India for insulting Prophet Muhammad.
Fact: Moeen Ali has not made any such statements over BJP spokesperson’s remarks on Prophet Muhammad. There are no news reports in this regard. As far as the viral tweet is concerned, it is made by a fan account which is being run in Moeen’s name. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
England cricketer Moeen Ali has not made any such statements as claimed in the viral post, in light of the recent controversy.
The viral tweet attributed to Moeen Ali is actually made by a fan account account which is being run in Moeen’s name. In the bio section of this Twitter account, it is mentioned as ‘unofficial’ & ‘commentary account’ of Moeen Ali.
Further, we could not find any official/verified social media accounts of Moeen Ali. Also, there are no news reports in this regard. Had the cricketer indeed made such statements, media would have reported it, however, we could not find any such news articles.
To sum it up, Moeen Ali did not demand apology from India over remarks against Prophet Mohammad.


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No, Mohan Bhagwat did not tweet lauding PM Modi’s working hours - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 16, 2022
A social media post accompanying a screenshot of a tweet purportedly by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat endorsing that Prime Minister Modi works for 15-16 hours a day, even at the age of 67 is being widely shared. Through this article, let’s fact-check the veracity of the tweet shared in the post.
Claim: Mohan Bhagwat’s tweet – Modi works for 15-16 hours a day, even at the age of 67.
Fact: The purported tweet lauding PM Modi’s working style is not made by Mohan Bhagwat but from a fan account. The twitter handle of the viral tweet is different from the official twitter handle of Mohan Bhagwat. Moreover it is old tweet that dates back to 2019. Further, there are no reports about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat lauding Modi for his working hours. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
It is not the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who tweeted lauding PM Modi for his working hours, but the tweet is made from a fan account and it dates back to 2019. The official twitter handle of Mohan Bhagwat is different from the viral one.
The viral tweet highlights the age of Modi as 67, whereas Modi turned 71 on 17 September 2021. The official twitter handle of Bhagwat carries a verified symbol, whereas the viral tweet does not carry any such symbol.
Moreover, the viral tweet dates back to 11 March 2019. As per the information, Mohan Bhagwat joined twitter on 13 May 2019 and most importantly, he has made zero tweets till date. Thus, it can be concluded that the viral tweet has nothing to do with Mohan Bhagwat.
While there are many instances of Bhagwat heaping praises on Modi on various policy issues (here, here & here), we could not find any reports of him praising Modi especially for his working hours.
To sum it up, Mohan Bhagwat did not tweet lauding PM Modi’s working hours.


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No Muslim advocate has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking directions to stop screening of Gadar 2 film - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 11, 2023
A post is being shared on social media claiming that a Muslim advocate named Adeel Ahmed had filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India seeking a ban on Gadar 2 film, which is said to be released on 26 January 2023. According to the post, the advocate had appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the screening of the Gadar 2 film, accusing the filmmakers of hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslims. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Muslim Advocate Adeel Ahmed recently filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a ban on Gadar-2 film.
Fact: As on date, no such petition seeking a ban on Gadar 2 film was filed in the Supreme Court of India. Supreme Court Advocate Adeel Ahmed released a video clarifying that he did not file any such petition against Gadar 2 film. The producers of the movie have not yet announced the official release date of the film. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether any Muslim lawyer named Adeel Ahmed had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a ban on Gadar 2 film, we could not find any such news on the internet. Though ‘Zee Studios’ confirmed the release of Gadar 2 in 2023, they did not announce the official release date of the film as yet.
The same message is being circulated on social media at least since August 2022. Supreme Court Advocate Adeel Ahmed released a video to India Today’s team clarifying these rumours linking his name on social media as fake. Adeel Ahmed through the video clarified that he did not file any such petition in the Supreme Court seeking a ban on Gadar 2 film. Further, Adeel Ahmed said he was a big fan of Gadar film and Sunny Deol.
In April 2022, a resident of Jarawan village in Uttar Pradesh wrote a letter to UP CM Yogi Adityanath, demanding to stop the Gadar 2 shooting at the Mahmudabad fort. The villager accused the filmmakers of hoisting the Pakistan flag in the fort by representing it as a Pakistan building. In December 2021, Yadunandan Sharma, the owner of a property used by Gadar 2 makers to shoot the film, accused the crew of damaging their property and appealed to producers to remove the footage they shot on their property. The complainants in both these incidents were not Muslims.
In 2001, during the release of the Gadar film, a petition was filed in the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking directions to stop the screening of the film. Accusing filmmakers of hurting Sikh religious sentiments, the petitioners appealed to the court to issue directions to remove objectionable scenes in the film. But lately, ahead of the Gadar 2 film release, no such petition was filed in the Supreme Court against the Gadar 2 release.
To sum it up, no Muslim advocate has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking directions to stop the screening of Gadar 2 film as yet.

created: January 11, 2023


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No, the Muslim community did not admit in the court that spitting on food is part of halal practice - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 16, 2021
A social media post claiming that during a court proceeding in Tamil Nadu, Muslims told the court that spitting on food makes the halal process complete, is being widely shared across all the platforms. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Muslims told the court that spitting on food makes the halal process complete.
Fact: In a plea filed in Kerala High Court by general convener of the Sabarimala Action Committee regarding the usage of spoiled halal certified jaggery in the preparation of  Nivedyam and Prasadam at Sabarimala, the petitioner alleged that Muslim community has been proclaiming publicly that saliva is a necessary ingredient for certifying Halal in the preparation of food materials. This allegation by the petitioner is misconstrued as the Muslim community admiiting  that spitting is part of the halal process. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Earlier in November 2021, Tamil Nadu’s Indu Makkal Katchi through a tweet made the same claim. In all probability, this claim might have gained traction after this tweet.
However, through an internet search, we found that its not Tamil Nadu court but the Kerala High Court wherein in a plea filed by SJR Kumar, general convener of the Sabarimala Action Committee, the petitioner alleged that Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) which manages the Sabarimala temple has been using spoiled halal-certified jaggery to prepare Nivedyam and Prasadam at Sabarimala.
One of the multiple accusations levelled by the petitioner against the use of halal-certified products reads ‘The religious scholars of the Muslim community have been proclaiming publicly that saliva is a necessary ingredient for certifying Halal in the preparation of food materials. The religious scholars took the above view by interpreting holy texts and its valid interpretations. However, different views were also expressed by a section of religious leaders.’
From this, it is evident that it is not the Muslim community who admitted in the court that spitting makes the halal process complete. These statements were attributed to them by the petitioner of the case, who happened to be a Hindu. This attribution of the petitioner is misconstrued and shared as if the Muslim community making these viral statements in court proceedings.
Further, the petitioner opined that ‘in view of the recent controversy as regards spitting on food materials to make it Halal and the responses from religious scholars, people at large are highly anxious and obnoxious on the use of Halal certified food materials even for household purposes. It is highly disheartening to see that the food materials prepared following the rituals and religious practices of another religion with its certification are accepted as food material for the preparation of Nivedyam / Prasada in a Hindu temple having its own rituals and customs.”
The Travancore Devaswom Board filed a response in this regard. In their response, the board stated that a large quantity of jaggery was left unused for the year 2019-20 due to COVID-19 protocol and hence the board auctioned this leftover jaggery to M/s Southern Agro Tech Pvt. Ltd., Thrissur. Whereas ‘for the year 2020-21, contract for supply of jaggery was given to M/s S.P.Sugar and Agro Pvt. Ltd., Maharashtra. They started supply from April 2021 onwards and that jaggery is being used since then.’
On the question of halal, ‘TDB explained that halal, an Arabic word that translates as “permissible” in English, mentioned on the jaggery packaging was due to the fact that the company from which the said consignment was obtained also exported jaggery to Arab countries, where the rules mandate the sale of halal foods per Islamic rule’ reported News18.
Further during the course of proceedings in the context of the petitioner failing to elaborate his understanding of halal, the court opined that ‘before filing a petition challenging the use of halal products, you should go deep into the concept. The concept of halal only says that certain things are prohibited; all other things are halal. This certification only says that those prohibited materials are not included in a particular product. This is there in other countries like the UK and some Supreme Court decisions speak about it.’
Further, it is noteworthy to mention that over the course of proceedings of the case, no Muslim organisation or for that matter no Muslim individual was made a respondent, contrary to the claim made in the viral post.
To sum it up, the Muslim community did not admit in the court that spitting on food is part of halal.

created: December 16, 2021


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No Muslims were involved in this stone pelting incident during an Ambedkar Jayanthi Shobha Yatra in Mathura - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 20, 2023
A video is doing rounds on social media in which one can see a group of people bearing blue flags accompanied by police officers standing on one side of a road covered with stones as a mob stands on the other. The post describes this incident as an Ambedkar Jayanthi Shobha Yatra stopped by Muslims. Let’s verify the claim made in this post.
Claim: Visuals of Muslims obstructing an Ambedkar Jayanthi celebration by pelting bricks and stones.
Fact: This incident occurred in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura on 14 April 2023. Reportedly, stones were thrown at people participating in an Ambedkar Jyanthi Shobha Yatra in Bhartia village. Upon receiving information about this incident, police reached the place and restored peace and an FIR was registered. No persons named in the FIR were Muslims. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
We performed a basic keyword search online to learn more details regarding the post, leading us to several news reports (here, here and here) on the incident. According to Times of India and TV 9, this incident occurred on 14 April 2023 during an Ambedkar Jayanti procession/Shobha yatra held at Bhartiya village of Mathura under the police station limits Jait. Stones were thrown at people participating in the procession.
‘According to the police, a group of men from the Thakur community had been raising objections to the Ambedkar Jayanti procession being carried out by people from the Jatav community the in the vicinity.‘ Times of India’s report stated. A village resident told Times of India that a group of men were against the procession passing through their houses and hurled casteist slurs against them and pelted stones.
Police reached the spot and restored peace (here and here). An FIR was registered, and three people mentioned in the FIR were also arrested. We accessed a copy of the FIR and found that none of the accused named in it were Muslims. To confirm whether Muslims had pelted stones on that day, we spoke to the SHO of Jait Police Station, Ajay Verma, who told us that none of those involved in this stone pelting incident was Muslim.
To sum up, no Muslims were involved in this stone pelting incident in Mathura during an Ambedkar Jayanthi Shobha Yatra.


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No, Narendra Modi hasn’t launched any such Scholarship programme on the name of Kalam and Vajpayee - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 17, 2019
A Facebook post claiming that PM Modi has launched a Scholarship program on the name of Kalam and Vajpayee for 10th and 12th pass out students, who have secured more than 75% of the marks is doing rounds since past few days. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in it.
PM Modi has launched a Scholarship program for 10th and 12th class pass out students who have secured more than 75% of the marks
Fact: PM Modi hasn’t launched any such scholarship programme for 10th and 12th class pass outs. Moreover, the website link mentioned in the post is that of the “Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare”. Hence the claims made in the post is FALSE.
When tried to get the information about the scholarship scheme described in the post using the website link ‘www.desw.gov.in/scholarship’, it directed to the Ministry of Defence’s, “Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare” site. When looked for any scholarship programme offered by it, it was found that there is a ‘Prime Minister Scholarship scheme for the academic year 2016-2017’ but the eligibility criteria to avail the scheme is not as described in the Facebook post. As per scheme guidelines, ‘applications are invited only from eligible wards/widows of Ex-servicemen and Ex-Indian Coast Guard personnel pursuing professional Degree Courses, recognized by the respective government regulatory bodies such as MCI, AICTE and UGC etc. The scheme will be applicable only to those candidates who have joined the professional Courses in the Academic Year 20l6-2017’.
To conclude, Narendra Modi hasn’t launched any Scholarship scheme on the name of Kalam and Vajpayee for 10th and 12th class pass out students.


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No, National Education Policy (2020) did not do away with the board exams for 10th class - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 23, 2022
A social media post claiming that as per the new education policy, there will be no board exams for 10 class is being widely circulated across the social media platforms. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: No board exams for 10 class – New Education Policy 2020
Fact: The New Education Policy, 2020 did not propose to cancel the board exams for 10 class. The policy allows for the continuation of board and entrance for 10 and 12. In fact, to lower the stakes of these board exams, the NEP (2020) has proposed to conduct of board exams twice in an academic year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Aiming to make sweeping reforms in school and higher education the Union government in July 2020 has adopted the New Education Policy, 2020 replacing the 34-year-old National Policy on Education, framed in 1986.
The New Education Policy, 2020 proposes a multitude of reforms in regard to school and higher education like multiple entry and exit options in degree courses, common entrance exams for universities, a single regulator for higher education institutions, etc. and discontinuation of MPhil programs.
However, the New Education policy did not propose to do away with board exams for the 10 class as claimed in the viral post. The policy talks about reforming the board and entrance exams so as to eliminate the need for undertaking coaching classes. News articles reiterating the same can be read here and here.
In fact, to lower the stakes of these board exams, the New Education Policy, 2020 has proposed to conduct of board exams twice in an academic year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired.
When the same claim went viral across social media platforms, PIB  through a tweet rated the viral news as false and clarified that the NEP, 2020 did not do away with the board exams.
एक #Whatsapp मैसेज में दावा किया जा रहा है कि नई शिक्षा नीति के तहत, कक्षा 10वीं के लिए कोई बोर्ड परीक्षा नहीं होगी।#PIBfactcheck:
▶ यह दावा #फर्जी है।
▶ @EduMinOfIndia ने ऐसा कोई आदेश जारी नहीं किया है।
पढ़ें: https://t.co/6WQyQNLX14 pic.twitter.com/Sb4A47YPix
To sum it up, National Education Policy, 2020 did not do away with the board exams for 10 class.


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There is no evidence to suggest that Nawab Ali Bahadur performed the last rites of Rani Lakshmi Bai. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 17, 2022
A social media post claims that ‘after the death of Rani Laxmi Bai, Nawab Ali Bahadur of Banda performed her last rites, when no Hindu did her last rites due to fear of the British’. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Nawab Ali Bahadur of Band performed the last rites of Rani Lakshmi Bai.
Fact: There are a couple of versions regarding Rani Lakshmi Bai’s death. One is that she was shot dead by the British army near Phool Bagh of Gwalior. In another version, she after being severely injured and not wanting the British to capture her body, asked a hermit to burn it. Neither version claims that Nawab Ali Bahadur has performed her last rites and further there is no evidence to support this claim. However, there are reports of Nawab Ali Bahadur of Banda helping Lakshmi Bai in fighting the British. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
In fighting the British during the 1857 revolt, Rani Lakshmi Bai sought the help of Nawab Ali Bahadur, the Nawab of the dominion of Banda (now Uttar Pradesh). There are accounts of Rani Lakshmi Bai writing a letter seeking his support and along with the letter, she also sent him a Rakhi.
Accepting the request from Lakshmi Bai, the Nawab of Banda along with the army of ten thousand soldiers joined her in the fight against the British. While there are reports of the Nawab helping out Lakshmi Bai in fighting the British, there are no reports or substantial evidence to claim that he performed her last rites.
In fact, there are a couple of versions regarding her death (here, here & here). One is that she was shot dead by the British army near Phool Bagh of Gwalior. In another version, she after being severely injured and not wanting the British to capture her body, asked a hermit to burn it.
Another essay suggests that she was fatally injured after being struck with a sword on her head in a battle with the British army led by General Hugh Rose. ‘Her dead body was immediately removed from the scene by her loyal attendant Ramchandra Rao and lit the funeral pyre. She died with a sword in her hand and the enemy could not touch her at all’, the essay added.
Jaishree Misra, in her book ‘Rani’, supporting the above version mentioned that General Hugh Rose who led the British forces against her claimed to have seen her cremation in a letter he later wrote to his commander.
Although there are different accounts about the death of Rani Lakshmi Bai, none of the accounts support the claim that her last rites were performed by Nawab Ali Bahadur, and there are no reports in support of this.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to suggest that Nawab Ali Bahadur performed the last rites of Rani Lakshmi Bai.


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No, NDTV has not been ranked as the top 17th impartial and honest news website in the world - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 20, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook with a claim that the Indian news website ‘NDTV’ has been ranked 17th in the world as ‘an impartial and honest channel’. Let’s try to analyze the claim and the authenticity of the rankings.
NDTV has been ranked 17th in the list of ‘Top 100 World News Websites’ as impartial and honest.
Fact: NDTV was ranked 17th among ‘Top 100 World News Websites’ in a survey that was published by a blogging website, ‘Feedspot’. The website has mentioned that the survey was based on ‘search and social metrics’. The survey did not rank websites based on ‘impartiality and honesty’. Also, there is no credible organisation that gives rankings to news channels based on their impartiality and honesty. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
About
the rank:
When searched on Google with the keywords ‘NDTV 17th position World’, it was found that it was the blogging website ‘Feedspot’ that has ranked NDTV at 17th position in the ‘Top 100 World News Websites to follow in 2019’. In the article, it was mentioned that the rankings were given based on ‘search and social metrics’, but not on ‘impartiality and honesty’. So, the rankings were not related to impartiality or honesty.  Also, in the rankings, it can be found that ‘Times of India’ is placed above ‘NDTV’ at 14th position.
While the blogging website has mentioned that rankings were based on ‘search and social metrics’, there was no mention of the data sources and the methodology followed to rank the news websites. Also, no previous year rankings were found on the website. Here is some additional information about ‘Feedspot’.
About
the blog:
The blogging website mentions ‘Anuj Aggarwal’ as the founder and his ‘LinkedIn’ account confirms it. When searched on Google for information about the website, it was found that ‘Wikipedia’ page of ‘Feedspot’ has been deleted. But from an article of ‘Life Hacker’ it was found that the website offers features like reading the news, sub-feeds for tags, starred items, and favourites, and tons of social features for sharing stories.
When searched on Twitter, the account of ‘Feedspot’ was found, and it has just 977 followers till the time of writing this article.
So, it can be concluded that the survey which ranked NDTV as 17th ‘Top World News Website’  was published by a little known blogging website ‘Feedspot’ and the ranking was not based on impartiality and honesty.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Indian Rivers?

created: September 20, 2019


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No, Nehru did not write a letter to Attlee calling Bose as ‘a war criminal’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 24, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook with an image of a letter claiming that Nehru has written a letter to Attlee on the whereabouts of Subhas Chandra Bose and asking him to take the necessary action. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Nehru wrote a letter to the then British Prime Minister Clement Attlee telling him that Bose, a ‘British War Criminal’, is in Russia and asking him to take necessary action, which he may deem fit.
Fact: No, the letter in the post was not written by Nehru to Attlee. In the letter, there are many spelling mistakes, which are not expected to be there in a letter written to a country’s PM. Ramachandra Guha in an interview to India Today called it, “a dubious claim by a witness seeking publicity before the Khosla Commission in 1970.” Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When looked for any related information on Google with keywords ‘Nehru letter to Attlee on Bose’, many newspaper articles on this issue can be found in the search results. According to an article in BBC News, the Nehru letter on Subhas Chandra Bose is ‘fake’.
Also, the famous historian, Ramachandra Guha in an interview to India Today told that the letter being circulated on social media is fake as it is just a testimony given by a man to Khosla Commission in 1970 that Nehru has dictated the letter to him in 1945. Some of the reasons given by Guha to call it a ‘fake’ letter:
Also, an article by Times of India pointing out the spelling mistakes in the article can be found in the search results.
This issue has been in circulation from the last three years and it has been previously fact-checked by others like AltNews, DNA News, The Quint, etc.  To sum it up, Nehru did not write a letter to Attlee calling Bose as ‘a war criminal’.
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Neither has the World Bank exported COVID-19 testing kits in 2018 nor is there a United Nation’s New World Order Agenda 21/2030 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 20, 2021
Amidst the ongoing second wave of COVID-19 in India, in a social media post, a woman is seen raising multiple questions on the nature of the virus and its authenticity while she attempts to paint a conspiracy theory picture.  Let us fact-check the claims in the post.
Claim 1: The World Bank exported COVID-19 Medical test kits to all the countries in 2018.
Fact: While it is true that medical test kits were exported to countries in 2018, these were later in April 2020 classified and relabelled as critical to tackling COVID-19 by World Customs Organization (WCO). Prior to that, the products had been listed since 2017, but not in relation to the pandemic. Therefore, the claim is MISLEADING.
The woman in the video claims that not just in India, but the leaders of all the countries in the world are inching towards depopulation. She further substantiates the claims by citing the data from World Bank Organization, an international financial institution that provides loans to the governments of low- and middle-income countries. The woman in the video is seen to read out from her notes that through the World Bank website, countries were purchasing COVID-19 test kits in 2018 implying prior knowledge of the COVID-19 crisis.
The screenshots show web pages entitled “COVID-19 Test kits (382200) imports by country in 2017” or “COVID-19 Test kits (300215) exports by country in 2018” with a detailed list broken down by country (screenshot below) where the product description is “COVID-19 Test kits” and the year is listed as 2018 or 2017.
However, the World Bank has clarified that these kits exported in 2018 had nothing to do with COVID-19 and are misinterpreted as a result of the recent classification changes to Harmonized System (HS) codes in April 2020 by the World Customs Organization (WCO). Prior to that, the products had been listed since 2017, but not in relation to the pandemic. The data and tables can be found on the World Integrated Trade Solutions (WITS) website. WITS is a joint initiative of the World Bank, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the World Trade Organization (WTO), among others, providing data on trade and tariffs.
These medical test kits used diagnostic reagents based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) nucleic acid test.
What is PCR Test?
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is overly sensitive and is performed to detect the presence of viral RNA by targeting one or more gene fragments. The test could also detect fragments of the virus even after an individual is no longer infected. The PCR test is not specific or unique to COVID-19 but has revolutionised the laboratory diagnosis of other viral respiratory infections due to its improved detection sensitivity, rapidness, potential for simultaneous detection of 15 or more respiratory agents, and the reduced risk of carry-over contamination. It is currently used as the ‘gold standard’ for diagnosing COVID-19 since it is the most accurate and reliable test.
Therefore, in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, it was only in April 2020 that these medical kits were revised and classified by World Customs Organization as critical to facilitate monitoring their movements, as a measure to tackle COVID-19. However, it does not prove that countries were buying test kits for COVID-19 prior to the detection of Sars-Cov-2 in December 2019 in China. In fact, World Bank released a statement and clarified that COVID-19 tests did not exist before 2020. Similar fact-checks have been covered here, here, here, and here.
Claim 2: The United Nations will establish a New World Order by 2030 which envisions one government, end of national sovereignty, depopulation and mandatory multiple vaccinations, end of irrigation & grazing livestock, private firms, among other goals.
Fact: The United Nations official has clarified that the list of these goals is completely false and in fact, attributed these claims to far-right misinformation campaigns. Therefore, the claim is FALSE.
The woman in the video continues to propagate the idea of the New World Order UN Agenda 21/2030, which she claims to have been formulated in 1990s and further attributes and links the point on multiple vaccinations to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. She further claims that this is a man-made crisis fought between the top 1% population and the rest of the population including the common man.
What is the UN Agenda 21/2030?
UN Agenda 21 refers to a non-binding resolution agreed to at the UN’s 1992 Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The resolution includes 31 goals and aims for nations to take a holistic approach to social, economic, and environmental change, proposes possible solutions for global problems, and aims to empower previously disenfranchised groups.
However, since its inception, Agenda 21’s 31 goals for sustainable development have been targeted by conspiracists. According to a 2014 report from Southern Poverty Law Centre, a US-based civil rights group, “Agenda 21 has been transformed in much of the American public mind into a secret plot to impose a totalitarian world government, a nefarious effort to crush freedom in the name of environmentalism”
In this context, the New World Order document featured in multiple fake social media posts outline 23 different mission goals attributed to the UN. However, the document was neither drafted by the UN nor do the goals align with the agendas it references.
Having searched about the UN’s New World Order, we have found the origins of the message to be back in May 2020 in a tweet and also found a supposed unnwo.org website. However, according to the Spanish International news fact-check, sources from the UN General Secretariat confirmed that there is no evidence to suggest that the United Nations will establish ‘one world government’ and that the website is impersonated by a private entity and is in no way linked to the official United Nations website.
LAS NACIONES UNIDAS abiertamente ha adoptado el nombre de LAS NACIONES UNIDAS DEL NUEVO ORDEN MUNDIAL: "nuevo paradigma económico, político, nuevo orden mundial para humanidad"
Fíjense por ustedes mismos en su página oficial: https://t.co/1FGMPrBNRm pic.twitter.com/l5yBFH6b2N
According to this AFP Fact-check, Heidi Beirich, an expert of extremist movements said, “That post is filled with all the bogus claims the far right has made against [Agenda 21] for a long time now. [It is] just a false attempt to paint sensible plans for sustainable development as some sort of communist plan, which it is not.” The UN spokesperson also noted that Agenda 21 and the 2030 Agenda are not legally binding. In fact, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a resolution adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2015 that is focused on achieving 17 goals within 15 years. For example, the U.N.’s 2030 agenda proposes a goal of reducing the rates of child and maternal mortality in every country. This goal supports research and development of vaccines and medicines for diseases primarily affecting developing countries, according to the U.N. But it doesn’t call for “mandatory multiple vaccines”, as claimed in the post. Similar fact-checks can be accessed here and here.
In summary, the medical test kits distributed by the World Bank in 2018 were in no way related to the COVID-19 crisis, they were only classified in April 2020 to be used against the coronavirus. Therefore, owing to the misinterpretation of the classification of the HS codes, the claim is misleading. On the other hand, there is no evidence to prove that the United Nations is promoting a New World Order therefore, the claim is false.


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Neither Virat nor Dhoni donated such huge amounts in the fight against COVID-19 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 3, 2021
In view of few cricketers offering donations to deal with the second wave of the deadly pandemic and the increased oxygen shortage, a social media post claiming that Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has donated Rs. 21 crores to PM Cares fund is being shared widely across social media platforms. Another post that claims former captain MS Dhoni donated Rs. 15 crores is also doing rounds on social media. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in these posts.
Claim: Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni donated Rs. 21 crores & Rs. 15 crores to deal with COVID-19 crisis.
Fact: Recently Anushka Sharma announced that she & Virat would be providing assistance to India’s fight against COVID-19. However, she did not disclose any details about the quantum and form of assistance. During the initial days of the pandemic back in 2020, both Virat and Dhoni provided financial assistance through donations to the PM Cares Fund. However, the quantum of their donation is not what is being claimed. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Anushka Sharma recently on 02 May 2021 also pledged assistance to the country’s fight against COVID-19. She shared the news via a video message which she shared on her Instagram account. However, in this video, she did not mention anything about the quantum and form of assistance. In fact, she stated that they would disclose details of their assistance very soon and urged everyone to join hands in this movement. Times now has also reported the same.
According to this article, Royal Challengers Bangalore, the IPL franchise Virat Kohli is part of has also promised financial assistance for infrastructure related to oxygen support in India’s fight against COVID-19.  However, the article did not mention the quantum of the assistance. We also could not find any news articles or reports stating Virat Kohli donated Rs. 21 crores to PM Cares Fund.
Further Google search with relevant keywords led us to 2020 Instagram post by Anushka Sharma, wife of Virat Kohli. Through this post, the couple had pledged financial assistance to PM Cares Fund & CM relief Fund (Maharashtra). However, the couple did not reveal the quantum of donation.
Further search led us to a news article by India Today which reported their donation to PM Cares Fund. In this article, quoting an anonymous source, India Today has reported that the couple has donated Rs. 3 crores to PM-CARES Fund. However, we could not independently verify the quantum of their donation.
As far as Dhoni’s donation is concerned, Google search with keywords yielded multiple 2020 news articles which reported Dhoni’s one lakh contribution to a charitable trust in order to battle the corona pandemic. However, we could not find any reports stating that Dhoni has contributed Rs. 15 crores to deal with the oxygen crisis which the country is facing. Search on his official social media accounts also provides no such information.
If at all they have made such a huge contribution, news agencies would have reported the same. However, there are no such reports on both these alleged donations.
In view of few foreign and national players pledging financial assistance in India’s fight against COVID-19, misleading posts like these are being shared on social media platforms.
To sum it up, neither Virat nor Dhoni donated such huge amounts in the fight against COVID-19.
Update (MAY 09, 2021): Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma on 07 May 2021 have donated INR 2 crore towards a fundraising campaign to aid India’s COVID-19 relief. They have announced their fund raising efforts through social media platforms which can be seen here and here. The campaign, aimed at raising a total of INR 7 crore (US$ 950,000 approx.), was launched on 07 May 2021, on the platform Ketto in association with the NGO, United Way of Bengaluru, with the beneficiary being ACT Grants, which, according to its website is a “social change movement for the start-up ecosystem in India”.


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No, Nepal has not banned all private Indian TV channels except DD News - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 27, 2023
A message is doing rounds on social media, which claims that Nepal has banned all private Television channels of India, except DD News. Let’s verify the truthfulness of this claim through this article.
Claim: Nepal bans all Indian TV channels except DD News.
Fact: Cable operators in Nepal banned Indian private TV News channels in 2020 for broadcasting content detrimental to their country’s interests. But the ban was lifted after a short period. As claimed in the viral message, the Nepal government has recently not banned the Indian TV channels except DD News. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the veracity of the viral claim, we performed a keyword search on the internet. This search led us to multiple news reports (here, here, and here) on Nepal cable operators’ decision to ban Private Indian news Channels. But these were from 2020; there are no recent news reports about Nepal banning Indian TV channels.
Reportedly, in July 2020, the cable TV operators in Nepal suspended the transmission of Indian private TV news channels, claiming that they were broadcasting content that was hurting the sentiments of Nepal.
“Nepal’s cable and satellite television providers have stopped airing Indian news channels, with one operator saying on Friday that the move was in response to public complaints against “objectionable” content broadcast about Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli” Al Jazeera reported. Later, it was reported that the Television operators in Nepal came under severe public pressure to lift the ban (here and here), which they eventually did (partially).
To sum up, the Government of Nepal has not banned all private Indian TV channels except DD News.


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No New 500 Rupee Note Featuring Image of Lord Ram Issued by RBI; Viral Image is Digitally Created - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 16, 2024
A viral image on social media features a 500 rupee note adorned with the images of Lord Ram on one side and the Ayodhya Ram Mandir on the reverse. The claim accompanying these photos asserts that these notes are the upcoming currency set to be released on 22 January 2024, to commemorate the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. This article aims to fact-check the authenticity of this assertion.
Claim: Image of new 500 rupee note adorned with the image of Lord Ram, set to be released to commemorate the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on 22 January 2024.
Fact: Neither the Central government nor the Reserve Bank of India has officially declared the issuance of new 500 rupee notes featuring images of Lord Ram and the Ram temple, in commemoration of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The viral image is a digitally manipulated creation, edited from a stock image of a 500 rupee note. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
As per Section 22 of the RBI Act, 1934, the Reserve Bank possesses exclusive authority for the issuance of banknotes in India. The Central Government holds the responsibility to approve the design, form, and material of the banknotes, taking into account recommendations put forth by the Central Board of the RBI. While the RBI is empowered to print currency, the ultimate decision on the denominations to be circulated rests with the government.
In light of the aforementioned statements, neither the Central government nor the Reserve Bank of India has officially declared the issuance of new 500 rupee notes featuring images of Lord Ram and the Ram temple, in commemoration of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on 22 January 2024. If the RBI had indeed released such notes, it would have communicated this information on its website. However, no such press releases are available on the RBI website, and there are no corresponding news reports either.
As for the viral image, upon careful examination, we can identify a watermark that bears the text ‘@raghunmurthy07’. Subsequent investigation led us to a Twitter account using the same username. This Twitter user posted an identical image with a caption in Kannada, loosely translated as ‘Rama Bhakta Gandhi also wanted this.’ Upon skimming through the comments beneath the post, it becomes apparent that the image is not an official release from the central government.
ರಾಮ ಭಕ್ತ ಗಾಂಧೀಜಿಯವರು ಕೂಡ ಇದನ್ನೇ ಬಯಸುತ್ತಿದರು
ಜೈ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮ್ 🙏 pic.twitter.com/OnJi4RITaT
Further search led us to a currency and stamps trading portal, showcasing an image of a 500 rupee note adorned with a star (*) symbol and an identical number panel as seen in the circulating image. This particular note has also been highlighted on several other blogs (here & here). This strongly implies that the viral 500 rupee note featuring the image of Lord Ram has been generated through digital editing of this specific image and replacing the Gandhi/Red Fort with Lord Ram/ Ayodhya Ram Temple. Further, the viral image has text that explains the portraits on the note written in English & Kannada, which is not the case with official notes. Official notes contain text that explains the portraits on the note written in English & Hindi.
To sum it up, no new 500 Rupee note featuring an image of Lord Ram was issued by RBI; the Viral image is digitally created.

created: January 16, 2024


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No, Nita Ambani did not tweet on religious conversion. It was from a fake Twitter handle - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 26, 2019
A post on Facebook which claims that Nita Ambani has tweeted on religious conversion has got more than 1000 shares. Let’s try to check the authenticity of the tweet in the post.
Nita Ambani tweeted: “Any child takes birth as a Hindu but gets converted into Muslim by the outside world……”.
Fact: Nita Ambani does not have an official Twitter account. The above tweet was tweeted by a fake handle. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the account of Nita Ambani on Twitter, it was found that she does not have any official Twitter account. So, when searched for the twitter handle (@NitaMambani) given in the post, it can be seen that the account ‘@NitaMambani’ has been suspended.
Also, it was found that MTNL got into a controversy last month when it replied to a communal tweet from the same fake Twitter handle. The details about the issue can be read here.
To sum it up, Nita Ambani did not tweet on religious conversion. It was from a fake Twitter handle.
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No, none of the business operations of the Haldiram group is under the ownership of a Muslim - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 13, 2022
In light of the recent controversy surrounding Haldiram over a label on one of its food products, a social media post claiming that Haldiram’s group is currently under the ownership of a Muslim is being circulated widely. The post further claims that Yogesh & Naresh, alleged grandsons of Haldiram sold the company to a Muslim. Through this article let’s fact-check the claims made in the post.
Claim: Haldiram’s group is currently under the ownership of a Muslim; Yogesh & Naresh, grandsons of Haldiram sold the company to a Muslim.
Fact: As per the reports there is no grandson of Ganga Bhishen Agarwal (Haldiram) going by the name Yogesh and Naresh. Thus the argument that these two grandsons sold the company to a Muslim does not hold true. Further, according to the available information, all the business units of Haldiram handling distinct operations are currently under the directorship of sons and grandsons of Haldiram. There are no reports of any business unit of Haldiram being sold to a Muslim. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The roots of the famous Indian food brand Haldiram can be traced back to 1937, which started as a small bhujia shop in Rajasthan’s Bikaner by Ganga Bhishen Agarwal, also known as Haldiram. It is in 1950 that Ganga Bhishen Agarwal, along with his two sons Moolchand Agarwal and Rameshwar Lal Agarwal, started their first venture outside Bikaner in Kolkata.
In the 1990s, the grandsons of the Ganga Bhishen Agarwal divided the entire Indian market into three distinctive zones. The Delhi based north Indian market was allotted to Manohar Lal and Madhusudan Agarwal (youngest sons of Moolchand Agarwal), Kolkata based eastern market was allotted to Prabhu Shankar Agarwal and Ashok Agarwal (sons of Rameshwar Lal Agarwal) and the south & west markets to Shiv Kishan Agarwal (eldest son of Moolchand Agarwal) from Nagpur.
In 2013, a court order barred Kolkata-based company from using the name ‘Haldiram Bhujiawala’, following a long-drawn court battle over the copyright issue. Later on, the Kolkata-based company rebranded to Prabhuji and the Delhi and Nagpur-based companies continued with the original Haldiram brand.
Forbes in its 2019 article about the success of Haldiram, published the family tree and the territorial division of the business within the Agarwal family. The details did not feature any grandson of Haldiram named Yogesh and Naresh, as claimed in the viral post. Thus, the claim that Yogesh and Naresh, alleged grandsons of Haldiram sold the company to Muslims does not hold true.
Currently, throughout the country, all the Haldiram group of companies handling distinct operations like Nagpur-based Haldiram Foods International, Haldiram Snacks, and Ethnic Foods is under the directorship of the Agarwal family (sons and grandsons of Haldiram). This is evident from the information regarding the directors of the company, available on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website.
None of the companies of the Haldiram group managed by sons and grandsons had a Muslim director. Details of directors of a few companies of Haldiram, handling distinct operations can be viewed below. Further, we could not find any reports of the Haldiram business unit handled by any of the siblings being sold out to a Muslim. According to reports, in 2019, US-based Kellogg’s showed interest in buying stakes in the Delhi and Nagpur-based business of Haldiram, however, this did not materialise.
To sum it up, none of the business operations of the Haldiram group is under the ownership of a Muslim.


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No, not all top five rankers of NEET 2020 are Muslims - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 21, 2020
A post claiming that the top 5 rankers of NEET 2020 are Muslims, is being widely shared on social media platforms. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Top 5 Rankers of NEET 2020 are Muslims.
Fact: According to the NEET 2020 results released by NTA, among the top five rankers, except for the 1 rank holder, the rest are Hindus. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
According to the results of NEET 2020 released by the National Testing Agency (NTA), except for the first rank, remaining four ranks among top five are secured by Hindus. Soyeb Aftab who secured the first rank is the only Muslim among the top five.
Through Google search of the names mentioned in the post, we found that Zeeshan Ashraf, Yasir Hameed and Sana Mir are Pakistani cricketers, whereas Sajid Mahamood is an English cricketer whose family roots trace to Pakistan.
To sum it up, not all top five rankers of NEET 2020 are Muslims.

created: October 21, 2020


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No, NSA Ajit Doval hasn’t tweeted this. It was tweeted by an account run by his ‘fans club’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 19, 2019
On Social Media, since the past few weeks, tweets purportedly made by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval are going vital. Recently, a Facebook user has posted a screenshot of the tweet supposedly made by Ajit Doval and it is being shared by many Facebook users. The tweet has the following message- “Neither Amazon, zomato, flip cart, swiggi have come to your aid in this case of Flood  hitting your town & your Neighborhood. Your nearest Pepole , Community,  traditional Shop owners in your home town has come to help you. Do business with them and grow them”. Let’s try to analyze the authenticity of the tweet in the screenshot.
NSA Ajit Doval has tweeted- “Neither Amazon, zomato, flip cart, swiggi have come to your aid in this case of Flood  hitting your town & your Neighborhood. Your nearest Pepole , Community,  traditional Shop owners in your home town has come to help you. Do business with them and grow them”.
Fact: The tweet is from a Twitter account managed by ‘fan club’ of Ajit Doval. Also, Ajit Doval doesn’t have any official account on Twitter. So, the claim made in the post stands FALSE.
The screenshot posted has the tweet from the Twitter handle “@AjitKDoval_NSA”. When searched, the account was found and it even had the tweet seen in the screenshot. When you go through the profile of this account, it is clear from the description that the account is managed by ‘fan club’ of Ajit Doval. Twitter’s policy permitting the creation of ‘fan account’ can be read here. So, the claim that NSA Ajit Doval has put that tweet is false.
When ‘FACTLY’ had earlier contacted Prime Minister’s Office to know if NSA Ajit Doval has an account on Twitter, they said that he does not have any official account on Twitter.
To summarize, NSA Ajit Doval hasn’t tweeted anything about Zomato, Swiggy not coming to aid during floods. It was tweeted by an account managed by his ‘fans club’.
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No, Omar Abdullah hasn’t threatened to end ‘Amarnath Yatra’ if Article 35A is repealed by the GOI - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 1, 2019
A Facebook post that claims Omar Abdullah has threatened to end ‘Amarnath Yatra’ if the Government of India repeals Article 35A is being shared by many users. In the post, it is also claimed that U.P. state Chief Minister Adityanath has purportedly countered Abdullah’s statements by threatening that he would end ‘Haj Yatra’ if anything happens even to a single Amarnath Yatra pilgrim. Let’s try to verify the authenticity of the claims made in the post.
Omar Abdullah has threatened to end ‘Amarnath Yatra’ if the Government of India repeals Article 35A.
Fact: Omar Abdullah hasn’t made any such comments. Information from no credible source was found to authenticate the claim. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When googled to check if Jammu & Kashmir’s National Conference Party leader Omar Abdullah has made such comments, no results were found. If he had really made such statements, owing to their sensitivity, they would have been reported by all the major newspapers and channels in India. Article 35A empowers the Jammu & Kashmir state’s legislature to define who the “permanent residents” of the state are, and grant those residents special rights and privileges — especially with respect to employment, acquisition of property and the right to scholarships and other forms of government aid. Omar Abdullah on various occasions had defended the continuation of the existing Article 35A in Jammu & Kashmir but has never threatened to end ‘Amarnath Yatra’ if the Government of India repeals it. So, those statements posted on Facebook have no relevance to Omar Abdullah.
When ‘SM Hoax slayer’ fact-checker has approached Omar Abdullah in this regard, he has told them – “Never said it. It’s a total lie. Show me a clip of me saying anything like what I’m being accused of saying.”
Omar Abdullah has also tweeted that he hadn’t threatened any such thing.
No he did not threaten any such thing. https://t.co/CGG9wgo9Wv
During the verification process, it was found that such comments attributed to Omar Abdullah are doing the rounds on social media since 2017.
To sum it up, Omar Abdullah hasn’t threatened to end ‘Amarnath Yatra’ if the Government of India repeals Article 35A.
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created: August 1, 2019


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No, Oxford University is not offering a scholarship in the name of Manmohan Singh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 21, 2020
A post claiming that Oxford University is offering a scholarship in the name of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is being shared on social media. Oxford University is a renowned university in England. But FACTLY has found that there is no scholarship program being offered by Oxford University in the name of Manmohan Singh. Oxford University’s official website has no listing of such a scholarship program. The message that Oxford University is offering a scholarship in the name of Manmohan Singh is being shared since 2017. During the search process, it was found that Cambridge university offers a scholarship in the name of Manmohan Singh.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. University of Oxford official website – https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/fees-and-funding/fees-funding-and-scholarship-search/scholarships-a-z-listing
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No, pain experienced by a woman at the time of giving birth is not 57 dol - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 9, 2022
A social media post claims women while giving birth to a child experience 57 del unit of pain (Labor), similar to 20 bones simultaneously getting fractured. This is being widely shared across. The post further adds that a man dies when he experiences pain of 45 del at once. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Women while giving birth experiences 57 del unit of pain (Labor), similar to 20 bones simultaneously getting fractured.
Fact: According to a research paper published in 1948, ‘dol’ is the unit to measure pain. Further ‘dol scale’ quantifies the pain levels. The maximum pain level one can experience using the scale stands at 10.5. This proves that pain values mentioned in the post, in regard to men and women are unlikely, as they are beyond the maximum level on dol scale. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Firstly, there is no unit with the name ‘Del’ to measure pain. According to a 1948 paper on the study of pain, ‘dol’ is the unit to measure pain and not del. ‘Dol is the term used to denote the unit of painfulness and has a value of approximately one-tenth the intensity of the maximal pain’, reported the paper. Even the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, published the same paper on its website.
Further “dol scale” was developed that quantified pain levels using a dolorimeter, an instrument used to measure pain intensity. Based on research published in this paper, 10.5 is the maximum amount of pain which can be experienced. This proves that pain values mentioned in the post, in regard to men and women are unlikely, as they are beyond the maximum level on the dol scale.
Later on, Harvard Medical School also developed a 10 point scale to gauge the severity of pain. This scale was designed to help nurses and doctors better document and monitor how much pain one was experiencing and thereby offer the right treatment. As even this scale gauges pain on a scale of 0-10, the values mentioned in the post are not likely related to this scale.
To sum it up, pain experienced by a woman at the time of giving birth is not 57 dol.