Datasets:

common-pile
/

news

Dataset card Data Studio Files Files and versions Community

Split (1)

train · 172k rows

id int64 0 103k	text stringlengths 0 63.9k	source stringclasses 17 values	added stringdate 2024-05-27 14:45:34 2024-05-27 18:51:38	created stringlengths 0 222 ⌀	metadata dict
333	Baba Ramdev's biopic comes under attack on social media - Alt News Arjun Sidharth 20th February 2018 / 6:13 pm / Last updated: 22nd February 2018 Baba Ramdev unwittingly seems to have become the target of ire on social media. The Yoga guru’s biopic, which has launched on February 11 became a talking point after the first episode was aired. Ramdev, who has promoted the show launched by Discovery Communications India on its new channel Discovery Jeet has been criticised and mocked by certain sections. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq9NoXxHWjU Much to the chagrin of conservatives, Baba Ramdev’s first episode chronicled his struggle in the early years to break caste barriers in the pursuit of spirituality. The episode begins with a young Ramdev who on Janmashtami breaks the cordon separating devotees on the basis of caste at the local temple in order to secure the offering of the local Guru and touches the idol of Lord Krishna. Ramdev’s innocuous act has purportedly defiled the sanctity of Lord Krishna’s temple and is severely denounced by the local Guru who declares that the young boy be punished by the local panchayat for this transgression. The next scene shows a young, wailing Ramdev tied to a tree as mud and water is flung at him before he is let off at the mercy of the Guru. The Guru while letting him off adds that the sin of having transgressed the caste barrier has cast a curse upon his mother’s unborn child. The opening episode and its theme has not gone down well with orthodox elements on social media who have incessantly targeted the Yoga guru since the channel aired the show. Vexed over the portrayal of Brahminism in the opening episode of the biopic, Baba Ramdev’s show has been called worse than Pakistani propaganda! Ashamed of Sw Ramdevji 4 making a biopic that surpasses Pak films in Hindu hate. Such Brahmin-hate is unheard. I boycott Patanjali till this shameful lie is withdrawn with apology. With such friends, who needs enemies. Watch opening:https://t.co/4d1bhYavaV@VashiMant@agniveer — संजीव नेवर (Sanjeev Newar) (@followsanjeev) February 18, 2018 The above tweet is by Sanjeev Newar who is the founder of the pro-Hindutva website ‘Agniveer’. Yadavs have been one of the most powerful and prominent section of Hindus. Story related to Swami Ramdev in his serial that Brahmans punished him for touching Krishna’s idol being a Yadav is completely imaginary. Dangerous trend being set. Ramdev Ji must withdraw the serial. — Vashi Sharma (@VashiMant) February 18, 2018 A customary search on Twitter revealed the extent of disapproval with Ramdev. It was alleged that the episode was anti-Brahmin, stereotypical or inaccurate in its portrayal. Baba Ramdev, speaking at an event in Vrindavan, U.P on February 17 had advocated equality of castes. This trend was visible even on Facebook, where a large number of people criticised Baba Ramdev, going to the extent of insinuating a link between the Yoga Guru and Rajiv Dixit, deceased social activist. There is no lead in Patanjali noodles because Brahmins poured all the molten lead in Ramdev’s one eye !!! #Moolniwasi_Noodles Posted by Zaid Hamid Best Comedian on Sunday, February 18, 2018 The newest entry to the Brahmin bashing cavalcade is Swami Ramdev. After strategically changing his title of Baba to the… Posted by Aniket Shandilya on Saturday, February 17, 2018 The reference to caste-based discrimination with regard to temple entry has emerged as a sore point with certain sections who see this portrayal as either an attempt to divide Hindu society or besmirch the Brahmin community. The issue of access to temples for so called lower castes is highly symbolic with a strong historical legacy, and continues to evoke strong reactions. That this social reality is sought to be swept under the carpet by certain sections is not surprising and is reflective of a tendency to gloss over inconvenient truths. Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The CCTV footage of a man violently flinging a child on the ground has created… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… A minute-long video clip of a woman being physically assaulted is viral on social media….	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	20th February 2018 / 6:13 pm / Last updated: 22nd February 2018	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/baba-ramdevs-biopic-comes-attack-social-media/", "author": "Arjun Sidharth" }
334	Baba Ramdev's Patanjali pulls a fast one - rebrands an American app as Swadeshi Kimbho chat app - Alt News Alt News Desk 31st May 2018 / 2:44 pm / Last updated: 10th July 2018 अब भारत बोलेगा.! सिम कार्ड के बाद बाबा रामदेव ने लॉन्च किया मैसेजिंग ऐप KIMBHO, व्हाट्सऐप को मिलेगी टक्कर.. अपना #स्वदेशी मैसेजिंग प्लेटफार्म। गूगल प्ले स्टोर से सीधे डाउनलोड करें (Now India will speak! After sim card, Baba Ramdev now launches messaging app KIMBHO, WhatsApp now has a challenger.. our own swadeshi messaging platform. Download directly from Google playstore- translated), tweeted the spokesperson of Patanjali. On May 30, 2018, Baba Ramdev under the aegis of his flagship company launched with much fanfare a messaging app called Kimbho. Kimbho has been trumpeted as a swadeshi alternative to the Facebook owned WhatsApp, consistent with the ‘nationalist’ branding of Patanjali products. अब भारत बोलेगा.! सिम कार्ड के बाद बाबा रामदेव ने लॉन्च किया मैसेजिंग ऐप KIMBHO, व्हाट्सऐप को मिलेगी टक्कर.. अपना #स्वदेशी मैसेजिंग प्लेटफार्म। गूगल प्ले स्टोर से सीधे डाउनलोड करें।@yogrishiramdev@Ach_Balkrishna@bst_official @ANI@ani_digital@PTI_Newshttps://t.co/IxTGyLhMbq — tijarawala sk (@tijarawala) May 30, 2018 However within a few hours, the app came under the scanner on social media. It was alleged that the Baba had pulled a fast one, simply rebranding a messaging app called ‘Bolo Messenger’ that has been developed by a startup in Fremont, California, USA and passing it off as a swadeshi app. So @yogrishiramdev whitelabled Bolo Messenger app (startup based in Fremont, CA, USA) and now marketing it is as a Swadeshi Product 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/zzJbe2imtv — Kapil (@kapsology) May 31, 2018 Has Kimbho been developed in Fremont, California? What is the truth behind this claim? Alt News decided to dig deeper. To fact-check the social media claim, we tried installing the Kimbho App through Google play store for Android, but we found that the application had been taken down. However, it was still downloadable from the Apple app store. Upon installing the app, we saw that the application referred to ‘Bolo’ on multiple screens, thus suggesting that Kimbho is a rebranded application of a previously existing app called ‘Bolo Chat’. Upon successful installation, Kimbho displays the following message, reiterating that it is ‘Bharat first messaging app’. Next, we looked at the Kimbho website (www.kimbho.com). We found that the Kimbho website had been taken down. We were however able to access a cached version of the website through Google, a backup of which can be seen here. The screenshots of the app posted by Kimbho in the above website also show the words ‘Bolo Team’ at the top of the interface. The same screenshots have also been posted by the official Kimbho Twitter account. At the very top on the Kimbho website, social media links pointing to Facebook, Twitter and Contact are displayed. We found that these three are linked to the following URLs 1) Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/bolo.chat 2) Twitter – https://twitter.com/bolochatapp 3) Contact – [email protected] When you go to the Facebook page linked above, the cover image says ‘Kimbho – Ab Bharat Badlega’. Browsing through the Facebook page, it is apparent that this app was first launched in February 2016, more than 2 years ago. On Twitter, the announcement of the launch of Bolo app was made on December 18, 2015. Proudly launched #bolo today 🙂 — Bolo (@bolochatapp) December 18, 2015 The Facebook page also lists a website www.bolo.chat. This website is not accessible anymore. However, upon googling ‘bolo.chat’, the link between this old Bolo app and Patanjali can once again be seen. We were also able to access the page corresponding to Bolo Chat on Android app store which has now been taken down. A cached version can be accessed here. That page also clearly showed that the Bolo Chat app had been taken over by Patanjali. All the evidence on display clearly suggests that Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali has rebranded an already existing app called ‘Bolo Chat’ and passed it off as the ‘Swadeshi’ Kimbho app. To find out if the app is really ‘Swadeshi’ or not, Alt News decided to find out the origin of the ‘Bolo Chat’ app. On the Apple App store, it can be seen that the seller of Kimbho app is a company called ‘Appdios Inc.’ We were able to trace the founders of Appdios Inc on LinkedIn – Sumit Kumar and Aditi Kamal. In fact, Sumit Kumar’s display picture on LinkedIn is the same as the picture of the person in Bolo Chat’s promotional image. Sumit Kumar’s LinkedIn profile also states that he’s the founder of Bolo Chat. According to their LinkedIn profiles, both the founders of Appdios Inc are based in San Francisco bay area in California and are currently working for Hike and Google respectively. We discovered that the company Appdios Inc is registered in Fremont, California. According to the below listing, Sumit Kumar is the President of the company. Interestingly, we also found that the company AppDios Inc has the status as ‘Dissolved’ according to the California Secretary of State’s website. The last statement filed by AppDios was on 3rd August 2016 while the Bolo Chat app was launched in December 2015. In the span of a few years, Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali has created a niche in the consumer goods industry, relying heavily on the Yoga guru’s image and his call to use ‘swadeshi’ or country-made products over MNC products. Appeal to ‘swadeshi’ has been a constant theme for Patanjali in a fiercely contested and rapidly growing market. In such a scenario, masquerading a 2 year old app made by a company based in Fremont, USA, as a ‘swadeshi’ app is not just highly embarrassing but also highly misleading. Update: The Facebook page of Bolo Chat has been deleted after this story was published. It can be accessed through the archive here. Follow @free_thinker Trigger Warning: Violent Content. Viewer discretion is advised. Over the past few months, rumours of… A video of a young boy cleaning the windshield of a car is making the… On November 9, Yati Narsinghanad disciple Suresh Rajput uploaded a video on Facebook about AIMIM… A video clip of a fighter jet landing on a dam is being widely circulated… In the backdrop of NASA’s Perseverance Rover landing on Mars on February 19 (IST), a…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	31st May 2018 / 2:44 pm / Last updated: 10th July 2018	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/baba-ramdevs-patanjali-pulls-a-fast-one-rebrands-an-american-app-as-swadeshi-kimbho-chat-app/", "author": "Alt News Desk" }
335	Babita Phogat's Twitter account - A case of serial plagiarism - Alt News Pratik Sinha 25th June 2017 / 6:10 pm In March 2017, controversy broke out over Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur’s video for peace between India and Pakistan. From Virender Sehwag to Randeep Hooda, multiple people launched a misinformed attack on Gurmehar. Among the celebrities who attacked Gurmehar were also the Phogats. Back then, Alt News had put out a story about how multiple tweets from Mahavir Phogat and Babita Phogat’s Twitter accounts were a case of plagiarism. Since then, while Mahavir Phogat’s Twitter account mainly retweets tweets of his daughters, Babita Phogat’s account has issued multiple tweets on various political and national issues. We decided to re-examine her tweets and what we found is shocking. Barring one or two tweets, all of Babita Phogat’s tweets on political/national issues are plagiarised. We present 14 cases in the past couple of months which we determined were clear cases of plagiarism. The timestamps in the screenshots below show that Babita Phogat’s tweets have been copied from older tweets. Text: एक अय्यूब देश के लिए काम कर रहा था ,उसे भीड़ ने मार दिया और एक अय्यूब देश तोड़ने में लगी हैं तो उसे सिलेब्रिटी बना रखा हैं। Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: ऐसी अभिव्यकती की आजादी भी किस काम की, कि देश के कुछ गद्दार लोग पाकिस्तान की जीत के लिए खुशी मना रहे है। RT=AGREE #INDvPAK Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: Pdos Ke Mulk Se Awaaz Aa Rahi Hai,”Happy Father’s Day #India” ” बापू सेहत के लिये तू तो हानिकारक है …..रे बापू #INDvsPAK Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: याद रखना जिन्होंने कल पटाखे फोड़े है वो ही आगे चल कर बम 💣 फोड़ेंगे!! Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: हो सकता है भारत और पाकिस्तान का यह आखरी मैच हो..। फिर आगे मर्जी अपनी भारतीय सेना की पाकिस्तान रहे न रहे..।। RT #PAKvIND Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: And India is singing “…bhed ki hahakaar ke badle, sher ki ek dahaad hai pagle…” Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: पाकिस्तानी क्रिकेट टीम दंगल फिल्म का यह गाना सुन रही होगी ” बापू सेहत के लिये तू तो हानिकारक है …..रे बापू #IndVsPak Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: सेना को #MajorGogoiHonoured जैसे सैनिकों की ही जरूरत है और उन्है सम्मानित करने की भी, जय हिन्द 🙏🙏👍👍 Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: एक पाकिस्तानी(दुकानदार से) :-भाई कोई सस्ता टीवी पैक कर दे.. दुकानदार :- सस्ता क्यों..?? पाकिस्तानी :- 4 जून को तोड़ना है😓😒 😂😂😂 Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: देश सर्वोपरि है , लेकिन जब ऐसी परिस्थिति आ ही गई है तो पाकिस्तान को उसकी औकात बता ही देनी चाहिए। #JaiHind #INDvPAK Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: एक बात बताओ देश बड़ा या मैच?? #WalkOutFromPakMatch Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: बनती है,पहली रोटी जहॉ गाय के लिए, उस देश में कोई गाय ही खा गया ! Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: हम हैं #वतन के आशिक, अपने #भारत से बस प्यार करेंगे, दुश्मन हद से जो गुजर जाए, उसे माफ न करेंगे💪 Hats off to #IndianArmy #MajorGogoiHitsBack Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Text: अब जाकर कलेजे में ठंडक हुए है थोड़ी. कहा हो तुम, अभी सबूत मांग रहे थे l #जयहिदं #IndianArmy Links: Babita’s tweet, Original tweet Other than Babita Phogat’s account, the lone political tweet by Ritu Phogat in the last couple months is also a plagiarised tweet. Text: मेरे लिए मेरा देश सर्वप्रथम है,पाकिस्तान से नफ़रत मेरी हर रोज़ बढ़ती जा रहीहै फिर चाहे सैनिक,आर्टिस्ट,रिपोर्टर,क्रिक्केटेर हो #INDvPAK Links: Ritu’s tweet, Original tweet From the above tweets, it can be seen that even the simplest of political tweets are plagiarised. Most of these plagiarised tweets have been retweeted by Mahavir Phogat’s twitter account. As we suggested in our previous article, this could be a case of the PR team/social media manager hired by the Phogats being too lazy to create original tweets. Moreover, Phogats are free to have their own political leanings, but such serial plagiarism by someone who’s considered as a national sporting icon is very embarrassing. Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	25th June 2017 / 6:10 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/babita-phogats-twitter-account-case-serial-plagiarism/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
336	Babul Supriyo wasn't the first BJP big-wig who fell for WhatsApp propaganda by BJP's own cadre - Alt News Pratik Sinha 21st April 2017 / 1:54 am The cycle of WhatsApp propaganda. Some smart aleck writes about a new fictional achievement by BJP; BJP supporters, who never believe in fact-checking when it comes to BJP’s own achievements, get overjoyed; A few of them want to impress their friends and put it in their WhatsApp groups; This WhatsApp forward goes viral; Lands up in the phone of a BJP big shot Minister/MP/MLA/staunch-supporter; The BJP big shot tweets it or shares it on Facebook; Gets exposed on social media, ends up looking like a fool. How many times has this cycle repeated over and over again? The latest victim who’s been fooled by the false propaganda of his own party supporters is Babul Supriyo. Yesterday, he tweeted a picture which he claimed was that of Rajkot Bus Stand which in reality was just a Digital impression, the kind that is created before any building/residential apartment/shopping mall is constructed. Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman! Yes, it’s Superman, strange visitor from another planet, who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Those who were privileged enough grew up watching Super Man and his antics. These days, Whatsapp forwards would make you believe that one such ‘Super-man’ lives amongst us who doesn’t eat, doesn’t sleep, and more. And the state that this man comes from i.e. Gujarat has to be Superman-ly as well. Much like Superman, a lot of the propaganda about our own Super Man and the ‘development’ in Gujarat is pure fiction. Babul Supriyo realised his folly and graciously admitted that he was fooled by a WhatsApp forward. As our fellow Alt News author Sam Jawed pointed out on her Twitter account, the foundation stone for the Rajkot Bus Stand whose artistic representation is being circulated claiming it to be the Rajkot Bus Stand, was laid very recently on April 8th. Mr HV Goenka, chairman of RPG Enterprises, one of India’s largest business groups, was fooled by the social media propaganda too. Even Mohandas Pai, who was formerly on the Board of Directory of Infosys, and is a staunch Modi/BJP supporter ended up retweeting Babul Supriyo’s tweet. However, this is not the first time that a big shot has fallen for fake WhatsApp propaganda. Back in 2014, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi had posted one such rumour floating around on social media. When confronted, she deleted the tweet but found it hard to gracefully apologise. BJP supporters’ obsession with UNESCO as the ultimate judging body continued when a fake message went viral suggesting that Narendra Modi was chosen as the best PM in the world by UNESCO. Tens of thousands of identical messages were circulated on all forms of social media. This time it was the chance of Pankaj Advani, who is a professional billiards player, to fall for it. BJP’s spokesperson Sambit Patra once showed a photoshopped version of Iwo Jima on Times Now. Akhilesh Mishra, a former director of MyGov under Modi Government once tweeted a picture of a Chinese bus rapid transit system claiming it is Ahmedabad. The picture was originally from Guangzhou in China. BJP’s official Twitter handle has also tweeted pictures from other countries passing it off as their development. Once they passed of the imagery of Motorway A2 of Poland as Modi Magic BJP has actually even submitted photoshopped pictures in a court of law trying to show-off their work. This was done by BJP ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation. BJP Mahila Morcha’s National Executive Member Priti Gandhi once passed off a fake Julian Assange endorsement and this particular endorsement became viral on social media. Wikileaks called her out on this bluff much to her embarrassment. Govt’s own Press Information Bureau had once tweeted a photoshopped image of Narendra Modi surveying Chennai floods. The scene shown through the window of the plane as shown in the picture below was photoshopped and fake. There’s no count as to how many times official BJP handles, organisations, minister and big-shot BJP supporters have forwarded the case of fake photoshopped images and fake WhatsApp forwards. Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	21st April 2017 / 1:54 am	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/babul-supriyo-wasnt-first-bjp-big-wig-fell-whatsapp-propaganda-bjps-cadre/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
337	Bajrang Dal members apprehend two adults traveling in a train, falsely claim 'love jihad' - Alt News Archit 20th January 2022 / 5:42 pm On January 16, a Hindi-language website called Humlog published an article that claimed Bajrang Dal apprehended Aatif, a Muslim man, who attempted to abduct a married Jain woman. This post has been shared on/by several high network Facebook pages/groups such as — RSS राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ✅ [over 2 lakh followers]; Cm Yogi Adityanath [over 1.5 lakh followers]; पूछता है भारत ®️ ☑ [over 4 lakh followers]; SONU SOOD (Actor)The KingStar◎▼◎ [over 2 lakh followers]; Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi Fan Club [over 2 lakh followers]; Shifuji [over 4 lakh followers]. Humlog’s article includes a bite given by a Bajrang Dal member to regional media outlet Lokmanch Today. He said, “After being tipped off, Bajrang Dal reached the railway station. We apprehended the man and the woman from bogie number B1 (13, 14) on the train going to Jaipur from Ajmer, and took them to Government Railway Police Force (GRPF) station. The 30-year-old man is from Mhow, he is married and has a child.” हिंदूवादी संगठन के सदस्यों ने उज्‍जैन में युवक-युवती को ट्रेन से उतारकर, युवक की पहले पिटाई की फिर पुलिस को सौंपा pic.twitter.com/R40McDyQ5N — Lokmanchtoday (@lokmanchtoday) January 14, 2022 Hindi news outlets Amar Ujala and Dainik Bhaskar also published similar reports. While Amar Ujala said that a young woman was travelling with a Muslim man, both of whom were married, Dainik Bhaskar reported that Aatif was taking a Hindu woman to Ajmer to get married to her. As per both reports, the man and woman hailed from Mhow. Twitter user @Saffron_Smoke posted a longer video of the controversy in which we see a Bajrang Dal member assaulting the Muslim man in question inside the train compartment. The video also shows the man and the woman being escorted to a GRPF station on the railway platform. Subsequently, the bite that the Bajrang Dal member gave to Lokmanch Today is played. This video has gained over 50,000 views. Co-founder of DoPolitics and former OpIndia Hindi editor Ajeet Bharti shared this video and taunted Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair to fact-check this video. His tweet gained over 1,500 retweets. .@zoo_bear का कोई अपना तो नहीं? ❤️ड़े के फैक्टचेकर ही बता पाएँगे कि घरों में क्या सिखाते हैं कि बीवी रहते हुए दूसरों की लड़कियों को झूठ बोल कर फँसाते हैं। ये तो बुल्ली बाई बनाने वालों के बाप हैं। https://t.co/OMmtOchsxm — Ajeet Bharti (@NijiSachiv) January 17, 2022 Alt News spoke with the GRP inspector of Ujjain, RS Mahajan. He said, “This incident took place on January 14. There is no ‘love jihad’ angle to the incident. Both the man and woman are married [not to each other]. They were travelling from Indore to Jaipur. Both of them are friends and their families are acquainted. They were released shortly after the commotion.” Mahajan added, “No case was registered by the victims.” We also spoke with Nivedita Gupta, Superintendent of Police for GRP. She confirmed that the incident was not related to ‘love jihad’ and refrained from sharing any details related to the victims in order to protect their privacy. We performed a keyword search on YouTube and found a report by Live Hindustan. At the 1:20 mark, the woman can be heard saying inside the police station, “Do you understand that your misunderstanding has spoiled my entire life? You are making videos and taking pictures… you should have asked us. I’m an adult… I know what’s right and wrong. Professionally, I’m a teacher, I teach high school students.” The Bajrang Dal member responds to her by saying, “I am not even talking to you. Do I have anything to do with you?” thus completely disregarding an adult woman herself clarifying that she wasn’t coerced. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DURyMlrrebY?start=78] With the help of MP-based reporters, Alt News was able to identify the Bajrang Dal member who assaulted the Muslim man. His name is Pintu Kaushal (man in the middle in the image below). Bajrang Dal members, therefore, apprehended two friends travelling in a train and accused the man of committing ‘love jihad’. Not only have the police clarified that the incident does not have any communal angle, the woman herself can be heard saying, “I am an adult and I know what is right and wrong”. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Inter-faith relationships between Hindu women and Muslim men have been a sore point for the… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… Right after Elon Musk took over the reins of microblogging site Twitter, the organization carried… The CCTV footage of a man violently flinging a child on the ground has created… A minute-long video clip of a woman being physically assaulted is viral on social media….	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	20th January 2022 / 5:42 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bajrang-dal-members-apprehend-two-adults-traveling-in-a-train-falsely-claim-love-jihad/", "author": "Archit" }
338	Ballot paper voting for constituencies with over 100 candidates? A fact-check - Alt News Jignesh Patel 5th April 2019 / 7:18 pm / Last updated: 5th April 2019 A Twitter handle, @Alishorab007 tweeted that there will no voting via Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and instead ballot paper will be used for constituencies with more than 100 candidates. The message reads, “जहां कहीं भी 100 से अधिक उम्मीदवार होंगें वहां EVM का इस्तेमाल नहीं हो पाएगा… अगर आप चाहते हैं कि आपके क्षेत्र में चुनाव EVM से न होकर बैलेट पेपर से हो तो… अपने अपने क्षेत्र से अधिक से अधिक उम्मीदवारों का चुनाव में खड़ा रहने में मदद करें और लोकतंत्र को बचा लें “. It also urges people to get as many candidates as possible to be nominated in their constituencies because EVMs cannot cover more than 100 candidates. जहां कहीं भी 100 से अधिक उम्मीदवार होंगें वहां EVM का इस्तेमाल नहीं हो पाएगा… अगर आप चाहते हैं कि आपके क्षेत्र में चुनाव EVM से न होकर बैलेट पेपर से हो तो… अपने अपने क्षेत्र से अधिक से अधिक उम्मीदवारों का चुनाव में खड़ा रहने में मदद करें और लोकतंत्र को बचा लें…#BanEVM — काकावाणी کاکاوانی (@AliSohrab007) March 29, 2019 It may be noted over here that according to earlier reports published with reference to Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana, ballot papers were likely to be used for polling as 185 candidates are contesting the election. On March 29, the official spokesperson of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Sheyphali Saran in a series of tweets debunked the claim that ECI will have to use ballot papers for constituencies with more than 100 candidates. 1/2: It has come to the notice of ECI that misinformation is being spread on social media that Election Commission EVMs cannot be used if the number of candidates exceed 100. Latest EVMs can take upto 384 candidates including NOTA. Wherever required those EVMs will be deployed pic.twitter.com/g3GutHWwG5 — Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) March 29, 2019 Rubbishing the rumour, the spokesperson clarified, “Latest EVMs can take upto 384 candidates including NOTA. Wherever required those EVMs will be deployed”. Moreover, she also urged people not to heed factually incorrect statements. 2/2 It is urged NOT to heed to such factually incorrect statements — Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) March 29, 2019 Addressing a presser clarifying the uncertainty on conducting the election with EVM as reported by the media, Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said, “Hyderabad was the place where EVM was first made and it is now making history once again by being the state where the largest number of ballot units is being used in one constituency. Earlier, a maximum of four ballot units were used in the country. Now, in Nizamabad for the first time, 12 ballot units connected to one control unit will be used.” In conclusion, the Election Commission of India can conduct the election up to 384 candidates including NOTA by using 12 EVM ballots units connected to one control unit. A precedent will also be set on April 11 with the elections to be conducted in Nizamabad constituency, which has 185 candidates contesting the election, with Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	5th April 2019 / 7:18 pm / Last updated: 5th April 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/ballot-paper-voting-for-constituencies-with-over-100-candidates-a-fact-check/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
339	Ban on sale of eggs and meat in Dadri due to Kanwar Yatra is not fake news - Alt News Sam Jawed 24th July 2017 / 2:44 am / Last updated: 24th July 2017 Here is an interesting variant to fake news – one where genuine news gets labelled as fake. This is a story about restrictions on the sale of eggs and meat in Dadri and other places along the path of the annual Kanwar Yatra. On July 19th, Navbharat Times (@NBTDilli) journalist, Shyam Vir reported from Greater Noida about restrictions in Dadri area on sale of eggs, chicken and mutton due to an order by the local SHO. ग्रेटर नोएडा:कावड़ियों के जलाभिषेक होने तक दादरी एरिया में नहीं मिलेंगे अंडे और चिकन-मटन,दादरी एसएचओ का दुकान बंद रखने का फरमान @NBTDilli — shyam vir (@ShyamNBT) July 19, 2017 This was later tweeted by the official NBT handle in English saying Eggs or Non-veg not to be sold in Greater Noida till the completion of KanwarYatra, Dadri SHO asks meat shops to shut. Eggs or Non-veg not to be sold in Greater #Noida till the completion of #KanwarYatra, Dadri SHO asks meat shops to shut. Reports @ShyamNBT — NBT Dilli (@NBTDilli) July 19, 2017 The two tweets may seem the same at first glance but while the reporter had stated that the restrictions were limited to Dadri, the translation conveyed that the restrictions were in the entire Greater Noida area. This was perhaps a case of the message lost in translation but not a deliberate attempt to spread fake news. The tweets led to outrage all around. There were those who questioned why the restrictions have been put in place. There were others who pointed out that the news of restrictions in Greater Noida was not true. Since Mr @dhume tweeted NBT story on eggs being banned in Greater Noida, it would be fair if he tweeted this proof fixing the lie. @TheJaggi pic.twitter.com/J6w5yOCmvW — কাঞ্চন গুপ্ত (@KanchanGupta) July 20, 2017 In this outrage, it was forgotten that the original story was about the ban on sale of meat and eggs in Dadri. Greater Noida dominated the discussion. A grocery bill from Greater Noida became a tool to discredit the journalist and the media house, shifting attention from Dadri to Greater Noida. NBT too did not acknowledge or clarify it as an inadvertent error. This was also the subject of an article by OpIndia accusing media of spreading fake news about banning eggs and meat in Greater Noida. While there were no restrictions in all of Greater Noida as some had interpreted due to the @NBTDilli tweet, there were curbs on sale of non vegetarian food in some “sensitive areas” along the route. Several media outlets reported these, quoting police officials. As reported by Indian Express, restrictions on sale of non-vegetarian food were put in place to prevent the occurrence of any “untoward incident”. Suniti, SP (Rural) of Gautam Buddha Nagar told Indian Express, “This happens every year at the time of kanwar yatra. Some sensitive spots have been identified where there are possibilities of clashes. In order to prevent any untoward incident, stalls selling objectionable items have been asked to close down till the kanwar yatra ends.” The “sensitive” areas included portions of the Grand Trunk Road, especially those near Dadri, part of Jewar-Bulandshahr highway and areas in Rabupura. The SP said, “We have asked some shop owners to cover their shops and hawkers have been asked to move from the route taken by kanwariyas to bylanes or another road.” Restrictions in Dadri were confirmed by Ram Sen Singh, SHO, Dadri police station, who told Times of India, “We have also removed vendors serving non-vegetarian food. They will be off the road till the religious season of kanwar yatra is on.” TOI also reported that on Wednesday evening, the police conducted an inspection of the dhabas along the roadside and asked the non-vegetarian dhabas to shut down for one week. In a subsequent tweet, NBT also tweeted pictures of closed shops as well as the complete news write-up that clarified that the restrictions were limited to Dadri. In Pics : Meat shops are shut at #Dadri area in Greater #Noida after police order over #KanwarYatra. Reports @ShyamNBT pic.twitter.com/7mt36mH7l5 — NBT Dilli (@NBTDilli) July 21, 2017 Police sources positioned the restrictions as a “routine measure”. Noida police tweeted in response to Shyam Vir’s tweet saying the restrictions on sale of eggs and meat along the path of Kanwarias were customary to avoid hurting religious sentiments of the Kanwarias. इस संबंध में @spranoida द्वारा अवगत किया गया है @SHO_dadri1 @dadri_co pic.twitter.com/RdkYYJzRyZ — NOIDA POLICE (@noidapolice) July 20, 2017 Media reports stated that last year too there were demand for closure of meat shops in Dadri by radical organisations. As per Indian Express, last year, members of Gau Raksha Hindu Dal had tried to forcibly shut down meat shops in the area after their request to the administration to close down these shops had been turned down. Ved Nagar, President, Gau Raksha Hindu Dal is quoted in Indian Express as saying, “This year, we had approached the administration with the same demand — close all shops selling meat, fish, eggs and alcohol till Shivaratri. The administration has acted on our request and taken this measure.” There is enough evidence to support tighter restrictions this year with regard to closure of meat shops in Dadri. Multiple media organisations have reported it but because of one misleading tweet of @NBTDilli, the news of Dadri has been crowded out by discussions about grocery bills in Greater Noida. However, despite being pointed out by many that the news is not fake, the fake news allegations continued to be made. Nobody's cheerleader, I tweet at @samjawed65 Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	24th July 2017 / 2:44 am / Last updated: 24th July 2017	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/ban-sale-eggs-meat-dadri-due-kanwar-yatra-not-fake-news/", "author": "Sam Jawed" }
340	A Bangladeshi video is being trended as a Hindu being killed by Muslims in Nawada, Bihar - Alt News Pratik Sinha 14th April 2017 / 3:15 pm / Last updated: 6th June 2017 In a deliberate and continued attempt at misinformation aimed at making an already polarised society more reactionary, random videos from other countries are portrayed in a manner which compliments the BJP brand of politics. These videos go crazily viral on WhatsApp, Facebook and other forms of social media. We as a society and the news media as a whole are completely blind to this underground propaganda which is being carried out by the saffron camp. A neighbourhood chaat-wala has a phone full of videos of cows being cut which are very obvious to the informed eye that the videos are not from India. States where opposition needs to be targeted like Kerala, a video goes viral where it is portrayed that RSS workers are being killed when it was actually a Mexican video. At Alt News, we wrote about how a video is being shared since 2012 and continues to be shared in 2017 where it is portrayed that a Hindu Marwadi girl is being killed in Hyderabad, the little problem with the video is that the girl is neither Hindu, the mob is not Muslim and the incident happened in Guatemala in South America. The latest is this series is a video which has gone viral suggesting that a Hindu man is killed by a few Muslims in Nawada, Bihar. It is suggested that the incident happend on April 6th. The text accompanying the video is as follows. नवादा मे हिंदू भाई को बेरहमी से जान ही मार दिया मुसलमानों ने 6 तारीख को शुरू यहीं से हुआ अब तो पता लग ही गय़ा होगा कि गलती किसका है इसे इतना फैला दो कि माननीय प्रधान मंत्री जी श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी तक पहुँच जाय सच्चा हिंदू हो तो तुरन्त आगे भेजिए please…जय श्री राम English translation: In Nawada, a Hindu brother is being brutally killed by Muslims. This incident happened on the 6th of this month. We now know whose fault it is. Share this video so much that it reaches Narendra Modi. If you’re a true Hindu, then forward it pronto… Jai Shri Ram. The video is currently viral on both Whatsapp and Facebook. But, is this a video from Nawada, Bihar where Muslims are killing a Hindu? Well, it is not. Before I state further facts, I wish to reiterate that do not believe WhatsApp forwards blindly. The amount of misinformation on WhatsApp is actually starting to be detrimental to the cause of democracy. Coming back to the present case, this is actually a video from Bangladesh. On April 1st, unknown assailants killed Abu Syed & seriously injured Md Ali, two men who were wanted for the murder of Awami League leader Monir Hossain Sarkar. This incident happened in Titas subdivision of Coomilla district in Bangladesh. The issue was also covered by the local news website called Coomilla-r-Kagoj which translates to “Coomilla’s Newspaper”. The video was uploaded by a Bangladeshi resident to Youtube on April 2nd. Thus, yet another propaganda initiated by the saffron camp is nothing but a big fat lie. It is easy to see based on the number of cases of false videos that we have presented on Alt News that there is a deliberate campaign to create acrimony between various religious groups by making viral such videos with a deliberately propagated lie. While we at Alt News can keep writing about it, it is of no use if such information doesn’t reach the people who are actually getting influenced by such videos. We request that those who like the work we do to help us spread our word. Every time you see a video which you know is false propaganda, kindly push Alt News articles so that the misinformation campaign can be pushed back. If you’re unsure, please write to us at [email protected] so that we can investigate the case. Share away. Thank you. Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	14th April 2017 / 3:15 pm / Last updated: 6th June 2017	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bangladeshi-video-trended-hindu-killed-nawada-bihar-muslims/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
341	Banner from a 2018 farmers' protest by AIKS shared as recent - Alt News Archit 2nd December 2020 / 7:56 pm / Last updated: 2nd December 2020 An image that shows a banner inscribed with the slogan, “Not Modi, Not Yogi, Not Jai Shri Ram, if someone rules the nation it has to be labourers and farmers” (न मोदी, न योगी, न जय श्री राम / देश पे राज करेगा तो मज़दूर किसान!!”). The image has been shared on Twitter and Facebook with the message, “This is happening in the guise on farmers’ movement.” The image was tweeted by BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule. (archived link) बात किसान बिल और किसानों के मुद्दों को लेकर शुरू हुई और कहाँ पहुँच गयी। किसान आंदोलन की आड़ में ये सब हो रहा है। pic.twitter.com/kK0gEwhgre — Chandrashekhar Bawankule (@cbawankule) December 2, 2020 It was also tweeted by Hindu Yuva Vahini leader Yogi Devnath who has over a million followers on the platform. His tweet was retweeted over 1,000 times. (archived link) मोदी, योगी तो ठीक है पर राम का विरोधी मजदूर और किसान भारत का तो हो नहीं सकता। pic.twitter.com/q3oBCL1gpb — yogi devnath (@YogiDevnath2) December 1, 2020 Similarly, BJP supporter Gaurav Pradhan posted this image, drawing over 1,000 likes. (archived link) मोदी, योगी तो ठीक है पर राम का विरोधी मजदूर और किसान भारत का तो हो नहीं सकता। pic.twitter.com/jk3ERWnz9N — Gaurav Pradhan 🇮🇳 (@OfficeOfDGP) December 1, 2020 Twitter user @RituRathaur wrote, “EXPOSED! #farmersagitation is nothing but PaK ISI sponsored Anti Hindu forces attacking Bharat Mata.” (archived link). In the past, @RituRathaur, Pradhan and Devnath have been found spreading misinformation. EXPOSED!#farmersagitation is nothing but PaK ISI sponsored Anti Hindu forces attacking Bharat Mata.. pic.twitter.com/Xlf5boKH2X — Ritu (सत्यसाधक) #EqualRightsForHindus (@RituRathaur) December 2, 2020 Many users have posted this image on Facebook as well. Alt News received several requests to authenticate the claim on our WhatsApp helpline number (+917600011160) and on our official Android application. After a reverse image search, we found that this image is at least two years old. It was uploaded by Facebook page Jan Gan Man Ki Baat in December 2018. As per the post, it is from farmers’ protest in Delhi. Around the time when the image was posted, farmers were agitating in the national capital. According to The Economics Times, All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, an alliance of various farmer bodies, had organised the protest called Kisan Mukti March. The Wire reported that over two lakh farmers participated in the protests on November 29 and 30. The acronym ‘AIKS’ which stands for All India Kisan Sabha, affiliated to the CPI(M), can be spotted in the viral image. “Despite PM Modi’s recent statements that he had taken initiatives to solve farmers’ distress, the issues remain. For this betrayal, farmers will give Modi government and the BJP a befitting reply in 2019 election,” Ashok Dhawale, AIKS president, said at a press conference at the time. According to The Wire, the demand of the protestors included apart from increased minimum support prices (MSP) and a one-time unconditional loan waiver, a special session of parliament dedicated to discussion around agrarian distress. “There were farmers, young daughters whose fathers preferred suicide over living under a debt, widows whose husbands were devoured by the demon named agricultural crisis and tribals whose lands were snatched in the garb of commercialisation,” reported News18. The protests had a plethora of demands and slogans like ‘Ayodhya nahi, karz maafi chahiye’ were raised by the farmers. Readers should note that the recent protests are against three new farm legislation passed by the Modi government. While there might be overlapping issues in both protests, the viral image is not related to the recent movement. Several BJP members and supporters shared an old image of an AIKS placard to suggest that the protests are beyond the Farm Bills. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	2nd December 2020 / 7:56 pm / Last updated: 2nd December 2020	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/banner-from-a-2018-farmers-protest-by-aiks-shared-as-recent/", "author": "Archit" }
342	BBC report on 2018 Asansol riots shared as Mamata Banerjee making Hindus vacate homes - Alt News Arjun Sidharth 14th May 2019 / 6:49 pm “बंगाल कि मुख्यमंत्री ममता बनर्जी बंगाल में हिंदुओ का घर खाली करवा रही है वो इस वीडियो में जरा देखिये” (In Bengal, WB CM Mamata Banerjee is making Hindus vacate their homes. Please see this video- translation). With the above message, a video has been shared on social media platforms. It is two minutes, thirty seconds long, and begins with a woman describing her plight as she was forced to vacate her house. The video then shows another woman who walks around the place, explaining how it was attacked and set on fire. Later on in the video, she accuses the police of being complicit in the violence. The video is a report by BBC Hindi. “बंगाल कि मुख्यमंत्री ममता बनर्जी बंगाल में हिंदुओ का घर खाली करवा रही है वो इस वीडियो में जरा देखिये”…👇😡😡😡 Posted by भगवा शेरनी on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 The above post by a page Bhagwa Sherni has been viewed more than 167,000 times and shared over 7500 times since it was posted on May 7. The video has been shared by several individual users on Facebook and Twitter. The claim here along with the video is that members of the Hindu community are being forced to vacate their homes in West Bengal. WB CM Mamata Banerjee has been blamed directly in the viral message, holding her directly responsible for the arbitrary harassment narrated in the video. The video shared so aggessively on social media platforms, alleging discrimination of Hindus at the hands of the TMC government, is NOT recent. It is more than a year old, and pertains to the communal violence which rocked Asansol in West Bengal during Ram Navami in March 2018. At least five people were killed in the flare-up. The ground report by BBC Hindi was published on YouTube on April 2, 2018 and has been posted below. Communal clashes had broken out in March 2018 in Asansol, when Ram Navami processions in Raniganj had turned violent. Five people were killed in the violence, and dozens of vehicles and homes were set ablaze. According to a ground report by Scroll published in April 2018, those affected by the violence said the police was late in arriving at the scene. The report states: “A close look at the incidents of violence and conversations with people who were witness to them – including those who organised or participated in the processions – shows that the police and administration were late in responding to the rioting and in their attempts to arrest its spread. Many of them told Scroll.in that it took the police several hours to arrive at the trouble spots, despite several of these places being located within minutes of police stations. They also accused the police of not deploying sufficient personnel in areas that had seen clashes during Ram Navami celebrations in the past.” A video of a ground report from Asansol, West Bengal in 2018 was falsely shared as a recent incident of harassment and intimidation of the Hindu community at the behest of the TMC led state government. West Bengal is in the cross-hairs of misinformation as the nation heads towards the final phase of polling. Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	14th May 2019 / 6:49 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bbc-report-on-2018-asansol-riots-shared-as-mamata-banerjee-making-hindus-vacate-homes/", "author": "Arjun Sidharth" }
343	BBC's video report on Delhi riots shared to depict police complicity in Tripura violence - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 2nd November 2021 / 4:37 pm A video of a BBC report on police’s alleged complicity during communal riots has been shared with the claim that the report is on the Tripura violence. At least seven people died in violence against the Muslim minority community in Tripura, with several Muslim shops and properties vandalised and set ablaze. The violence was sparked by attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minorities. 👆त्रिपुरा दंगे पर दलाल मीडिया ने कुछ नहीं बताया मगर बीबीसी न्यूज़ ने सारी पोल खोल कर रख दी #BBC news# 👆👆 Posted by Gulaame Khawaja on Monday, 1 November 2021 The BBC report is quite viral on Facebook with the same claim that it’s from Tripura. Alt News has also received verification requests for the video. It is also circulating on Twitter. 👆त्रिपुरा दंगे पर दलाल मीडिया ने कुछ नहीं बताया मगर बीबीसी न्यूज़ ने सारी पोल खोल कर रख दी#BBC news# 👆👆 pic.twitter.com/S1TAwJPYSW — Ashiq Manzari (@AshiqManzari) November 2, 2021 The video does not depict police complicity during Tripura violence but the Delhi riots that took place in March 2020. Below is the BBC report and the viral portion begins after 32 seconds. The BBC has found Delhi police acted along Hindu rioters during a wave of attack on Muslims last week. Police in the capital are coming under increasing pressure as allegations of complicity in the clashes emerge. An investigation by @yogital, @shaluyadavbbc & @NickWoolley1234 pic.twitter.com/i6oSmpkP1r — BBC News India (@BBCIndia) March 3, 2020 BBC had reported that it “uncovered evidence” that the Delhi police “acted alongside Hindu rioters during a wave of attack on Muslims”. The channel gave eyewitness accounts claiming the police brought rioters stones and were accompanying rioters who set shops on fire. To reiterate, the video doesn’t show communal violence in Tripura. Alt News had earlier debunked a video of police accompanying a Hindu procession during Ram Navami violence in Bihar. The 2018 video was also being shared as Tripura. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	2nd November 2021 / 4:37 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bbcs-video-report-on-delhi-riots-shared-to-depict-police-complicity-in-tripura-violence/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
344	Were believers stopped from offering Namaz at Sidi Saiyyed mosque in Ahmedabad due to PM Modi's visit? - Alt News Pratik Sinha 14th September 2017 / 7:35 pm / Last updated: 14th September 2017 PM Modi arrived in Ahmedabad yesterday for the 12th annual India-Japan summit along with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe who is on a two-day visit. As part of this visit, the Japenese PM was accompanied to various historical places in Ahmedabad including Sabarmati Ashram and the 16th century Sidi Saiyyed Mosque. Now, a rumour is rife in Ahmedabad that believers were prevented from offering namaz at the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque in Ahmedabad due to PM Modi’s visit. Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt wrote on his Facebook profile, “Believers weren’t allowed to offer regular Namaz at Sid Saiyyed Mosque Ahmedabad for the last few days in order to facilitate this Tamasha“. To inquire into this issue, we spoke to the authorities who were co-ordinating the efforts regarding PM Modi and Japenese PM Shinzo Abe’s visit to the historical mosque. Rizwan Qadri who is the President of Ahmedabad Sunni Muslim Waqf Committee (Trust) told Alt News that no such disruption of namaz occured. He further stated that initially the time proposed by the PMO for PM’s visit was 6:35 which was in conflict with the “Maghrib” Namaz. This conflict of time was intimated to the PM’s office and the final schedule of PM’s visit did not conflict with the namaz time. Rizwan Qadri further stated that he himself participated in the namaz and the local police ensured that nobody had any issues regarding the same. The trust had also circulated the following WhatsApp message in Gujarati informing people that no namaz times were affected due to PM Modi’s visit, “અસ્સલામુ અલયકુમ અહમદાબાદ કી શાન એસી સીદ્દી સૈયદ મસ્જિદ મે ઈન્શાઅલ્લાહ પાંચો વક્ત કી નમાજ મુકરર કિયે ગયે વક્ત સે હી હોગી ઉસ મેં કોઈ કિસમકા બદલાવ નહી હોગા હમારે પી.એમ મોદી જી ને ઉનકે આનેકા વકત એસે મુકરર કિયા હે કી નમાઝ મેં આને વાલે નમાઝી કો કોઈ તકલીફ નહી હોગી. ટ્રસ્ટી અહમદાબાદ સુન્ની મુસ્લીમ વકફ કમિટી“. Alt News also spoke with the owner of New Golden Furniture Sabir Hussain Mansuri who offered namaz at Sidi Saiyyed mosque after PM’s visit. He confirmed that there was no disruption and everything was handled very smoothly. Alt News further spoke with various journalists who covered the event and they reiterated that social media rumours about namaz being disrupted were false. It is absolutely irresponsible on part of those who circulate such rumours on social media without cross-checking facts. Such rumours lead to communal polarisation. As it is, we are living in times when the strife between various religious/cultural communities is alarmingly high. We do not need social media rumours to further magnify this divide. Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	14th September 2017 / 7:35 pm / Last updated: 14th September 2017	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/believers-stopped-offering-namaz-sidi-saiyyed-mosque-ahmedabad-due-pm-modis-visit/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
345	Image of Nanpu Bridge from Shanghai posted as Varanasi roads on social media - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 14th July 2018 / 6:24 pm / Last updated: 14th July 2018 A photograph circulating on social media, accompanied with an elaborate caption, claims that the Modi government kept its promise of transforming “Benaras into Kyoto, Japan and built such a magnificent building in Godowlia that it has become a topic of discussion for the entire world.” The post goes ahead to add, “सेक्यूलर मीडिया इस विकास को कभी नहीं दिखाएगी (secular media will never show you this development)”, and asks people to widely share the image so that “the ones criticising PM Modi shut up.” Shared from the Facebook profile of one R.S Nagar on July 10, the photograph had over 23,000 shares at the time of writing this article. Posted by R.S. Nagar on Tuesday, 10 July 2018 It was also circulated by the Facebook page ‘Modi Mania’ on July 13 and attracted over 1,800 likes and 1,200 shares. The page has nearly 2.5 lakh followers. Individual users have also shared the photograph on Facebook. In 2016, the image, with the identical caption, was circulated by the Facebook page ‘Viskas Ke Bau’ as a satirical post. The tone itself gives away the humour – “गोदौलिया से हाईवे निकल कर सीधा अस्सी घाट जाता है\| बीच में यह बिल्डिंग में से घुसते हुए बीएचयू की तरफ निलकता है। (The highway starts from Godowliya and directly goes to Assi Ghat. In the middle, it enters a building and directly reaches BHU). Alt News reverse searched the image on Google and found that the highway being shown is Nanpu bridge in Shanghai, China. The cable-styled bridge was the first bridge to cross the Huangpu River from central Shanghai and opened to the public in 1991. Infrastructural images from different countries are often circulated as an “Indian development”. Last year, Chhattisgarh PWD minister Rajesh Munat passed off a Vietnamese bridge as one in Raigarh; a digital impression of Rajkot Bus stand was circulated by many as the real image; the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways posted pictures of roadways from US and Canada on its parivahan website. As there have been several such instances in the past, one must always do a quick Google search before believing “development” photographs circulating on social media. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	14th July 2018 / 6:24 pm / Last updated: 14th July 2018	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/benaras-false-image-nanpu-bridge-china/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
346	Bengal elections: Fake 'surveys' claim unfavourable results for AITC and BJP - Alt News Archit 31st March 2021 / 9:53 pm / Last updated: 1st April 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election began on March 27. It is going to take place in eight phases until April 29. In the final week of March, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) members/ supporters each shared an image. The images claim that respective political parties have faced unfavourable results. Claim 1: The letter claims BJP MP Dilip Ghosh informed National President of Bharatiya Janata Party JP Nadda that BJP had unfavourable result in phase 1. The letter was shared by AITC member Pritam Seal who claimed that TMC got a clean sweep in the first phase and BJP is “already accepting defeat”. .@DilipGhoshBJP writes to @BJP4India president @JPNadda that its Game Over for them in the first phase of Polls, @AITCofficial to get a clean sweep. Looks like @BJP4Bengal is accepting defeat already. This is what happens when you sit for exams unprepared.#BohiragotoChaiNa pic.twitter.com/LaYQw4b5SG — Pritam Seal (@PritamSealAITC) March 29, 2021 Fact-check: On March 30, the Office of Dilip Ghosh tweeted, “This is a fake letter being circulated on the name of Shri @DilipGhoshBJP. The @BJP4Bengal has made a complaint to the @ECISVEEP and will lodge a police complaint to take criminal action against those sharing this forged letter.” This is a fake letter being circulated on the name of Shri @DilipGhoshBJP. The @BJP4Bengal has made a complaint to the @ECISVEEP and will lodge a police complaint to take criminal action againat those sharing this forged letter. pic.twitter.com/qYUZvwd8Wn — Office of Dilip Ghosh (@DilipGhoshOff) March 30, 2021 News 18 senior editor Pallavi Ghosh also tweeted the same. .@BJP4Bengal writes to EC saya letter allegedly written by @DilipGhoshBJP to @JPNadda is fake pic.twitter.com/eab8yKJvgM — pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) March 30, 2021 Additionally, Alt News found that the signature of Ghosh on the viral image doesn’t match the signature on the document shared by Aditi Anarayanan, central government correspondent for Times Now. Claim 2: Around March 31, several social media users shared an image that allegedly shows two pages of a report by the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), a poll strategy agency hired by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. As per the image, BJP is likely to win in phase 2. BJP spokesperson Suresh Nakhua shared this image and wrote, “Didler is losing Nandigram as per internal survey by PK.” This tweet gained over 1,000 retweets. Didler is losing Nandigram as per internal survey by PK pic.twitter.com/QyBS9vN5GI — Suresh Nakhua ( सुरेश नाखुआ ) (@SureshNakhua) March 30, 2021 The accounts that amplified the image include BJP member Krishanu Singha, @IAmGMishra, @desibhakthoon, and @MrutyunjayNJ. Pro-BJP propaganda website OpIndia published an article and tweeted, “Mamata losing Nandigram, says leaked image of Prashant Kishor’s internal survey, TMC cries foul.” Fact-check 2: On March 31, I-PAC tweeted to refute the authenticity of the viral image. “Facing imminent defeat, @BJP4Bengal has now gone down to the level of using FAKE surveys in the name of I-PAC to keep the morale of their workers up!! P.S: In I-PAC, no one uses desktops so at-least be smart in your effort to create fake survey/reports,” tweeted the company. Facing imminent defeat, @BJP4Bengal has now gone down to the level of using FAKE surveys in the name of I-PAC to keep the morale of their workers up!! P.S: In I-PAC, no one uses desktops so at-least be smart in your effort to create fake survey / reports! 😉🤣 pic.twitter.com/lFaOo0DshU — I-PAC (@IndianPAC) March 31, 2021 I-PAC Director Pratik Jain also called out the misinformation stating that his name has been misspelt in the letter. The bottom right corner of the fake survey spells Pratik’s name with double ‘e’ instead of ‘i’. They could have also been smart enough to at least use the actual spelling of my name 😛 #FailedAttempt https://t.co/BvPPd1Zn0y — Pratik Jain (@jpr4tik) March 31, 2021 Both BJP and TMC members shared fake documents to propagate that the other party is set to lose West Bengal elections. It is noteworthy that OpIndia updated its article to include I-PAC’s response. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	31st March 2021 / 9:53 pm / Last updated: 1st April 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bengal-elections-fake-surveys-claim-unfavourable-result-for-aitc-and-bjp/", "author": "Archit" }
347	Are AYUSH supported BGR-34 and IME-9 drugs safe and effective for diabetes? - Alt News Dr. Sumaiya Shaikh 13th August 2017 / 3:17 pm / Last updated: 15th August 2017 In November 2014, the Modi govt. created a new ministry called the AYUSH, which stands for the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy, with Shripad Yesso Naik appointed as the AYUSH minister of state (Independent Charge). Under UPA govt., AYUSH existed in the form of a department under the Health Ministry called the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H). This upgrade to the ministry status also signaled an increased focus on research in alternative medicines. The ministry of AYUSH has helped develop, in collaboration with CSIR and CCRAS, two Ayurvedic anti-diabetic drugs namely BGR34 and AYUSH82 (sold as IME9). Alt News have found that, both of these drugs have been released with insufficient clinical testing and have relied on pre-clinical animal testing for the majority of its claims. Moreover, contrary to the popular belief, in some patients, treatment with these Ayurvedic drugs have revealed a plethora of side effects; and, in contrast to its claims, have known to increase the blood glucose level to a dangerous high. Alt News’ Research Alt News examined the claims made by BGR34 and AYUSH82 using published scientific evidence available at Google Scholar and PUBMED. In the area of drug formulations, health practitioners use the clinical and academic research indexed by Google Scholar and PUBMED to verify and seek information regarding new drugs. As a corollary, the absence of scientific research information regarding various drugs in Google Scholar and PUBMED indicates lack of clinical research for those drugs. In addition to Google Scholar and PUBMED, Alt News also looked at the research databases available at the ministry of AYUSH and CCRAS as well as the patents’ database (applied, granted as well as rejected) for these drugs. Moreover, in regards to BGR34 and AYUSH82, Alt News spoke to: In the course of this article, Alt News also refers to the research and writings of: BGR34 – Claims and effects BGR34, an Ayurvedic drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and claims to have 34 vital phyto-constituent extracts and derivatives according to healing principles of Ayurveda that converts proinsulin to insulin. The drug also claims to produce nil side effects in comparison to Allopathic drugs. Promotion BGR34 is being manufactured by a private enterprise called AIMIL Pharmaceuticals which was awarded the AYUSH brand of the year in 2016 by the Union Minister of Agriculture, Purushottam Rupala. News channels such as News 24 and ABP news aired exclusive reports along with the speech by Mr. Modi to promote its benefits and cost-effectiveness that gave an impression of it being a miraculous drug BGR34 – Medical research This drug has been collectively developed by two CSIR laboratories, National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plant (CIMAP). Senior principal scientist of NBRI, Dr. AKS Rawat said that ‘BGR34 has been examined on animals and a scientific study has identified it safe and effective, with clinical studies demonstrating only 67% success’. AIMIL Pharmaceuticals also claims that BGR34 drug is manufactured according to a scientifically-proven optimised formula. Despite the claims, Alt News found no scientific data such for human clinical trials regarding BGR34 in peer reviewed journals from PUBMED and Google scholar (accessed 25/07/17). Similarly, pre-clinical studies (e.g. tests in animal models of diabetes) were not found for this drug in PUBMED or Google scholar databases. Also, a search for patent application at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) yielded no results for this drug. One clinical trial was found registered to CTRI (Clinical Trials Registry – India) for BGR34 in November 2016 by Dr. BP Gupta of Aggarwal Dharmath Hospital society, New Delhi that showed no pharmacokinetic data indicating any experiments conducted but simply stated that the primary outcome of this trial ‘shows promising results’ in a brief summary. This means that the registered trial showed no results at all in numbers or graph as evidence for any studies that may have been conducted using prescribed scientific methods. The lack of scientific data and one domestic clinical trial registered with no data makes it impossible to validate the claims made vis-a-vis BGR34 and thus, raises questions regarding the integrity of these claims. BGR34 – Side effects Contrary to popular belief and Ayurveda claims, patients have reported gastric problems and severe allergies as a result of BGR34 treatment while others also claimed that it has simply been ineffective. Patients reported some side effects such as allergies, stomach burning and no change in sugar levels during the consumption of the drug. However, one may not be able to say for sure that these side effects occurred as a result of BGR34, and not due to a random event due to the absence of proper clinical trial. Although, a rigorous double blind placebo RCT (randomised control trial), an essential part to the drug development process, would give this information and more related to the safety and toxicity of the drug. More information on these RCTs in drug development industries can be found here. Here we enlist some of the reviews on BGR34’s Facebook page. BGR34 – Cost Alt News also found that the claim that BGR34 is cheaper than Allopathic drugs is misleading. BGR34 is promoted as a cheaper drug with a price point of Rs. 5/ tablet with the recommended dosage of two tablets twice a day with meals. That makes it 4 tablets a day and amounts to Rs 20 a day or Rs 600 a month. Whereas, a 50 year old widely prescribed drug Metformin is available at the starting price of Rs. 0.75 per 500 mg tablet from GENETICA (ARISTO) with the recommended dose between 500-2500 mg per day that can cost anywhere from Rs. 22.5 to Rs. 112.5 a month. IME9 (AYUSH82) Recently, central council for research in Ayurvedic sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous body of the Ministry of AYUSH promoted a second drug for diabetes called AYUSH-82. AYUSH-82 is sold with a brand name IME9. In a report by the Hindu newspaper, IME9 stock worth Rs. 20 lakh was seized by the state drugs controller under the Drugs and Magic Remedies Objectionable Advertisements Act-1954 that disallowed advertisements of cure for chronic illnesses like diabetes. AYUSH82 or IME9 In conversation with the Assistant Director (Pharmacognosy) of CCRAS Dr. A.K. Mangal, we were informed that CCRAS developed this drug in the name of AYUSH82 and later sold the distribution and manufacturing rights to Kudos laboratories, who later repackaged it as IME9. Moreover, according to Dr. Mangal and this report on CCRAS website, this formula has also been sold to many other companies all or some of which will eventually manufacture and distribute this formula using different names such as IME9. We found three websites actively promoting and selling this drug: As IME9 has failed to prominently state that it is actually a branded version of AYUSH82, health practitioners and patients have found it difficult to find research regarding IME9 as all the primary research has been done for AYUSH82 and not IME9. IME9 (AYUSH82) – Medical research IME9 (AYUSH82) claims to have been developed after double blind clinical human trial studies of more than 800 patients. Double blinding is a method by which the person conducting the study and the patient, both are oblivious to the drug being tested in order to avoid experimental bias. Despite the claims, Alt News found no such study involving more than 800 patients using PUBMED or Google scholar (accessed 25/07/17). Also, a search for patents on the CCRAS website also yielded no results for this drug. One review article was found, without any research data, referring to IME9 in researchgate (a social media platform for scientists) by Dr. B. Negi and contained no details about where or when it was published. IME9 (AYUSH82) herb combination study also not found Also, Kudos Laboratories claims that IME9 contains five main ingredients such as Karela, Jamun, Amra, Gudmar and Shilajeet, which has anti-diabetic properties but hasn’t been tested in a combination of these ingredients specific to AYUSH82 either by AYUSH or by anyone else. Also, the exact proportion of these ingredients is also not available – an important detail with respect to dosage information. There are several studies that have tested each ingredient or as one or more combinations of these drugs in rat diabetic models by several Indian and non-Indian herbalists. However, the contraindications such as mixing these ingredients together or the efficacy studies in human clinical trials have not been found (searched 26/07/17). IME9 – side effects As with BGR34 and its missing clinical trials, IME9 has also been associated with many consumer complaints. Contrary to the popular belief that herbal medicines do not produce side effects, some of these adverse reactions due to IME9 included constipation, blood discharge in stool, and in contrast to the claim of hypoglycaemia, increased blood sugar levels (as shown in the images and video below)– an effect that can be extremely dangerous for a diabetic patient. Another patient also reported the same increase in blood sugar as a result of IME9 treatments for just 15 day period where her fasting blood glucose increased from 324 mg/dl to 460 mg/dl (normal range 70-110). Expert Opinions: From Ayurveda experts and endocrinologists Bhushan Patwardhan, Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune rejected the claims of these drugs and published his review in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine as below: The Government regulations, oversight and surveillance is required to ensure that gullible patients are not exploited. What is being sporadically done under the pretext of herbal drug development is certainly not in line with the basic principles, ethos and practice of Indian traditions. The AYUSH community has responsibility to preserve legacy and ensure that its credibility is not compromised for cheap publicity or short term economic gains. In a long run such inept efforts can erode credibility and likely to bring disrepute to Indian traditions and knowledge heritage. 2. Award winning Indian endocrinologist Prof. (Dr.) Anoop Misra In a Lancet paper, Prof. Anoop Misra and colleagues challenged the hype of alternative therapies for diabetes in India being developed. The team also found literature pertaining to these treatments but suggested that there were several methodological problems with these trials. Prof. Misra wrote, ‘Not only did the studies conducted faulty trials, but there could be severe dangers related to toxicity and interactions between the potential bioactive ingredients quoting the policy and guidelines suggested by the Central drugs standard control organisation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Professor Misra also stated that ‘the Indian guidelines have waived or relaxed the rules for rigorous pharmacological and toxicology studies for Ayurvedic products, provided that medicines are “prepared in same way as mentioned in ancient Ayurvedic treatises” such as Charaka Samhita or similar texts, purported to have been written and rewritten between the 6th century BCE and the 1st century CE’, which presumably, is the reason enough to accept sub-standard drug trials conducted by AYUSH and its associated research centres. 3. A practicing endocrinologist Dr. Om Lakhani In a phone conversation with Dr. Om Lakhani, MD, a Consultant Endocrinologist at Zydus Hospital and MD Internal Medicine (Gold Medalist), DNB (Endocrinology), he also refuted the ‘miraculous’ claims of both of these anti-diabetic medications. He also commented on how the scientific basis for these medications is lacking and suggested it may be against the law to promote medicines and ‘miracle cures’ on TV, Radio or newspaper according to the ‘Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954’ in India. He has also written a detailed review about these drugs here. 4. Furthermore, Saper et al (2008) tested and reported high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in 1/5th of US and Indian manufactured medicines sold on the internet by testing a randomised selection of Ayurvedic drugs across 25 different websites. This research indicates that a large proportion of locally manufactured drugs can be contaminated which emphasizes a greater need for rigorous testing. Responsibility in drug efficacy and safety Should the ministry of AYUSH, CSIR laboratories, National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plant (CIMAP) be held accountable for violating these regulations and releasing these drugs without sufficient tests? Or should companies such as Kudos Laboratories be held accountable for promoting these drugs on television for the gullible patients? If the alternative Ayurvedic medicines developed and promoted by AYUSH and its associated laboratories have such adverse side effects due to inadequate testing in human models, is it really worth taking the risk? Especially when there can be life threatening side effects, misleading claims that comes with a greater cost in comparison to the best available treatment on the market. Conclusion Based on the current scientific data, expert opinions from the field and consumer complaints, there is scant scientific evidence for the use of BGR34 and AYUSH82 in the management of diabetes. These drugs may or may not work in type 2 diabetes, and would unlikely be of any use to type 1 diabetes due to a completely different pathology. Moreover, they is not evidence for toxicity tests in these drugs which are required, since there is evidence for contamination of lead, mercury and arsenics. There are also contraindication studies required to check whether these drugs interact with other drugs in the system. Lastly, a rigorous unbiased-multi-phase double blind clinical trial needs to be conducted in healthy as well as in type 2 diabetes patients of both genders, age groups, pregnancy, patients with other disorders, etc. before its market release before making such elaborate claims. Alt News Science is no longer edited by Dr. Sumaiya Shaikh From 2017-2021, Dr. Shaikh was the Founding-Editor for Alt News Science. Her main role is as a neuroscientist researching violent extremism and psychiatry. Follow @Neurophsyik In a 2-minute video, a man recommends a “technique” to prevent infection from Omicron, the… A video of a set of iron nails that appear to melt after being placed… Several social media users have shared an image that shows two columns — ‘Cepa/variante’ (Spanish… A 90-second video of a man dissecting a banana has been shared on the internet…. The Taliban has formed an all-male government after taking over control in Afghanistan. On September…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	13th August 2017 / 3:17 pm / Last updated: 15th August 2017	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bgr-34-ime-9-drugs-safe-effective-diabetes/", "author": "Dr. Sumaiya Shaikh" }
348	Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad falsely claimed to be with 'Naxal bhabhi' in this photo - Alt News Archit 17th October 2020 / 3:24 pm A 19-year old Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras. She succumbed to injuries on September 29. Since then, there has been an outpour of misinformation on social media about the incident. Recently, an image of Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan, co-founder and national president of Bhim Army, was shared claiming he was photographed with “Naxal bhabhi”. The image was uploaded on Twitter and Facebook along with Hindi text, “Who is this with Hathras sister-in-law? Do you get it…” (Translated from ये हाथरस वाली भौजी के साथ कौन है कुछ समझे..!) A Twitter user posted the image on October 13. ये हाथरस वाली भौजी के साथ कौन है कुछ समझे pic.twitter.com/zhIm6fYKK9 — क्षत्राणी Ishika सिंह काNh वAnShI (@Ishika81291478) October 13, 2020 Dr Rajkumari Bansal from Jabalpur’s Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College was accused by certain media outlets of being a Naxalite and living with the Hathras victim’s family “posing as a relative”. Dr Bansal has refuted both claims and Alt News has also debunked misinformation related to “Naxal bhabhi”. Azad’s photo with a woman claimed to be Dr Bansal was shared by Gaurav Pradhan who later took it down (archived link). In 2018, Alt News documented multiple instances of misinformation shared by Pradhan. He still frequently dishes out misinformation. Chandrashekhar Azad was at a rally when contacted by Alt News hence unable to attend phone calls. However, Bhim Army Delhi President Himanshu Valmiki recognised the woman in the viral image. “She is Kiran Yadav ji,” he told us, adding that Yadav has an active social media presence. Hindi news-website Patrika reported that Yadav became a popular social media personality after her posts on politics and social issues went viral a few years ago. On October 13, Azad told Bomlive, “This photo was taken sometime in 2019. I had gone to Ambala to visit Kiran Yadav’s family. The photograph was clicked in her home in Ambala. Kiran is like my sister and we are very close to each other. There are other pictures with Kiran’s sons as well.” Alt News compared a photograph of Yadav taken from her Facebook profile and the viral image with Dr Rajkumari Bansal’s photo published by The Times of India. They have distinctive features — the shape of the nose and lips is evidently contrasting. Thus, the social media claim that Bhim Army president Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan was photographed with Dr Rajkumari Bansal from Jabalpur Medical College is false. Earlier, a Congress member was claimed to be Dr Basal, dubbed as ‘Naxal bhabhi’, and a false claim also said that Priyanka Gandhi hugged Dr Bansal at Hathras victim’s residence. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	17th October 2020 / 3:24 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bhim-army-chief-chandrashekhar-azad-falsely-claimed-to-be-with-naxal-bhabhi-in-this-photo/", "author": "Archit" }
349	BHIM UPI - Where is the Digital Customer Support in Digital India? - Alt News Sam Jawed 5th November 2017 / 6:28 pm BHIM UPI has seen an impressive growth in the number of transactions in the last three months. The number of transactions has gone up from 16.80 million in August 2017 to 76.96 million in October according to official figures. This amounts to a 358% growth in transactions as compared to a 61% growth in the June to August period. As India embraces a digital future, is the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) geared up to handle the customer service issues? Alt News reviews the recent posts of NPCI_BHIM and finds that the Twitter handle is slipping up in the way that it responds to customers. It was on October 13 that Twitter user Vikash Sharma wrote to @NPCI_BHIM for help. Three weeks later, on November 3, he was asked to send a direct message and confirm if he is still facing any issues. Hi, regret the delay, kindly DM/inbox and let us know if you are still facing any issues. Thanks! https://t.co/e3AHQ90Coe — BHIM (@NPCI_BHIM) November 3, 2017 This is not a standalone case. In the first few days of November it seems that NPCI_BHIM cleared its weeks-long backlog and many of those who had written to them in early to mid-October finally got a response. The timeline is full of many more examples. Hi Parav, kindly DM us your transaction details so that we can assist you better. You can also reach out to us at: https://t.co/FMHn1OxLc8 — BHIM (@NPCI_BHIM) November 3, 2017 In many instances, the customers have complained about the helpline. One person who reported about the helpline not being reachable on October 5 got a response on November 3. The response asked him to send a Direct Message if he was still facing issues. Please use the in-app complaint mechanism to register your UPI transaction related grievance. — State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) October 13, 2017 Hi, regret the delay, kindly DM/inbox and let us know if you are still facing any issues. Thanks! https://t.co/e3AHQ8J1wG — BHIM (@NPCI_BHIM) November 3, 2017 Hi, regret the delay, kindly DM/inbox and let us know if you are still facing any issues. Thanks! https://t.co/e3AHQ90Coe — BHIM (@NPCI_BHIM) November 3, 2017 To ensure the privacy of transaction details, customers are advised to send a DM. It is a standard response to all those who contact NPCI_BHIM with a problem on Twitter. Imagine the frustration of someone who was asked to send a DM on Oct 11 and when he asked what is meant by DM, he got a response on November 3. There are many who may be new to Twitter terminology and may not understand what is meant by a DM. It is easy to blame the customers but if people are repeatedly asking what is meant by DM, then there should be some way of educating/informing them. Maybe a pinned tweet could be used to inform people about the process so that they send a Direct Message to begin with rather than get a response two weeks later to send a DM. Those who sent a DM were asked three weeks later to again send a DM. There are cases where people have complained after sending multiple DMs only to be told to send another DM. A BHIM user discovered much to his shock that he was pulled up publicly and accused of being irresponsible, making a wrong transaction and blaming it on the organization. Even if it was the user’s fault in this case, this was no way to respond to a customer complaint. After the case was highlighted by many on social media, NPCI_BHIM deleted the tweet. So far we have not seen any public apology to the user. BHIM may be a good product but even the best of products must be matched with a responsive customer service to maintain their relevance. Digital transactions are only going to grow in the future. Whether the examples cited in the article are a result of a shortage of staff or inadequate customer service training or weak processes, we hope these are just teething troubles that will soon be resolved by NPCI_BHIM. Nobody's cheerleader, I tweet at @samjawed65 Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	5th November 2017 / 6:28 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bhim-upi-digital-customer-support-digital-india/", "author": "Sam Jawed" }
350	BHU, now a RSS laboratory, has become a hell-hole for female students - Alt News Alt News Desk 9th February 2017 / 2:19 pm / Last updated: 8th February 2020 Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is a renowned university that houses more than 40,000 students making it one of Asia’s largest residential campuses in India. However, the university has been in the news for all the wrong reasons ever since the appointment of Girish Chandra Tripathi as the Vice-Chancellor in November 2014. Mr Tripathi takes immense pride in his four decades of association with the RSS and conducts himself in a dictatorial fashion. Students accuse him of openly espousing RSS ideology. In the recent past, he expelled renowned social activist and Ramon Magsaysay award winner Sandeep Pandey for not toeing the Sangh Parivar’s line. When objections were raised to the use of the university as RSS shakha, he said, “When the Indian government itself is of the RSS, there is nothing wrong in establishing an RSS shakha in BHU.“ Unsurprisingly, with RSS culture taking deep roots in BHU, a culture which is known to be anti-women, the BHU administration under Chandra Tripathi has imposed various restrictions specifically on female students. Draconian rules specifically for targeting female students were imposed soon after Mr. Tripathi was appointed vice chancellor. Only in BHU – Girls hostels decided not to serve meat because it violates “tradition”. The Vice Chancellor believes that “consumption of non-vegetarian food makes women impure according to the Malviya values”. “How can they get meat at Malviyaji’s hostel! In fact, he didn’t even want onion or garlic in the food. But we do give them eggs, you see,” says Sandhya Singh Kaushik, principal, MMV. An article in The Wire by Angellica Aribam, All India General Secretary of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), was the first to expose the extent to which gender based discrimination is prevalent in BHU. For instance, the administration has banned the use of mobile phones by female students after 9 pm, no Internet access at night. not allowed to use library at night, curfew by 8 PM, regressive dress-code on campus. The vice chancellor had in fact said that “girls who study in the night are immoral”. Women students are made to sign an affidavit pledging that they won’t indulge in any protest or agitation. No night outs or visitors, infact it is difficult to get permission even for a day out. In fact, let’s analyze one of the latest diktats regarding the ban of non-veg in Girls hostels and how it is absolutely non-sensical even from a data point of view. According to the Union Govt Sample Nation Wide Survey Conducted by the office of Registrar General & the Census Commissioner in 2014, 70.7 Percent of women in India are non-vegetarians. Contrary to popular belief, India is predominantly a non-vegetarian country even though vegetarianism is often assumed as the norm in India. The Union Govt Census conducted in 2014 shows that Telangana and West Bengal have highest number of non-vegetarians with 98.8 percent men and 98.6 percent women enjoying meat. Among the other states with a high non-vegetarian population are, Andhra Pradesh (98.25%), Odisha (97.35%) and Kerala (97%). According to this report, there are a few states where people are primarily vegetarian – Rajasthan, where more than 70 per cent are vegetarian, Haryana and Punjab follow closely with number of vegetarians ranging from 65 to 70 per cent. This research by govt organisations themselves has debunked the myth that most Indians are vegetarians. In fact a majority of youngsters in India, be it cities or villages have no inhibitions about consuming mutton, fish or fowl. What can’t be denied though, is that age old upper caste prejudices continue to dominate popular perception. While in a democracy, no minority based on language/food/culture/religion etc can be discriminated against, hostel/apartment/residential colony rules are often found favoring the majority. However, in this specific case, even that doesn’t make sense based on the data presented. It can thus be seen that as a result of the brahmanical RSS continuing to increase its influence over various universities under the present dispensation at the Centre, it has resulted in increased gender and caste discrimination in universities all over India. Reference : (SRS) baseline survey 2014 : http://www.censusindia.gov.in/vital_statistics/BASELINE%20TABLES07062016.pdf Follow @free_thinker A screenshot of a tweet by the official Twitter handle of Maharastra Information centre which… Social media was abuzz with the claim that the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has discriminated… “Prof HC Verma. He gets 1 crore as royalty/year for his book ‘Concepts of Physics’…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	9th February 2017 / 2:19 pm / Last updated: 8th February 2020	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bhu-now-rss-laboratory-become-hell-hole-female-students/", "author": "Alt News Desk" }
351	BHU professor leaks phone numbers of public figures on his Facebook profile - Alt News Arjun Sidharth 21st February 2019 / 10:12 am 98111XXXXX पर प्रशांत भूषण को, 98115XXXXX पर रविश को, और 82830XXXXX पर सिद्धू को भारत विरोध के लिये बधाई दें This message was posted by a Facebook user Koushal Mishra, who leaked the phone numbers of lawyer Prashant Bhushan, journalist Ravish Kumar and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. These three public figures have been targeted incessantly on social media since the Pulwama terror attack which killed over 40 CRPF personnel. Koushal Mishra is no ordinary social media user. He is the Head of the Department of Political Science at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). That has however not prevented Mishra from putting out phone numbers of Bhushan, Kumar and Sidhu in the public domain, encouraging trolling, abuse and threats by suggesting that they be “congratulated for opposition to India”. Mishra is no stranger to controversy. He was arrested in 2014 on the charge of instigating BJP workers to attack AAP leader Somnath Bharti. He was released shortly after. Mishra was in the news again in 2017, when MA political science students were asked in the exam to “write essays on the “nature of the GST [Goods and Services Tax]” in Kautilya’s book Arthashastra and the role of Manu as the “first Indian thinker of globalisation”. Alt News skimmed through Prof Mishra’s Facebook profile, and apart from the post exposing phone numbers of public figures, there were a number of misleading posts. A quotation attributed to Congress party spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi has been circulated on social media in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack. According to this quote, Chaturvedi has said, “फौजी मरते है तो मरने दो उनको पैसे भी तो मिलते हैं हमारी कांग्रेस फौजियों से ज़्यादा मेहनत करती है हमारी तारीफ़ जनता क्यों नहीं करती” (If jawans are dying let them die, they get money for it. Our Congress works harder than army men, why dont people praise us- translated). Koushal Mishra is among those who shared this quote. कांग्रेस नेता की ये बयान आहत करने वाला .मणीशंकर .दिगविजय ही नही छूटभईया नेता भी भारतीये सेना के प्रति गलत बयान बाजी कर रहे है \| Posted by Koushal Mishra on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 The quote attributed to Priyanka Chaturvedi and circulated on social media by Koushal Mishra and others, is fake. In a conversation with Alt News, Chaturvedi said, “This (quotation) is fake. I am sick of these fake Facebook posts.” In January 2019, Mishra posted photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the claim that they were taken at Haridwar where Modi took a dip in the Ganga. हरिद्वार में मोदी जी का गंगा स्नान। Posted by Koushal Mishra on Friday, January 18, 2019 Alt News had found that these photos were taken in 2004 when then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi had taken a dip in the Shipra river at Ujjain during the Ujjain Simhastha. On another occasion, Mishra had posted a screenshot of Prashant Patel Umrao’s tweet wherein he made the ludicrous claim that over 60 public figures are paid from Rs 2-5 lakh a month to write against PM Modi. Koushal Mishra also has a page on Facebook where he posts regularly. The content is often false and inflammatory. Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	21st February 2019 / 10:12 am	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bhu-professor-leaks-phone-numbers-of-public-figures-on-his-facebook-profile/", "author": "Arjun Sidharth" }
352	Big Boss contestant Swamy Om and his associate booked for ripping off woman's clothes - Alt News Alt News Desk 12th February 2017 / 2:20 pm / Last updated: 12th July 2018 Most controversial contestant Swami Om infamous for his stint on the show for behaviour with women in the house and during News debates, has been booked for misbehaving with woman. A Victim has alleged that former ‘Bigg Boss’ contestant Swami Om and his associate attacked her and ripped off her clothes to humiliate her in full public view a few days ago at Rajghat. She also alleged that they threatened her of dire consequences and abused her. The attackers then fled from the spot after she screamed for help, Police said. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the police officer said, “The woman alleged that the men then took her to their room in an ashram near ITO, where they attempted to rape her. She said that she begged them to let her go, but they abused her and threatened to ruin her image.” The woman reportedly told the police that when she warned Swami Om to report him to the police, he told her that he is a god man and would curse her. “She claimed he threatened to ruin generations of her family and also said that he was a big boss contestant and that she should be scared of him,” a police officer said. Acting on the compliant, a case under section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of IPC has been registered against Swami Om and his associate. The victim will record her statement on Monday before the magistrate. Police will take necessary action against the accused,” said a senior police officer. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	12th February 2017 / 2:20 pm / Last updated: 12th July 2018	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/big-boss-contestant-swamy-om-and-his-associate-booked-for-riping-off-womans-cloths/", "author": "Alt News Desk" }
353	Image shot ahead of 2019 general polls viral as PM Modi's Bihar election campaign rally - Alt News Kinjal 29th October 2020 / 3:04 pm In the middle of the ongoing polls in Bihar, a few images of a crowd gathered in large numbers have been going viral on Facebook and Twitter. It’s being claimed that the pictures are from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent rally in the state. The accompanying Hindi caption mocks people who were amazed by the massive crowd at Tejashwi Yadav’s rally but only showed concern for social distancing when a large number of supporters gathered at PM Modi’s rally. (archived link) 10 दिन से तेजस्वी की रैली देख कर “लहर-लहर” चिल्लाने बाले आज मोदी जी की रैली देख कर “शोसल डिस्टैसिंग” का रोना रो रहा है,,,😂 #बिहार Posted by अनामिका मिश्रा on Friday, 23 October 2020 A Facebook page called ‘Sanjay Mishra BJP’ also posted the pictures with this claim. (archive link) 10 दिन से तेजस्वी की रैली देख कर “लहर-लहर” चिल्लाने बाले आज मोदी जी की रैली देख कर “शोसल डिस्टैसिंग” का रोना रो रहा है।🤣 #बिहार Posted by Sanjay Mishra BJP on Friday, 23 October 2020 Twitter user @Nationfirst0012 tweeted one of the viral photos with the same caption. A closer look at the three viral pictures makes it clear that they are all the same image. Apart from this, not a single person can be seen wearing a mask here. Alt News performed a reverse image search and found the viral image shared on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s website on March 3, 2019. According to the website, these were taken at a rally in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan. Ahead of last year’s Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Modi had organized rallies across the country as part of the BJP’s campaign efforts. During this campaign, he addressed voters in a Sankalp rally at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, the capital city of Bihar, on March 3, 2019. The venue in Sasaram where the Prime Minister’s recent rally was conducted is contrastingly different. For starters, it is covered by a shed. Visuals of the rally can be seen in this Aaj Tak video report dated October 23. Therefore, an image shot ahead of Lok Sabha polls last year has been falsely shared as PM Modi’s Bihar election campaign rally. Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	29th October 2020 / 3:04 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bihar-poll-old-images-of-pm-modis-rally-in-bihar-shared-as-recent/", "author": "Kinjal" }
354	Old image from UP shared by RJD as Bihar police mistreating people in the state - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 23rd October 2020 / 5:06 pm A photograph of policemen making people squat and hold their ears was shared by RJD Lakhisarai suggesting that it depicts mistreatment of Bihar citizens. जो भूल जाते हैं, दोबारा भोगते पाए जाते हैं! भूलना नहीं है बिहारवासियों! यह आपके साथ नहीं हुआ हो, पर आपके दूसरे गरीब बिहारी भाइयों के साथ ज़रूर हुआ है! उनके स्वाभिमान व न्याय की ख़ातिर भूलना नहीं है बिहारवासियों! pic.twitter.com/yjls0RmTZW — RJD Lakhisarai (@LakhisaraiRjd) October 21, 2020 The same image was also shared by the official Twitter account of RJD on October 21. The image was earlier shared in March with the claim that it depicts mistreatment of migrant workers during lockdown imposed due to COVID-19. A quick reverse image search on Google redirects to several news reports from March 25 where the photograph has been used – The Hindu, Financial Express and Outlook. According to description attached to the image: “Police personnel punish offenders flouting lockdown guidelines, imposed in wake of coronavirus pandemic, at Chakeri area of Kanpur, on March 24, 2020.” The Hindu credited the photograph to PTI. Alt News contacted PTI photographer Rahul Shukla who got the photograph shot by a colleague on March 24 after he was informed of the police action. “This picture was shot at around 1:30 pm. Section 144 was imposed and 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh were under lockdown.” It is noteworthy that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced a lockdown in Kanpur starting March 23. “These people had stepped out without any reason. Some were on foot while others were on bikes. None of these people was able to prove to the police that they had stepped out for either ration or medicine,” said Shukla. He further informed that the police asked those who violated lockdown protocol to show ID cards. “Had these people been migrant workers from say, Delhi or Bihar, they would’ve shown their Aadhaar cards for proof of residence and the police wouldn’t have punished them. But they were unable to provide ID proof.” There are also hints in the photograph which suggest that the people being punished are not migrant workers – motorcycles in the background and the lack of luggage. Alt News checked the PTI photo gallery and confirmed that the image was indeed shot on March 24. Therefore, a photograph of police in Kanpur punishing people for stepping out during lockdown in March has been revived ahead of Bihar elections with the false claim that the image depicts police excess in the state. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	23rd October 2020 / 5:06 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bihar-poll-rjd-shared-photo-of-up-police-punishing-lockdown-violators-as-mistreatment-of-bihari-migrants/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
355	Bihar polls: BJP, News18 falsely claim CPI-ML's Aaftab Alam was arrested in 2013 Patna blast case - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 20th October 2020 / 8:03 pm / Last updated: 22nd October 2020 Bihar police on October 15 arrested Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) candidate from CPI-ML Aaftab Alam while he was filing his nomination papers to contest the upcoming state polls from Aurai constituency in Muzaffarpur. BJP Bihar claimed that Alam was accused of bombing Prime Minister Modi’s election rally in Patna. Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election, a series of bomb blasts had injured over 80 and killed six persons on October 27, 2013 hours before then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was to address a rally in Gandhi Maidan, Patna. दुष्कर्म के आरोपी, भगोड़े की पत्नी, जिन्ना समर्थक, सबको टिकट दिए, अब तो पीएम मोदी की रैली में बम धमाकों के आरोपी को भी ‘माले’ से उम्मीदवार बना दिए हो। Tejashwi Yadav बाबू #ई_का_किए_हो ? Posted by BJP Bihar on Sunday, 18 October 2020 News18 Bihar also reported that Alam was accused of bombing PM Modi’s rally. “NIA had arrested Aaftab Alam from Muzaffarpur in a case pertaining to a series of bomb blasts that took place in Narendra Modi’s rally in Patna. He is currently out on bail,” wrote the outlet, later updating its report without citing any reasons for the change. National spokesperson of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Vinod Bansal tweeted, “While Aaftab Alam who blasted Modi ji’s Patna rally has been given a Congress ticket from Aurai, Maskoor Usmani, the anti-national who hanged Jinnah’s portrait is contesting on Congress’s ticket from Darbhanga. The party has further strengthened its 70 years of commitment to jihadists and terrorists.” मोदी जी की पटना रैली में ब्लास्ट करने वाले आतंकी आफताब आलम को औराई से तो जिन्ना की फोटो लगाने वाले देशद्रोही मशकूर उस्मानी को दरभंगा के जाले से कांग्रेस की टिकट। पार्टी ने इससे 70 वर्षों की अपनी जिहादियों व आतंवादियों के साथ प्रतिबद्धता को और मजबूत किया है!! — विनोद बंसल (@vinod_bansal) October 18, 2020 Several others who promoted the claim were Hindu Yuva Vahini member Yogi Devnath, Prashant Patel Umrao, Gaurav Pradhan, @Pushpendrakulss and Abhishek Kumar Khushwaha. Facebook page ‘The Chaupal’ also published a report claiming Alam was arrested for his involvement in the Patna blast case. पीएम मोदी की रैली में सीरीज ब्लास्ट करने वाले महागठबंधन उम्मीदवार आफताब आलम को पुलिस ने किया गिरफ्तार Posted by The Chaupal on Sunday, 18 October 2020 Alt News had debunked the false claim about Congress candidate Maskoor Usmani in an earlier report. Usmani did not hang Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). The portrait has been inside the campus since 1938. Our detailed fact-check report can be read here. The claim about Aaftab Alam accused in the 2013 Patna blast case is also false. Alam was indeed arrested on October 15 however, for an old case related to obstruction of government work. An FIR was lodged against him at Katra police station, according to Aaj Tak. “Aaftab was arrested by the police as soon as he stepped out after filing his nomination papers. CPI-ML workers protested against his arrest but the cops did not pay heed and took Aaftab to present him in court,” said the report. “The police said that a complaint was filed against Aaftab Alam on August 20, 2020 at Katra police station for obstructing a government servant from carrying his duties,” added the report. Navbharat Times carried a similar article. A non-bailable warrant was issued against the grand alliance candidate. Alam said that he was arrested for staging a protest against the murder of Katra resident Dilip Rai. “This is vendetta and a political conspiracy,” he responded. On August 27, Dilip Rai was found hanging from a tree in Singwari, Katra. Rai was a khaini (tobacco) trader. The police said that the youth was murdered and subsequently hanged. The incident angered villagers who accused the police of failing to catch murder culprits in several past cases. Alam had staged a protest to demand the arrest of the perpetrators. He had also posted about the protest on August 27. “We will not hand over the dead body unless the SP arrives. It is the public’s demand that the SHO is dismissed…Such incidents regularly happen and the police leave after filling panchnama,” he wrote. Alam was subsequently booked under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 188 (punishment for disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), 353 (assault or criminal force used to deter public servant from discharging his duty), 504 (provocation to break public peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention). Alam was also booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. Katra police confirmed Alam’s arrest details with Alt News. The relevant portions of the FIR have been attached below. CPI-ML filed a complaint with Facebook public policy manager Vijaya Moorthy on the misinformation circulated by News18 Bihar and The Chaupal. “We are writing to report against malicious and fake news being spread against our party and our candidate from Aurai constituency for Bihar Election 2020, Comrade Aftab Alam by certain political and media organisations on their official Facebook page…Please find attached the copy of Aftab Alam’s election nomination document (which includes the mention of criminal cases against a candidate, if any) and it is clearly declared that the only case against Comrade Aftab Alam (see page 10 of Nomination form) is FIR 192/2020 at Kathra PS registered in 2020 in connection with a protest,” reads the complaint. Who were the accused in the Patna blast case? The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet named 10 people accused of carrying out a series of bomb blasts at then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi’s Patna rally in 2013. Aaftab Alam’s name does not feature on the list. “Investigations revealed that Imtiyaz along with others had planted the bombs at the Patna railway station and Gandhi Maidan, where the Hunkar rally of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was being organised. Imtiyaz was associated with the Students Islamic Movement of India and also had very close links with the members of Indian Mujahideen,” said an NIA release, reported The Hindu in an August 24, 2014 report. The Economic Times had reported on August 23, 2014, “The NIA charge-sheet says the ten accused in this case also believed that Modi was responsible for the 2002 riots in Gujarat and held BJP responsible for the riots in Muzzafaranagar that had taken place just a month before Modi’s rally in Patna was targeted by the said terrorists in Patna.” BJP Bihar and News18, therefore, falsely claimed that grand alliance candidate from CPI-ML Aaftab Alam is one of the accused in the 2013 Patna bomb blast case. An FIR was registered against Alam in August 2020 after he staged a protest against the murder of a Katra youth. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	20th October 2020 / 8:03 pm / Last updated: 22nd October 2020	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bihar-polls-bjp-news18-falsely-claim-cpi-mls-aaftab-alam-was-arrested-in-2013-patna-blast-case/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
356	Bihar polls: Old, unverified video falsely viral as EVM directly registering vote for BJP - Alt News Archit 31st October 2020 / 3:43 pm / Last updated: 11th November 2020 A video of a person casting their vote on an electronic voting machine (EVM) is being circulated with the claim that votes cast for any party were getting registered in favour of the BJP. अपनी आंखों से देखे देशवासियों””कैसे #मोदी #वोटिंग #मशीन कही भी बटन दबाओ वोट भाजपा को ही पड़ेगा”ट्रंप गलती कर दिया अगर ये मशीन से चुनाव कराता तो कभी नहीं हारता””पुरा बेईमानी हुआ है बिहार में @shubhada1234 @rohanrgupta @SarcasticRofl @babulalkhan786 @geetv79 pic.twitter.com/PZQMfd01jH — s.s.zama Alis Munna (@s_szama) November 10, 2020 People have also shared the video while questioning the Election Commission against the RJD’s allegations of counting foul play on eight seats in Bihar elections. U r also Incompetent like ur Bosses. Sold-out. @ECISVEEP#Shame_on_Election_Commissionpic.twitter.com/hWGQFDrzIr — Daksh Raj (@dakshra69258549) November 11, 2020 The same video was shared before the conclusion of assembly elections in the state. “In the first phase of voting itself, the games have started… voted for elephant (Bahujan Samaj Party) but it was directed to BJP watch this and RT,” read the viral message. Several Twitter and Facebook users have posted this video. (Translated from पहले ही चरण की वोटिंग में खेल शुरू हो गया है… हाथी को वोट डालो तो भाजपा को जाता है आप सभी देख ले और RT करे) An imposter account in the name of folk singer Neha Singh Rathore tweeted the video. (archived link) पहले ही चरण की वोटिंग में खेल शुरू हो गया है… हाथी को वोट डालो तो भाजपा को जाता है आप सभी देख ले और RT करे@yadavakhilesh@priyankagandhi pic.twitter.com/0OJjTSObYV — Neha Singh Rathore (@NehaFolksingers) October 30, 2020 Twitter user @dimpleydv_ also posted the video. It has been viewed close to 10,000 times. The handle describes itself as a parody account. (archived link) पहले ही चरण की वोटिंग में खेल शुरू हो गया है… हाथी को वोट डालो तो भाजपा को जाता है आप सभी देख ले और RT करे@ranvijaylive @_garrywalia @HansrajMeena pic.twitter.com/QyJSYL5cC5 — dimple yadav (@dimpleydv_) October 30, 2020 Similarly, several Facebook users shared the clip. Alt News watched the video on a loop and noticed that the person has their hand placed over both the BJP and BSP symbols thus it cannot be said with certainty that the EVM was faulty. Next, we analysed the video using InVID. After rummaging various search results, we found that a Facebook user had shared the clip with Punbaji text in May 2019 during Lok Sabha elections. The screenshots below are stills from the Facebook video uploaded in 2019. That the person has placed their fingers on both BJP and BSP symbols is evident. Moreover, the light corresponding to BJP’s symbol lights up hinting that she may have in reality pressed the button. Last year, BSP leader Mayawati blamed ‘EVM tampering’ for her poll defeat in Uttar Pradesh even as manipulation of the machines was denied by a parliamentary panel comprising members of several parties including BSP. A one-year-old unverified video has been revived during the ongoing Bihar assembly elections to suggest EVM manipulation directly registered votes for the BJP. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	31st October 2020 / 3:43 pm / Last updated: 11th November 2020	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bihar-polls-old-unverified-video-falsely-viral-as-evm-directly-registering-vote-for-bjp/", "author": "Archit" }
357	Bihar polls: Video from 2019 shared as people at Tejashwi Yadav’s rally claiming to vote for BJP - Alt News Priyanka Jha 30th October 2020 / 9:12 pm On October 30, national in-charge of social media for BJP Mahila Morcha Priti Gandhi shared a part of an ABP News broadcast and wrote, “Especially for those who have been going ga-ga about the crowds at @yadavtejashwi’s rallies in Bihar!! That crowd is present there only for their entertainment…They are extremely clear that their vote is reserved only for PM @narendramodi!!” In the video, an ABP News reporter questions people whom they’ll vote for in the elections and several in the crowd can be heard saying “BJP”. Gandhi has shared the video against the backdrop of the ongoing Bihar assembly elections. Especially for those who have been going ga-ga about the crowds at @yadavtejashwi‘s rallies in Bihar!! That crowd is present there only for their entertainment…They are extremely clear that their vote is reserved only for PM @narendramodi!! JAI HO#BiharWithNDA pic.twitter.com/OypYi8t1pN — Priti Gandhi – प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) October 30, 2020 The clip that carries a watermark of Gandhi’s Twitter handle (@MrsGandhi) also found its way to Facebook. It was shared by the page ‘India with Namo’. Especially for those who have been going ga-ga about the crowds at Tejashwi Yadav’s rallies in Bihar!! That crowd is present there only for their entertainment…They are extremely clear that their vote is reserved only for PM Narendra Modi!! #BiharWithNDA Posted by India With Namo on Friday, 30 October 2020 A quick glance at the video itself establishes that it does not represent a recent event. For starters, nobody can be seen adorning masks. Moreover, a ticker on the screen reads, “Fastest result on May 23 only on ABP News. (23 मई को सबसे तेज़ नतीजे सिर्फ़ ABP न्यूज़ पर.)” A keyword search on YouTube took us to the ABP News broadcast uploaded on May 9, 2019 ahead of Lok Sabha elections. The rally was held in Champaran district’s Kesariya. The part shared by Priti Gandhi can be watched 4:25 minutes onward. In the later part of the broadcast, people can also be heard stating that they will cast votes for Tejashwi Yadav and advice others to do the same. Thus, a clipped portion of an ABP News broadcast from last year was shared by BJP’s Priti Gandhi with the false claim that people at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s rally said that they will vote for the BJP in Bihar elections. Reporter Utkarsh Singh questioning the crowd in the broadcast also clarified on Twitter that the clip is from last year. बीते कई दिनों से BJP-JDU और तमाम दूसरे दलों के लोगों के साथ ही आम लोग भी ये video शेयर कर रहे हैं। शेयर करिए, खूब करिए, लेकिन साथ में ये भी लिख दीजिए कि ये पिछले लोकसभा चुनाव का video है। आप लोगों से निवेदन है कि मेरे नाम और मेरी शक्ल के साथ fake news मत फैलाइए। #BiharElections https://t.co/KtvK0Yv2Xu — Utkarsh Singh (@UtkarshSingh_) October 30, 2020 She specializes in information verification, examining mis/disinformation, social media monitoring and platform accountability. Her aim is to make the internet a safer place and enable people to become informed social media users. She has been a part of Alt News since 2018. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	30th October 2020 / 9:12 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bihar-polls-video-from-2019-shared-as-people-at-tejashwi-yadavs-rally-claiming-to-vote-for-bjp/", "author": "Priyanka Jha" }
358	Clash between two groups over idol immersion in Bilaspur falsely viral with communal spin - Alt News Kinjal 14th October 2022 / 3:18 pm / Last updated: 14th October 2022 A video of a clash in which a group of people are seen pelting stones and sticks at a truck is being circulated widely on social media. It has been claimed that the footage is from a clash in Chattisgarh’s Bilaspur. According to the accompanying message, Hindus were allegedly attacked with swords, sticks, and rods during the idol immersion ceremony of the Hindu deity Durga. As per Hindu tradition, the idol of the deity is immersed at the end of Navratri. It is worth noting that the viral message mentions Hindus being attacked. In other words, users are stating the perpetrators of the attack are from another religious community. Twitter user Vishnu Kumar Mishra amplified the footage with this claim. The post was retweeted by more than 385 handles at the time of writing. (Archived link) Twitter user ‘Yogi Yogesh Agarwal (Dharmasena)’ also shared the video with a similar message. He questioned for how long Hindus will be thrashed for celebrating their festivals in their own country. (Archived link) #अपने_ही_देश में अपने तीज- त्यौहार मनाने पर कब तक पिटेगा हिंदू ? बिलासपुर की इतिहास में पहली बार इस तरह क्रूरता .. बिलासपुर सदर बाजार की सड़क से माँ दुर्गा विषर्जन करने जा रहे हिन्दुओ पर तलवार लाठी डंडे रॉड से हमला माँ दुर्गा के मूर्ति पर हमला हिन्दुओ पर पत्थरबाजी … pic.twitter.com/WZ56ODRGIz — योगी योगेश अग्रवाल (धर्मसेना) (@yogeshDharmSena) October 9, 2022 Several other Twitter users also promoted the video. (Link 1, Link 2, Link 3) The video is widespread on Facebook with the same claim. Alt News performed a keyword search, which led us to a report by News18. The article has quoted the police as saying that a scuffle broke out between two Durga Puja committees during the idol immersion in Bilaspur on October 7. During the clash, both groups attacked each other’s members with sticks and stones. According to the police, this row broke out over which party would go for the immersion ceremony first. News agency ANI also tweeted about this video. The thread quotes ASP Rajendra Jaiswal, who states that the dispute was between two Durga Puja committees and the police are still interrogating the accused in this case. Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh \| Scuffle broke out between members of 2 Durga puja committees over which party would go for immersion first. Suspects are in police custody, interrogation is going on. Action will be taken against the accused: Rajendra Jaiswal, ASP pic.twitter.com/KtRzZkGltg — ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) October 7, 2022 Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar reported that during the Durga immersion in Bilaspur, religious processions were passing from Devkinandan Chowk to Juna Bilaspur. Meanwhile, a dispute arose between devotees from Shanichari Bazaar and Kududand Durgotsav Samiti. People from both parties attacked each other with sticks and lathis. According to the report, “Following the dispute, both parties have filed cases against each other. Abhijit Tiwari has filed a case against Himanshu Rai, Shailesh, Paras and others, while on the other side, Shailesh Kashyap has filed an FIR against Naveen Tiwari, Vijay Gupta and others. To sum it up, a video of a scuffle between two Durga Puja committees in Chattisgarh’s Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh was falsely circulated on social media as an ‘attack on Hindus’. Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	14th October 2022 / 3:18 pm / Last updated: 14th October 2022	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bilaspur-2-durga-puja-committees-clash-shared-as-a-comunal-angle/", "author": "Kinjal" }
359	'Biryani for terrorists': BJP continues to milk a false claim - Alt News Jignesh Patel 28th March 2019 / 3:50 pm With less than 15 days to go for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, political campaigning is expectedly in full swing. On March 26, BJP President Amit Shah was in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh to address a campaign rally. Addressing the rally, he took a jibe at the erstwhile UPA regime for being soft against terrorists. He said, “Friends, you tell me, elections are going to be held in the country. Can anybody give a jaw-breaking response to terrorists other than Modiji?…. Can anybody give a jaw-breaking reply to Pakistan? The country wants a Prime Minister, who just by taking an oath will send shivers down enemies’ spine. For 30 years, you (Congress) have been feeding them (terrorists) biryani and I can say without any hesitation that the time when terrorists were given biryani is over now -translated)” WATCH \| “Days of serving ‘biryani’ to terrorists are over,” says BJP president Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/pWpYHxYm2f — NDTV (@ndtv) March 26, 2019 While targeting the Congress party for feeding biryani to terrorists, the BJP President was referring to a fabricated story propagated by the public prosecutor of the 26/11 trial, Ujjwal Nikam. During the trial, Nikam, who had argued on behalf of the state, had manufactured a story about Ajmal Kasab being fed biryani in jail to counter an emotional wave supposedly being created in Kasab’s favour. “Kasab neither asked for biryani nor it was served by the government. I concocted it just to break an emotional atmosphere which was taking shape in favour of Kasab during the trial of the case”, Nikam said, speaking to the media in 2015. According to a 2012 report, Nikam had earlier said, “On Raksha Bandhan, he had inquired from his lawyer whether some girl would come to tie a Rakhi on his wrist, while on another occasion he threw tantrums for mutton biryani to be served to him in jail”. Despite an admission by Nikam himself that the biryani story was a fabrication, BJP leaders on multiple occasions have reiterated the same claim. In November 2018, UP CM Yogi Adityanath had also used the same line of political propaganda. Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	28th March 2019 / 3:50 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/biryani-for-terrorists-bjp-continues-to-milk-a-false-claim/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
360	'Biryani for terrorists' jibe: Yogi Adityanath targets Congress party with fabricated claim - Alt News Jignesh Patel 27th November 2018 / 7:29 pm / Last updated: 19th March 2019 In a recent rally in the poll-bound Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath took a jibe at the erstwhile Congress led UPA regime for going too soft on the terrorist convicted in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. At an election rally in Makrana, Adityanath said, “Congress has always played divisive politics. It is the result of the division and divisive politics that terrorism was on the rise in the country. Today you can see that the terrorists which were fed Biryani by Congress are now fed bullets by us”. Several media organizations have reported the statement made by Yogi Adityanath including Republic TV, Times Now, India Today, Swarajya, NDTV, The Financial Express and ANI. In March 2015, Ujjwal Nikam, the public prosecutor who argued on behalf of the state in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case had disclosed that he had fabricated the story of Ajmal Kasab being fed biryani in jail to counter an emotional wave created in Kasab’s favour. Speaking to the media, Nikam had said, “Kasab neither asked for biryani nor it was served by the government. I concocted it just to break an emotional atmosphere which was taking shape in favour of Kasab during the trial of the case”. According to a report, Nikam earlier had said, “On Raksha Bandhan, he had inquired from his lawyer whether some girl would come to tie a Rakhi on his wrist, while on another occasion he threw tantrums for mutton biryani to be served to him in jail”. It may be noted that Times Now, India Today, NDTV and Swarajya have referred to the clarifying statement made by the public prosecutor in their news reports. Despite the public prosecutor’s clarification being reported in 2015, three years later, the same falsified claim was utilized by Yogi Adityanath for political propaganda. Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	27th November 2018 / 7:29 pm / Last updated: 19th March 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/biryani-for-terrorists-jibe-yogi-adityanath-targets-congress-party-with-fabricated-claim/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
361	BJP Asansol IT Incharge, PostCard News spreading fake video in order to create communal discord in Bengal - Alt News Pratik Sinha 23rd April 2017 / 7:44 pm / Last updated: 5th May 2017 For the advancement of right-wing forces in Bengal, there’s been a continuous and deliberate attempt to spread fake images/videos to project that Bengal is being taken over by Muslims. Recently, we wrote about how the killing of one Abu Syed in Bangladesh was portrayed as a Hindu man being killed by Muslims in Bengal. The aggressive Hindutva posturing during this year’s Ram Navmi celebrations in Bengal with sword waving, slogans and overall provocative behaviour was also a strategy to further the polarisation of voters. There are increasing instances of small-scale communal disturbances in Bengal. The target seems to be 2019 elections and the preparations have begun well in advance. As part of the preparations, now there’s a new video which has gone viral on social media which claims that a Hindu man was beaten up on Hanuman Jayanti (April 11th, 2017) by 2 Muslim IPS officers. We first noticed this video on the right-wing website PostCard.news. They posted an article with the title, “Watch!! Is Birbhum a part of Pakistan or Bangladesh?” in which they claim that a Hindu man was beaten up by two Muslim IPS officers on Hanuman Jayanti. The first two paras in the article narrate their version of the story and are quoted below. Jihadi Didi’s West Bengal is a safe haven for all Islamic Fanatics. Momota first tried to halt Ram Navami celebrations. Even after the High court stayed the Ram Navami celebrations, Momota had evil plans for Hanuman Jayanti. The devotees of Birbhum district were seen getting trashed by WB police on the instructions of Jihadi Didi. Their only mistake was that they decided to undertake a peaceful procession during the festival of Hanuman Jayanti. The police officers had been instructed to trash the ‘Kafirs.’ This happened in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. For once, you may think that this is Pakistan or Bangladesh. But, no this is India’s very own Jihad land. The 2 IPS Muslim officers did not think twice before mercilessly bashing the Hanuman devotees. The Devotee can be heard saying “Jai Bajrangbali” even after being lati-charged by the police. At the bottom of PostCard article is a video clip which shows a man being thrashed by a police personnel while several constables watch. We captured the article on their website and the video in the following YouTube video. We tracked down this particular video to check its authenticity. As it turns out, the video is neither of Hanuman Jayanti which was celebrated on April 11, 2017 nor was the incident of police brutality from Bengal. This video has been available on Youtube for close to 3 years now and has been uploaded multiple times using various titles. The first instance that we could find was uploaded on September 30, 2014. Following are the few instances of this video available on Youtube. The latest in the series claims that his incident happened in Uttar Pradesh. Clearly, the same video is being re-circulated with misleading titles and the origin of the video is unknown. Posted on September 30, 2014 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRodq_DN68 Posted on April 7, 2015 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yGAdKz3A2I Posted on June 27, 2016 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0mEQymlpsU This video is currently viral on Facebook/WhatsApp and has been shared by multiple pages/individual profiles. Here is a non-exhaustive list of pages/profiles which have shared it with the misleading story of a Hindu man being beaten up by Muslim IPS officers and has been watched by lakhs of people on different mediums. Hindu Jwala – https://www.facebook.com/HinduJwalaE/videos/1907119226224279/ Indian Politics – https://www.facebook.com/Indiandemocracy/videos/787854418059613/ We Support RSS – https://www.facebook.com/sanghmantra/videos/1448519551881691/ Let’s Expose Paid Media – https://www.facebook.com/812524912185155/videos/1103271256443851/ We Support Rohit Sardana –https://www.facebook.com/ZeeNewsRohitSardana/videos/480554009002351/ Atal Bihari Vajpayee – https://www.facebook.com/greatatal/videos/1453468894711587/ RSS – Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Fans – https://www.facebook.com/RSS.Fan.Page/videos/1464952306900183/ Divyesh Parikh – https://www.facebook.com/dinesh.parikh/videos/10155377258584273/ Chetan P Shetty – https://www.facebook.com/chethanp.shetty/posts/1234503543325125 But who came up with this fake story originally? It turns out that it was Asansol District’s BJP IT Cell in-charge Tarun Sengupta who originally posted this on his Facebook timeline at 8:47 pm on April 17th. We also captured Mr Tarun Gupta’s little mischief on a video just in case if he suddenly develops amnesia. According to Tarun Sengupta’s Twitter profile, he is the BJP Asansol District IT Incharge. The same profile picture that is used on the Twitter profile is also available on Tarun Sengupta’s Facebook profile from which the fake video was posted thus proving that the Facebook profile and Twitter profile belong to the same person. In fact, Tarun Sengupta seems quite close to BJP top brass in Bengal including BJP MP Babul Supriyo. According to pictures on Tarun Sengupta’s profile, his family had attended the celebrations of BJP MP Babul Supriyo’s swearing in. A picture of Tarun Sengupta’s son can be seen with BJP State Executive Member from Bengal, Nirmal Karmakar (circled). We at Alt News believe that these fake videos which do the rounds on social media and WhatsApp are being created in an organised and pre-planned manner. This is yet another proof that people officially in BJP are also a part of this dangerous propaganda of injecting communal poison in the society. Will BJP now disown Tarun Sengupta just the way they disowned the alleged ISI agents from BJP’s IT cell in Bhopal? Here’s a list of some other videos that we at Alt News have debunked in the past couple months. Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	23rd April 2017 / 7:44 pm / Last updated: 5th May 2017	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-asansol-incharge-postcard-news-spreading-fake-video-order-create-communal-discord-bengal/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
362	BJP Bengal candidate tweets incident from Bihar as "TMC goons attack BJP worker"; deletes later - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 26th April 2019 / 5:31 pm / Last updated: 26th April 2019 BJP’s Krishnanagar candidate Kalyan Chaubey, a former Indian football player, tweeted a video of two men assaulting a woman and subsequently hacking another man with a sickle. He claimed that the perpetrators were “TMC goons” and the man who was ruthlessly attacked was “BJP worker Sagar Roy” from West Bengal. Chaubey later deleted his tweet but not before it received nearly 30,000 views in less than two hours. Twitter handle @being_humour was among those who quote-tweeted Chaubey’s tweet and later took it down. The video was earlier tweeted by the handle Sirf News (@SirfNewsIndia), drawing over 20,000 views. In the 44-second clip, one of the men is holding down a person, while another man comes to attack him with a sickle. A woman, while attempting to stop the man with the weapon, is also beaten and thrown around. The last few seconds of the video shows both the men taking turns to hack the victim. Sirf News taken removed the tweet. The video has been also been shared on Facebook. Before BJP Bengal leader Kalyan Chaubey deleted his tweet, several users had pointed out in the comments that the video was not from West Bengal but from Bhagalpur, Bihar. Alt News corroborated this information with local media reports. The video depicted an incident that took place on April 16. A father, along with his younger son, hacked his elder son to death with a sickle, reported Prabhat Khabar. The report added that the violence erupted over a family dispute. The accused father, Shivnarayan Mandal, told the police that his elder son, Suresh, would often come home inebriated and abuse the family members. On April 16, he came home drunk and began attacking his parents with a sickle, according to the father’s statement. The younger brother, Ashish, snatched the sickle from Suresh’s grasp and attacked him in the defence of his parents. Suresh’s wife, however, gave an entirely different statement to the cops. As per the wife, her husband was attacked over a property dispute. Other media outlets – Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik Jagran, Bhagalpur Live – had also reported the incident. A couple of minutes after taking down his tweet, BJP leader Chaubey tweeted a news report of poll violence in West Bengal. According to the News18 article shared by Chaubey, a Congress activist was hacked to death outside a booth. Nine others, including a BJP worker Sagar Roy, was among the injured. This incident was in no manner connected to the video uploaded by Chaubey. He tweeted an unrelated news report without clarifying for the earlier clip he claimed depicted ‘Sagar Roy’ being attacked. Two women BJP supporters were also roughed up allegedly by the TMC workers in Domkal while one Sagar Roy (BJP worker) was beaten up at North Malda’s Sasan area for raising voice against booth capturing. https://t.co/I23dlr3fiT — Chowkidar Kalyan Chaubey (@kalyanchaubey) April 26, 2019 Recently, another video was falsely shared as a TMC minister pulling out a gun on live TV. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was also targeted using a misleading clip posted by BJP Bengal. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	26th April 2019 / 5:31 pm / Last updated: 26th April 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-bengal-candidate-tweets-incident-from-bihar-as-tmc-goons-attack-bjp-worker-deletes-later/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
363	BJP Bengal doctors video to claim Mamata Banerjee asked people to vote for BJP - Alt News Alt News Desk 24th April 2019 / 4:14 pm “The impact of MODI TSUNAMI – Mamata Banerjee appeals everyone to vote for BJP!” – the official twitter handle of BJP Bengal declared in a tweet that the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Bannerji, appealed to vote for BJP in a rally. Accompanying the tweet was a short 18-second video in which her words – “BJP shorkar ke vote diye” – were played in a loop. The English translation of the statement is – “vote for BJP”. The impact of MODI TSUNAMI – @mamataofficial appeals everyone to vote for BJP! The first time she’s made any sense during this election campaign! Thanks a ton DIDI !! pic.twitter.com/Os6PxdF9GS — BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) April 23, 2019 Is it possible that Mamata Banerjee, the leader BJP political opponent All India Trinamool Congress, would make such a statement in a rally? It turns out that BJP Bengal had tweeted a doctored video, which was clipped and played in a loop to give a misleading impression. Mamata Banerjee addressed a rally in Khanakul, West Bengal on April 23. While ending her speech, Banerjee asked the people to vote out BJP, with a sarcastic tone to her words. Banerjee’s words “6 May aasche din, ekhane bhalo kore gonotontroye BJP Sarkar ke vote diye bhalo kore kobor din, bhalo kore kobor din, bhalo kore kobor din“, can be approximately translated as follows: “On May 6, cast your vote for BJP government and give them a proper burial, give them a proper burial, give them a proper burial”. The part where Banerjee says “bhalo kore kobor din“, which literally translates to “put them in the grave“, was clipped out by BJP Bengal. Instead, the part where Banerjee sarcastically says “vote for BJP” was retained and played in a loop. The relevant portion of the original speech can be seen in the video posted below. BJP’s version of the video also includes a portion where the crowd chants “Modi Modi”, which is not present in the live speech (starting 35:47) uploaded on Mamata Banerjee’s official page. BJP Bengal’s attempt to mislead using a doctored video was called out immediately by Twitter users. “Cheats exposed”, tweeted the official handle of Trinamool Congress, attaching the full video. According to TMC, a complaint has been filed before the Election commission regarding the edited video. Trinamool complains to EC. Seeking quick response and actionhttps://t.co/d4vIVyUW6mhttps://t.co/qQjfRa7zn1 — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 24, 2019 Follow @free_thinker Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	24th April 2019 / 4:14 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-bengal-doctors-video-to-claim-mamata-banerjee-asked-people-to-vote-for-bjp/", "author": "Alt News Desk" }
364	BJP Bengal shares clipped video to claim TMC candidate threatened women voters - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 5th April 2021 / 3:53 pm / Last updated: 5th April 2021 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) West Bengal tweeted a video of Trinamool Congress (TMC) Krishnanagar North assembly constituency candidate actor Koushani Mukherjee claiming that she threatened voters. In the video, she can be heard saying in Bengali, “Come here. Who are you? BJP? Everyone has mothers and sisters at home, think before you vote.” (এদিকে আয়। তোরা কারা? বিজেপি? ঘরের সবার মা-বোন আছে ভোট টা ভেবে ডিবি।) “Everyone’s got mothers & sisters at home, think before you vote” – Kaushani Mukherjee, TMC candidate from Krishnanagar North. This is how she threatened the women of Bengal, this is Pishi’s culture. The women of Bengal are definitely not safe under Pishi’s rule. pic.twitter.com/sdvPrbkUND — BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) April 2, 2021 Mukherjee is fighting the elections against BJP veteran Mukul Roy. A Facebook page dedicated to Roy shared the clip on April 2. Vice president of BJP Bengal Ritesh Tiwari posted the video on Twitter. “সবার ঘরে মা-বোন আছে, ভোট টা ভেবে দিবি” – কৃষ্ণনগর উত্তরের তৃণমূল প্রার্থী কৌশানী মুখার্জীর হুমকি। “সবার ঘরে মা-বোন আছে, ভোট টা ভেবে দিবি” – কৃষ্ণনগর উত্তরের তৃণমূল প্রার্থী কৌশানী মুখার্জীর হুমকি। একজন মহিলা হয়ে বাংলার মা-বোনেদের উপর এই ধরণের হুমকি! পিসির দলের এটাই সংস্কৃতি। পিসির রাজত্বে বাংলার মা-বোনেরা অসুরক্ষিত! Posted by Mukul Roy on Friday, 2 April 2021 Republic TV said in a broadcast, “And we have breaking news coming in from poll-bound West Bengal where TMC candidate from Krishnanagar north issued open threats to BJP supporters. In the video, Koushani Mukherjee can be heard saying those who have mothers and sisters at home must think before they cast their vote.” Hindi outlet Zee Salam published a report on BJP’s allegations. Journalist Abhijit Majumdar wrote that Mukherjee “warned voters”. Calcutta university’s former vice-chancellor, Ashutosh Mujherhee’s great-grandson, Chayan Chatterjee, shared the video too. News18 Bangla played the video during a broadcast and stated that Mukherjee’s statement has led to a controversy. OpIndia published a report based on News18’s report. Another propaganda website Kreately, promoted by BJP leader Kapil Mishra, claimed that Mukherjee threatened the women of Bengal. Remember this – Let us not make Bengal another Bangladesh “Everyone’s got mothers & sisters at home, think before you vote” – Kaushani Mukherjee, TMC candidate from Krishnanagar North. This is how she threatened the women of Bengal pic.twitter.com/3COUY07HQs — Kreately.in (@KreatelyMedia) April 2, 2021 BJP shared a clipped video of TMC candidate Koushani Mukherjee. The actor herself shared a longer video where she can be heard saying, “Come here. Who are you? BJP? Everyone has mothers and sisters at home, think before you vote. Think about the safety of your mothers and sisters. If didi (Mamata Banerjee) is not there, mothers and sisters will not be safe in Bengal.” (এদিকে আয়। তোরা কারা? বিজেপি? ঘরের সবার মা-বোন আছে ভোট টা ভেবে ডিবি। মা-বোনের সুরক্ষার কথা ভেবে দিবেন। দিদি না থাকলে মা-বোন শুরখো না বাংলায়।) The part where she refers to women’s safety was cropped out of the video. গতকাল আমার একটি ভিডিও প্রচন্ড ভাবে সোশ্যাল মিডিয়ায় প্রচার করেন বিরোধী দলের কিছু বন্ধুরা, আমি বলেছিলাম ভোটটা দেখে দেবেন… Posted by Koushani Mukherjee on Saturday, 3 April 2021 Mukherjee had also uploaded a Facebook Live clarifying the misinformation. “What I actually said was that cast your votes thinking about the safety of women. Women are unsafe in UP. We saw what happened in Hathras. If BJP comes to power in Bengal, women won’t be safe. So think before you vote, and don’t fall into BJP’s trap,” she said. Posted by Koushani Mukherjee – AITC on Friday, 2 April 2021 BJP Bengal and several pro-BJP propaganda handles amplified a clipped video of TMC’s Krishnanagar North candidate Koushani Mukherjee to falsely suggest she threatened voters. [Update: Republic TV took down its broadcast from YouTube after this fact-check was published. The link has been replaced with a downloaded video.] Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	5th April 2021 / 3:53 pm / Last updated: 5th April 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-bengal-shares-clipped-video-to-claim-tmc-candidate-threatened-women-voters/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
365	BJP Bengal uses 2014 image of California wildfires in poster against TMC - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 20th January 2021 / 7:39 pm / Last updated: 21st January 2021 West Bengal’s Minakhan police arrested four people for vandalising and setting on fire homes of BJP leaders and activists on January 13. Anandabazar Patrika reported that BJP minority leader Nur Islam Gazi’s house was among those set ablaze in Dhuturdaha village. The party has blamed local TMC cadre for the violence. BJP West Bengal tweeted about the incident along with an infographic that carried West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s photo against a picture of a blazing fire. The Bengali text on the infographic reads, “Trinamool’s lawless conduct has again come to light. Trinamool goons set ablaze BJP politician Nur Islam’s shops and school on fire. Trinamool did this because BJP stood up against its anarchy in Basirhat. How many more victims of political violence will there be in West Bengal? Give answers, Mamata Banerjee. (আবারো তৃণমূলের অনাচারের নিদর্শন এলো প্রকাশ্যে. বিজেপি নেতা নূর ইসলামের দোকান-স্কুলে আগুন লাগলো তৃণমূলের গুন্ডারা. বসিরহাটে তৃণমূলের অরাজকতার বিরুদ্ধে রুখে দাঁড়ানোয় এই কান্ড করে তৃণমূলবাহিনী. আর কত মানুষ রাজনৈতিক হিংসার শিকার হবে পশ্চিমবঙ্গে? জবাব দাও পিসি.)” BJP Bengal posted this on both Twitter and Facebook. বিরোধীদের উপর আর কত অত্যাচার করবেন পিসি? আর কত মানুষকে রাজনৈতিক হিংসার শিকার হতে হবে আপনার রাজত্বে? জবাব দিন পিসি! pic.twitter.com/y0mQJdRFDV — BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) January 14, 2021 The same Bengali caption – বিরোধীদের উপর আর কত অত্যাচার করবেন পিসি? আর কত মানুষকে রাজনৈতিক হিংসার শিকার হতে হবে আপনার রাজত্বে?– that translates to “How many more people will Mamata Banerjee oppress? How many more will become victims of political violence?” was used by several local BJP handles. বিরোধীদের উপর আর কত অত্যাচার করবেন পিসি? আর কত মানুষকে রাজনৈতিক হিংসার শিকার হতে হবে আপনার রাজত্বে? জবাব দিন পিসি! pic.twitter.com/qrpkLxisDp — BJP Birbhum (@BJP_Birbhum) January 15, 2021 The infographic is widespread on Facebook. A simple Google reserve image search after cropping the picture of the blazing fires leads one to a report in Daily Mail published in May 2014. The image is described as, “A house in Carlsbad, California is consumed by the wildfire yesterday. About 500 acres have burned in the blaze, which has been fueled by record heat, high winds and dry conditions.” It carries a logo of Getty Images. We then found the same image on the stock photo agency. According to Getty Images, “A house is consumed by a wildfire May 14, 2014 in San Marcos, California.” BJP West Bengal and other local BJP handles used a seven-year-old image of California wildfires to depict BJP Bengal minority leader Nur Islam Gazi’s property burnt down in Minakhan allegedly by TMC workers. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	20th January 2021 / 7:39 pm / Last updated: 21st January 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-bengal-uses-2014-image-of-california-wildfires-in-poster-against-tmc-violence/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
366	BJP Bengal's Social Media Accounts use an accident victim's photo to portray police atrocity - Alt News Alt News Desk 26th May 2017 / 7:00 am On 24th May, BJP had announced a plan to gherao Lalbazar in Kolkata on 25th May. “We would do a Lalbazar Gherao because we had demanded the arrest of Tipu Sultan Masjid Imam Syed Nurur Rahman Barkati which was not done. Again we had demanded a stop of police atrocities on BJP workers and to restore the democratic setup of the state which the police had failed to meet, miserably,” BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu had told DNA. ON 25th May, Kolkata Police used water cannons against the protestors taking part in BJP’s march and also detained BJP leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya and Dilip Ghosh. Official BJP Bengal Facebook and Twitter accounts posted several pictures of protestors injured due to the police action. However, one of the pictures posted by BJP Bengal social media accounts became controversial as the person in the picture had died the previous day (24th) in a road accident and wasn’t a victim of police action. The same picture was posted by BJP Bengal’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. At the time of writing, the picture on BJP Bengal’s Facebook page has been deleted, and the picture posted with English Text on BJP Bengal’s Twitter account has been deleted but the one posted with Bengali text is still available on their Twitter account. The person on the left in the first two pictures below and on the top left in the third picture is the accident victim. The picture of accident victim was originally posted by one Dipak Roy on his Facebook account on May 24th at 5:00 pm stating “Rupak Debnath – young chap from our area Kalirhat. He had gone for getting a job but lost his life instead. First accident and then hospital and now all is lost.” Dipak Roy noticed Rupak Debnath’s picture on BJP Bengal’s official page and on personal Facebook profiles of other BJP members. He posted the screenshots of all those who were misusing Rupak Debnath’s picture and stated the following on his Facebook account. “I have been born here and been a resident of this place ever since. This picture that is being shown to you is what I had put up on FB yesterday ie 24th May. This is the pic of a young boy of our area. He Rupak Debnath and is the only son of Yudhishthir Debnath, a resident of Kalirhat area. On last Saturday he met with an unfortunate accident and was rushed to a hospital in Shakti Nagar where he finally died. The incident is very shocking and sad for us as the young lad was in his way to appear for Group D examination. He was out to get a job but lost his life instead. Today BJP is shamelessly using Debnath’s picture who died one day before the BJP rally at Lalbajar. I hope now no one else will do it anymore.” Other than the official BJP Bengal social media accounts, at least 2 other people who claim to be officially associated with BJP on their Facebook profiles had misused this photo for their political propaganda. One Dipankar Goswami had posted the picture stating, “Anti national Barkati is laughing. Demanding arrest of Barkati, BJP workers got injured in lathi charge by police in Lal bazar. Injury on head and bleeding and a bomb thrown from a mosque. The workers critically injured, can die too.” Sujit Mazumder who claims to be in various BJYM committees on his Facebook profile had also posted the picture. He later deleted the picture and apologized stating he was misled, “I shared a post by Nir Bhowmick without cross checking and I regret and apologise for the same.” Meanwhile, multiple video clips are viral on Facebook which shows people with BJP flags vandalizing and burning down a jeep. The person who posted the aforementioned clips claimed that the incident happened at BB Ganguly Street in Bow Bazar. Kolkata police also posted one of the aforesaid clips on their Twitter account. A combined version of all the video clips can be seen below. Police’s excessive use of force against protestors is an issue in every state in India and cannot be condoned. Even a rally by the Left Front on May 22nd led to many protestors and cops being injured. However, posting misleading pictures and deliberately damaging public property has to be condemned as well. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	26th May 2017 / 7:00 am	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-bengals-social-media-accounts-use-accident-victims-photo-portray-police-atrocity/", "author": "Alt News Desk" }
367	BJP Bihar Minister shares image of flyover in Hyderabad as Bihar - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 16th October 2020 / 9:23 pm Suresh Kumar Sharma, Minister Of Urban Development and Housing Department in Bihar government, shared a poster of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with an image of a flyover. The poster said that 17,554 streets lights have been installed in Muzaffarpur. “Have worked, will work, we will develop Muzaffarpur. (काम किया है, काम करेंगे, मुजफ्फरपुर का विकास करेंगे \|)” – wrote Kumar in the post shared on both Twitter and Facebook. A simple reverse-image search throws up multiple reports that say the image represents RHS flyover at Bairamalguda junction, Hyderabad inaugurated by Telangana Minister K Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) on August 10, 2020. KTR had tweeted about the inauguration on August 9 and shared a set of four images including the one in BJP’s poster. Happy to be throwing open yet another flyover in #Hyderabad tomorrow that has been completed as part of #SRDP (Strategic Road Development Plan) RHS flyover at Bairamalguda junction, 780 mt long coating 26.5Cr@bonthurammohan @CommissionrGHMC pic.twitter.com/nb0OLqRYvC — KTR (@KTRTRS) August 9, 2020 A picture of a newly-inaugurated flyover in Hyderabad was shared by Bihar minister Suresh Kumar Sharma as Bihar. In 2018, Ahmedabad Major Bijal Patel had tweeted an image from Seoul as Sabarmati riverfront, Ahmedabad. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	16th October 2020 / 9:23 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-bihar-minister-shares-image-of-flyover-in-hyderabad-as-bihar/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
368	BJP Bihar passes off a 2009 image as its development project in the last 5 years - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 18th January 2019 / 10:29 pm The official Twitter handle of BJP Bihar shared purported before and after pictures of a stretch of road to depict infrastructural development achieved by the state government in the last five years. While the image on the top showed a damaged road with potholes, the one on the bottom portrayed a newly made road that BJP claimed was built in remote villages. The party tweeted the photographs with the hashtag #5YearChallenge. The images were captioned as – “देखिए पाँच सालों में क्या बदला! तब: अच्छी सड़कें महानगरों तक ही सीमित थी। अब: सुदूर गाँवों में भी सड़कों का निर्माण हो रहा है। #RiseOfNewIndia (Look what has changed in five years. Then: Good roads were limited to metros. Now: Roads are being constructed even in remote villages. #RiseOfNewIndia)” BJP Bihar also posted the images on its official Facebook page. The identical claim was floated by the state’s agriculture minister Dr Prem Kumar as well. Upon reverse-searching the images, Alt News found that the one on the top depicted a stretch of road in Bangalore. Deccan Herald had uploaded the image and also credited it to photographer Satish B. It was shot in 2016. While we were unable to exactly locate the image at the bottom, we were able to find that it existed on the internet at least as far back as 2009. It was posted on a forum of car enthusiasts called Team-BHP and described as – “Four laning of stretch between Thirumangalam and Virudhunagar (NH7).” Many other websites have used the same image through the years, including The Indian Express in a 2013 report. If the image was available online 10 years ago, it cannot possibly depict a newly constructed road last year. BJP Bihar’s claim that the road was built in 2018 at remote corners of the state does not stand up to the scrutiny of facts. With the internet partaking in the #10YearChallenge, BJP has been attempting to showcase its work through its own #5YearChallenge. The party was, however, found to be using misleading images to portray infrastructural projects completed under its governance. Earlier, Alt News found that images of Agra-Lucknow and Delhi-Meerut Expressways were used as the Western Peripheral Expressway by at least 20 handles of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	18th January 2019 / 10:29 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-bihar-passes-off-a-2009-image-as-its-development-project-in-the-last-5-years/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
369	BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya claims Rahul Gandhi visited Gurmeet Ram Rahim's Dera Sacha Sauda. Did he? - Alt News Alt News Desk 29th August 2017 / 10:53 am / Last updated: 30th August 2017 Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been awarded a jail sentence of 20 years after being convicted in the rape cases of two of his followers. Ever since the Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh episode has erupted in the last week, images like the one above are viral on social media which show Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh with various prominent BJP leaders. On Alt News, we had written how BJP and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s recent friendliness is undeniable. The same article also detailed how Congress has previously tried to cozy up to Dera Sacha Sauda in 2007 and 2012. The recent administrative failures on the day courts announced the verdict in the Gurmeet Ram Rahim case which has led to the death of 38 people has also brought a lot of negative publicity for BJP. In view of these events, BJP’s IT cell probably felt the need to counter-balance the propaganda and its IT Cell Head Amit Malviya posted three tweets trying to link Congress with Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s Dera Sacha Sauda.The first two tweets showed how Congress cozied upto the Dera in 2007 and 2012. These are well documented facts. However, in the third tweet, Amit Malviya claimed, “Rahul Gandhi visited Dera Sacha Sauda as recently as Jan 2017 to seek support.. Congress rules Punjab. What quid pro quo did they promise?“. The screenshot of the article that Amit Malviya posted is originally an Indian Express article dated January 29, 2017. The article states, “With just a week to go for the Punjab Assembly elections, AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi Saturday visited Dera Sach Khand Ballan in Jalandhar, the biggest and the most influential among the Dalit Ravidassia community.” Is Dera Sacha Khand Ballan same as Dera Sacha Sauda of which Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was the spiritual head? Let’s look at another contemporary news report on this issue. Hindustan Times reported on the same issue on January 28, 2017. The article states, “With an eye on Dalit vote bank in Doaba, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited Ravidassia community’s Dera Sachkhand Ballan“. The article further states, “Rahul, who was accompanied by Conress in-charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari, co-incharge Harish Chaudhary and Jalandhar MP Santokh Chaudhary, held a closed-door meeting with Dera Ballan head Sant Niranjan Dass“. Clearly, this Dera is not the same as Dera Sacha Sauda considering that the head of this Dera is Sant Niranjan Dass and not Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh who has been convicted in 2 rape cases. In fact, Wikipedia articles of these two organisations clearly outline the differences between the two (1 & 2). Dera Sacha Sauda is based in Sirsa while Dera Sach Khand Ballan is headquartered in Ballan. Dera Sacha Sauda was founded on 29 April, 1948 whereas Dera Sach Khand Ballan was founded on 5 January, 1942. Most importantly, Dera Sacha Sauda was founded by Mastana Balochistani whereas Dera Sach Khand Ballan was founded by devotees of Guru Ravidass. These are two different organisations and Rahul Gandhi visited Dera Sach Khand Ballan and not Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s Dera Sacha Sauda. The Indian Express article further states, “Separately, Congress candidate Lehragaga and former chief minister Rajender Kaur Bhattal claimed at a rally in her constituency that the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda had promised its support to the party, a claim Dera spokesperson refuted when contacted by The Indian Express.” Either, Amit Malviya did not read the article, or if he did, he got confused between Congress candidates claiming support of Dera Sacha Sauda and Rahul Gandhi visiting Dera Sach Khand. There are no news reports which suggest that Rahul Gandhi visited Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s Dera Sacha Saluda before 2017 Punjab elections. Follow @free_thinker Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	29th August 2017 / 10:53 am / Last updated: 30th August 2017	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-cell-head-amit-malviya-claims-rahul-gandhi-visited-gurmeet-ram-rahims-dera-sacha-sauda/", "author": "Alt News Desk" }
370	BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shares affectionate pictures of Nehru with his sister and niece, claims this is Hardik Patel's DNA - Alt News Sam Jawed 16th November 2017 / 5:05 pm / Last updated: 14th November 2019 “It seems Hardik has more of Nehru’s DNA, contrary to what @shaktisinhgohil claimed,” tweeted BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya along with a collage of pictures of Jawaharlal Nehru with different women. Malviya seems to be offended by these nine pictures that led him to make insinuations linking Hardik Patel’s alleged sex CD to Nehru’s DNA. Let us take a closer look at these pictures to understand their context. This is not the first time that these pictures of Nehru with women have found their way to social media. These published pictures that have been in public space for years are often used by BJP supporters to portray Nehru as a womanizer. Pic 1: The woman giving Nehru a peck on his cheek in full public view is none other than his sister Vijaylakshmi Pandit. In 1949, Pandit was India’s ambassador to the United States. In the picture, she is seen as welcoming her brother on his state visit to the US. Pic 2: This is a picture of Nehru sharing a lighter moment with Edwina Mountbatten in public. Pic 3: Here is Nehru’s sister Vijaylakshmi Pandit once again. The picture is of the time when she was the Ambassador to Russia and is being received by her brother at Delhi Airport. Pic 4: Nehru is seen as smoking here. We are unclear what prompted Malviya to link his smoking with Hardik Patel’s DNA. Pic 5: This is a picture of Nehru congratulating Mrinalini Sarabhai after the Manushya performance in Delhi in 1948. As outlined in an article by Mint, “Mrinalini Sarabhai had a double connection with Jawaharlal Nehru—her mother Ammu Swaminadhan was a freedom fighter and a politician who knew Nehru well; her husband Vikram Sarabhai’s family too had a close association with him”. Sarabhai told Mint, “In those days, Kathakali was not approved of and not many people appreciated it, especially in Delhi. But Jawaharji came for the performance and afterwards he came to see me. He hugged me and congratulated me. There is a photograph of us together.” Little did she know that 70 years later, some perverted minds will circulate this picture to malign her and Nehru. Pic 6: Jacqueline Kennedy visited India in 1962. In this picture, Nehru is applying a ceremonial “tilak” to American First lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Pic 7: So we know from picture 4 that Nehru smoked. Here he is lighting a cigarette for Mrs Simon, the wife of the British Deputy High Commissioner, onboard the first BOAC flight in India. Pic 8: Nehru is seen in this picture with Edwina Mountbatten’s 18-year-old daughter. Mountbatten’s youngest daughter Pamela Mountbatten is with her parents, bidding goodbye to Pandit Nehru in New Delhi. Pic 9: In this picture, Nehru is being given a kiss by his niece Nayantara Sehgal on his arrival at London airport in 1955. You can also see Sehgal’s mother, Vijaylakshmi Pandit who was the High Commissioner to UK at that time. To sum up the collage, three pictures where women are seen as showing affection towards Pandit Nehru by hugging or kissing him are pictures of his sister and niece. They point to nothing more than a natural and close family bond. Amit Malviya, the Head of the IT wing on India’s ruling party, placed these images out of context to portray Nehru in a negative light. Nobody's cheerleader, I tweet at @samjawed65 Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	16th November 2017 / 5:05 pm / Last updated: 14th November 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-cell-head-amit-malviya-shares-affectionate-pictures-nehru-sister-niece-claims-hardik-patels-dna/", "author": "Sam Jawed" }
371	BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya tries to malign Ravish Kumar by sharing a mischievously edited video clip - Alt News Pratik Sinha 11th September 2017 / 12:11 am / Last updated: 11th September 2017 All the tweets in the above collage are supporters of BJP party and each one of them are followed by PM Modi on Twitter. Each one them before 2014 used to appreciate Ravish Kumar. Ravish Kumar was then critical of the UPA Government. They don’t like him anymore though. Because he’s now critical of the BJP Government. The dislike is to the point that there’s a constant propaganda against him. In April 2017, Alt News exposed a fake news where it was being claimed that Ravish Kumar’s sister has been suspended due to corruption case. This time it is the turn of BJP National IT cell head who has tried to malign Ravish by circulating a mischievously edited video clip. पत्रकार की कौन सी पार्टी होती है? pic.twitter.com/oUdqqkniLO — Amit Malviya (@malviyamit) September 10, 2017 In the above video, Ravish makes the following statement, “Jab tak yeh vyakti mafi nahin mangega aur mein apne party ke logo se kehta hoon ki yeh nationalist hindutva, nationalist nahin hai“. This video is a 11 second clip cut out from a 10 minute speech that Ravish Kumar gave at press club of India. Here it would seem that Ravish Kumar is speaking on behalf of a political party when he says, “mein apne party ke logo se kehta hoon“. Based on this, Amit Malviya asks, “पत्रकार की कौन सी पार्टी होती है? (Translation: Does journalist have a party?)“. However, if one hears the complete speech, the statement that Ravish Kumar made was, “cheen aur burma se jab woh laute to pehla kaam yehi kare ki woh dadhichi ko unfollow kare aur woh bataye ki unse kahe ki hamse galti hui hai. Jab tak yeh vyakti mafi nahin mangega aur mein party ke logo se kehta hoon ki yeh nationalist hindutva, nationalist nahin hai, yeh hum sab ko ek nagrik ki taur par pradhan mantri se maang karni chahiye.” In the aforesaid statement, “woh” refers to PM Modi and Ravish Kumar is urging PM Modi to speak to his own party workers and tell them that people like Dadhichi are not true nationalists. Please watch the exposé in the video below for Ravish’s actual speech. Had Amit Malviya bothered to hear the full speech, Ravish Kumar had equally criticized Karnataka’s Congress Government and Maharashtra’s BJP Government for failing to find the killers of Kalburgi, Pansare and Dabholkar. Alt News had also recently written about how Amit Malviya had falsely claimed that Rahul Gandhi had visited Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s Dera Sacha Sauda. That the BJP National IT Cell Head has to circulate misleading videos to target a journalist who is critical of the ruling establishment is shocking. Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	11th September 2017 / 12:11 am / Last updated: 11th September 2017	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-cell-head-amit-malviya-tries-malign-ravish-kumar-sharing-mischievously-edited-video-clip/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
372	Did BJP IT cell have prior knowledge about ANI's story on Rahul Gandhi and Twitter Bots? - Alt News Pratik Sinha 22nd October 2017 / 1:54 pm A hashtag #RahulWaveInKazakh trended for a long time on Twitter yesterday. This hashtag was trending in response to an article by ANI where they exposed 10 Twitter accounts from various countries like Russia, Kazakhstan and Indonesia that had retweeted a tweet by Rahul Gandhi. The ANI article was published at 1:05 PM and was tweeted by the Twitter account ani_digital at 1:12 PM. Soon, various main stream media organisations picked up ANI’s article and the Congress and Rahul Gandhi were mocked at all day for allegedly using these suspicious accounts to boost their popularity. All the 10 Twitter accounts that were listed in the ANI article have been suspended now. The 10 Twitter accounts were charlot34583589, pkbjdasjyesc557, lawannapuchajd9, yrlkamcsmc1507, madelenegonza14, cherilynzagors6, alinevyverberg2, berniecebenson6, lynettacrabtre7 and bernierogers121. Two tweets at 1:28 pm on October 21st were the first ones to use the #RahulWaveInKazakh hashtag with one of the tweets being that of BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya, other one posted from a Twitter account called Dr Parag. This is where things get interesting. As we stated earlier, ANI’s article was published at 1:05 pm and was first tweeted at 1:12 pm. Let’s look at some of Amit Malviya’s tweets now. In the above tweet, along with the link to ANI’s story, Amit Malviya has put out a screenshot of pkbjdasjyesc557‘s account which is one of the 10 accounts listed in ANI’s article. One can see that the service provider of the phone that was utilised to capture the screenshot is “Vodafone IN”. That means that the screenshot was taken from some place in India while being connected to Vodafone’s India network. The time zone of the phone would thus be Indian Standard Time (IST). Amit Malviya’s tweet was posted at 1:28 pm, ANI’s article has a timestamp of 1:05 pm, but strangely, this screenshot was taken at 10:38. Which means that this screenshot was either taken at 10:38 am on that day or at 10:30 AM/PM on the days prior to October 21st. Either way, the screenshot was taken many hours before ANI published its article. Let’s look at another tweet posted by Amit Malviya with the same hashtag. This time it is the screenshot of yet another account listed in ANI story – cherilynzagors6. Again, based on the timestamp shown in the screenshot posted by Amit Malviya, this screenshot was taken at 11:08, many hours before the ANI article. Let’s look at a third screenshot posted by Amit Malviya while tweeting with the hashtag #RahulWaveinKazakh. If one zooms into this image, the timestamp of the tweet is either 11:05 or 11:06. Again, the account in question madelenegonza14, features in the ANI story which is published much later. This pattern of the screenshots being taken at a time earlier than the time when ANI story was published is not limited to these three accounts. We also came across a BJP social media volunteer Yogesh Malik who had shared a Google Doc with a long list of tweets and screenshots that members of BJP IT Cell could copy/paste. Yogesh Malik frequently shares these documents and was also part of the story by Alt News on BJP’s #DemonetisationSuccess trend. The link to the Google doc is as follows: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-sgtBuviczpWm3CwtbluDP-vbnKi3nW6E3zft15IAxg/edit We have also made a backup of this document in case the original one is withdrawn. This document not only has the screenshots that Amit Malviya posted but has screenshots of other Twitter accounts that were part of the ANI story. All the screenshots seem to have been captured from the same phone as indicated by the constantly decreasing battery power percentage of the phone. The screenshot for the account charlot34583589 that was featured in the ANI story was taken at 10:28. The earliest screenshot at 10:18 was of the account lawannapuchajd9 which is again a part of ANI’s investigation which was published much later at 1:05 pm. The Google doc has screenshots of each one of the 10 accounts that ANI ‘exposed’ and for every screenshot, the timestamp in the document circulated by BJP IT Cell is many hours before ANI article. Did BJP IT Cell have prior knowledge of the contents of ANI’s article? The ANI article also skips over certain important facts. At least one of the accounts that retweeted Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter account also retweeted the tweets of BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh who is the Member of Parliament from West Delhi. In ANI’s article, it is stated that “The tweet quickly reached 20,000 retweets” while referring to Rahul Gandhi’s tweet. However, 5 out of the 10 accounts that retweeted Rahul Gandhi’s tweet were created the day after his tweet and thus couldn’t have contributed to Rahul Gandhi’s tweet ‘quickly reaching 20,000 tweets’. Again, this is something which ANI’s article fails to mention. Rahul Gandhi’s tweet is dated 15th October while these accounts were created on 16th October. Another fact that ANI fails to mention is that each one of these 10 accounts had tweeted exactly 1 tweet of Rahul Gandhi. If these bots were indeed hired, it is strange that they haven’t retweeted any other tweets of Rahul Gandhi other than the one highlighted by ANI. That particular tweet received a total of 52,291 retweets+likes. Which would mean that ANI’s article was based on 0.02% of the reactions that exactly one tweet of Rahul Gandhi received. With a sample size of merely 0.02%, on what basis does ANI claim that this has lead to ‘increased popularity’? A claim like that could be made if one can show at least a reasonable bump in retweets+likes for every single tweet. Does ANI have the data to backup their claim? ANI has much to explain regarding the shoddy research that has gone into their article. But the far more serious issue is BJP IT Cell tweeting screenshots of the 10 accounts that ANI featured in their article with timestamps of each of the screenshots being many hours before ANI published their article. How did BJP IT cell know that ANI was going to feature those selected Twitter accounts in their article? Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	22nd October 2017 / 1:54 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-cell-prior-knowledge-anis-story-rahul-gandhi-twitter-bots/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
373	BJP IT cell's attempt to use Nobel winner's name to endorse demonetisation backfires - Alt News Sam Jawed 10th October 2017 / 12:33 am ‪”This is a policy I have long supported….” Desperate for positive endorsement of the controversial demonetisation experiment, the BJP IT cell must have been delighted to find this tweet of Richard Thaler, the recently announced winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. Thaler is indeed a long-time supporter of less-cash economy. But the IT cell head Amit Malviya missed an important and potentially embarrassing point in his hurry to tweet. ‬ ‪”Really? Damn.“, tweeted Thaler when he was told about the introduction of Rs 2000 note in place of the discontinued Rs 500 and 1000 notes. His joy of seeing a step towards a cashless economy and reduction of corruption was short lived. ‬ ‪Sure enough, twitter handle after twitter handle fell for the incomplete picture presented by Malviya. In a desperation for some positive news, not just BJP supporters but BJP leaders also tweeted about it.‬ This included Union Minister Giriraj Singh, former BJP IT Cell Head Arvind Gupta, BJP Mumbai Spokesperson Suresh Nakhua and many others. ‪ ‪ Even after being informed multiple times about the misleading nature of his tweet, Amit Malviya refused to delete it. Eventually Piyush Goyal ended up retweeting his tweet, before un-retweeting it when the issue was brought to his attention. And now @PiyushGoyal has retweeted the misleading tweet because BJP IT Cell head doesn't care about misinformation and wouldn't delete it. pic.twitter.com/13vLaALVLk — Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) October 9, 2017 Such was the delight that the tweet was even been converted into a poster, to run down Amartya Sen, India’s own Nobel laureate.‬ ‪ ‪While on the topic of running down India’s own famous economists, the demonetisation fan club is also using this as an opportunity to discredit Raghuram Rajan. Unknown to them, this is what Thaler, a Professor at University of Chicago Booth School of Business, has to say about his colleague, Rajan.‬ ‪Discontinuation of Rs 500 and 1000 notes may well be seen as an application of Thaler’s concept of behavioral “nudge” to encourage a less-cash digital economy. The introduction of Rs 2000 note possibly negates the “nudge” towards a desirable behavioral outcome. Economists can continue to discuss how demonetisation can be seen in the context of Thaler’s work on behavioral economics. For now the rest can enjoy how the BJP cheerleaders are falling over each other to share his views without realizing that his final word in that demonetisation discussion was “Damn”. Nobody's cheerleader, I tweet at @samjawed65 Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	10th October 2017 / 12:33 am	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-cells-attempt-use-nobel-winners-name-endorse-demonetisation-backfires/", "author": "Sam Jawed" }
374	How BJP IT Cell's smear machine works: A personal story - Alt News Sadanand Dhume 28th July 2017 / 11:50 am Having written for international publications for nearly two decades — first as a journalist and then as a columnist — by now I’ve grown used to the usual charges flung by some of those who happen to disagree with me. If I earned a dollar every time someone on Twitter accused me of being a shill for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, or the opposition Congress Party, or the anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party I would be a wealthy man. Alternatively, my views are supposedly always those of my “white masters” at the American Enterprise Institute, where I work, or The Wall Street Journal, where I publish a biweekly column on South Asia. All this is pretty standard stuff, not the sort of thing that is usually worth dignifying by acknowledging. Certain kinds of insecurities are only to be expected in a post-colonial society like India. And when your work is in the public eye some people will respond by attacking your person or your motives rather than your argument. In India, these kinds of allegations are common to the point of banality. They are the first resort of many people on social media. It’s hard to think of anyone who writes about politics or policy who has not faced something similar. But now a prominent member of the ruling BJP — Amit Malviya, the head of the party’s information technology cell — is accusing me of something I’ve never been accused of before: plagiarism. He has shared a screen shot that suggests that my latest Wall Street Journal column was plagiarized from an Indian publication, Rediff.com. Here’s the tweet: This looks like too much of a coincidence..! I wonder what @RajeevSrinivasa and @WSJ have to say about it.. pic.twitter.com/v1JUa1UhRw — Amit Malviya (@malviyamit) July 25, 2017 My first instinct was to ignore these allegations — to me they seem thin even by social media standards. But by now they have been shared on Twitter by scores of people, some of whom have tens of thousands of followers. Many of those sharing this graphic are widely viewed as supporters of the BJP or its Hindu nationalist parent organization, the RSS. The comments on Malviya’s tweet suggest that the graphic accusing me has also been shared on Facebook and WhatsApp. So I feel compelled to issue a point-by-point rebuttal. At the heart of the plagiarism charge is the suggestion that my op-ed “India’s Incredibly Shrunken Presidency” was lifted from a column by Rediff columnist Rajeev Srinivasan titled “Sreedharan for President.” We both believe that India’s presidency has been monopolized by politicians who shut out eminent professionals, and among those we both feel would be worthy of the Indian presidency are the Columbia University economist Jagdish Bhagwati. Beyond that the pieces bear little obvious similarity — even a casual observer ought to be able to spot the clear difference in our prose styles— but they’ve been arranged in a table to suggest the opposite. Here is my rebuttal to each of the six points in the widely circulated graphic shared by Malviya and others: 1. Both Srinivasan and I argue that the Indian presidency is poorly served by (mostly mediocre) politicians, and that the high office ought to be occupied instead by distinguished Indians drawn from all walks of life. Ostensibly, because Srinivasan made this argument in June, and my column followed a month later, I must have got the idea from him. Except that lamenting the monopoly of politicians on India’s presidency is hardly uncommon. Here’s my own column from July 2015, on the death of President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, a rare non-politician president. My argument then: “Kalam was also the only president since the philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who held office from 1962 to 67, to elevate qualifications for the office beyond mere party loyalty or a talent for politicking. Unlike almost every other president during the past five decades, Kalam got the job on the strength of his achievements outside politics.” And here’s Tunku Varadarajan arguing in August 2015 that India should break “the suffocating grip of geriatric politicians” on the presidency by nominating the cricketer Rahul Dravid. I’m not using these examples to claim that Srinivasan, or anyone else, lifted the idea of writing about the merits of India elevating a non-politician president from my 2015 column. I’m merely pointing out that others, including me, have argued the case for eminent citizens before. Odds are that someone in India likely made this argument as early as the 1970s, when the decline in the presidency set in. This is not plagiarism by any stretch of the imagination. 2. Both columns suggest Jagdish Bhagwati as a worthy candidate for the presidency. This is true, but the way the information has been presented is highly misleading. Since Srinivasan and I both believe that India’s presidency has been poorly served by professional politicians it’s hardly surprising that we both suggest potential alternatives. Srinivasan’s top suggestion, reflected in his column’s title, is technocrat E. Sreedharan, known in India as the Metro Man for his project management skills. But he also mentions, in passing, the novelist O.V. Vijayan, the Congress politician Shashi Tharoor, and the scientist R.A. Mashelkar, among others. I consider fewer names. Here’s the relevant sentence from my column: “For India’s unimaginative leaders, the idea of elevating the great trade economist Jagdish Bhagwati, the industrialist Ratan Tata or the erudite cricketer Rahul Dravid to the presidency would be dead on arrival.” In short, both Srinivasan and I suggest several names — ten by my count — of potential non-politician presidents who may have been considered in ideal circumstances. Only one of these happens to be common to the two columns, but that one is highlighted in the graphic to suggest plagiarism. Suffice to say that Bhagwati, who I’ve hosted at AEI and whose book on the Indian economy I reviewed for the WSJ in 2013, is hardly someone I’m unfamiliar with. 3. Both columns mention the size of the presidential palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan. This one is almost too ridiculous to deserve rebuttal, but here goes anyway. First, the two descriptions are not that similar. Srinivasan refers to a “300 acre estate” while I talk about a “340-room sandstone palace.” Second, like countless others, I’ve mentioned the grandiosity of India’s presidential palace before. Here’s a 2012 piece in Foreign Policy where I write about “the palatial 340-room estate completed in 1929 for the viceroy of British India.” And here’s the relevant portion from the 2015 column linked to above: “You were as likely to see Kalam being jostled by students as dining with a dignitary in the 340-room presidential palace built for Britain’s viceroy during the Raj.” Again, I’m not suggesting that Srinivasan plagiarized me because he wrote about “a 300 acre estate” five years after I wrote about “a 340-room estate.” There are only so many ways to describe a building. In fact you would find it hard to find any description of Rashtrapati Bhavan that does not refer to the size of the estate or the number of rooms or the sandstone used to build it. 4. According to the graphic, Srinivasan wrote of former presidents that “not many of them have shown excellence in anything” while I say the current president, Ram Nath Kovind, “has not earned his job for displaying any particularly outstanding qualities of heart or head.” Again this falls into the category of “too silly to rebut” but, for the record, there’s absolutely no similarity in phrasing here, and we are not even describing the same person. The substantive point, about most Indian presidents being chosen for largely political reasons, is one I’ve made before, including in the 2015 column on Kalam shared above. 5. Both columns mention presidents Radhakrishan (1962–67) and Kalam (2002–07) as outstanding former presidents, exceptions to the rule of mediocrity. Again, this is true, but it’s something I’ve talked about before both in my column and on Twitter. From my 2015 column, repeated from above: “Kalam was also the only president since the philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who held office from 1962 to 67, to elevate qualifications for the office beyond mere party loyalty or a talent for politicking.” From Twitter in January this year: “As India marks #RepublicDay, I can think of only three presidents out of 13 who had the stature for the post: Prasad, Radhakrishnan & Kalam.” As India marks #RepublicDay, I can think of only three presidents out of 13 who had the stature for the post: Prasad, Radhakrishnan & Kalam. — Sadanand Dhume (@dhume) January 26, 2017 Once again, I’m not accusing Srinivasan of plagiarism because he happened to make a similar observation to the one that I made in a column two years ago, or in a widely shared tweet six months ago. If you go down the list of Indian presidents and exclude the career politicians, Radhakrishnan and Kalam are the obvious standouts. There’s even a question on Quora comparing the two of them. Some people, such as the writer Keshava Guha, believe that the educationist Zakir Husain (1967–69) belongs on the list too. In his column linked to above, Varadarajan mentions Kalam, Radhakrishnan and Husain “as men who merit our ungrudging respect.” Either way, that two columns mention Kalam and Radhakrishnan as great presidents is hardly an earthshaking coincidence. To put this in a U.S. context, it’s a bit like asking people to name the best American presidents. If five writers come up with a list that includes both Lincoln and Washington it doesn’t mean that they all copied each other. It suggests a broad consensus on the question. 6. Both Srinivasan and I mention that some of the least distinguished former presidents have been loyalists of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Again, the language in the graphic could hardly be more different. Srinivasan uses the term “personal retainer,” whereas I speak of “a string of mediocrities” and highlight some of the most egregious examples. Neither Srinivasan nor I mention all of the mediocrities by name in our columns but, as with the best former presidents, I would argue that there’s a strong consensus on the worst ones: Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1974–77), Giani Zail Singh (1982–87) and Pratibha Patil (2007–12). I name Patil in my column, but many of my Indian readers would know that the man in the bathtub immortalized in this cartoon was Ahmed, and that the person who promised to sweep the floors for Indira Gandhi was Zail Singh. To sum up, Malviya’s insinuation hinges on ignoring my work that predates the allegedly plagiarized column, selectively highlighting aspects of my column to draw parallels with Srinivasan’s, and portraying commonplace observations as earth-shaking coincidences. (They both say Rashtrapati Bhavan is big!) Ironically, if I used exactly the same examples as in the graphic I could accuse Srinivasan of plagiarizing my earlier work. Of course, this is preposterous. I have no reason to believe that Srinivasan did not come to his views about the decline of the Indian presidency independently. For the most part we concur on what went wrong, even if we have largely different ideas — shared admiration for Bhagwati notwithstanding — on who would make a good president for India. What’s important here is not the allegation, but what it says about the BJP. Heading into the 2019 general elections, the party clearly recognizes the power of social media to destroy reputations and intimidate critics. No other political party in India is as well-organized, or as willing to play dirty. My own problems with what I call the “Hindutva Troll Army” erupted last year after I criticized Modi’s decision to suddenly scrap 86 percent of India’s currency notes by value, but they have deepened after I expressed my concerns about the BJP’s appointment in March of Yogi Adityanath, a hate-spewing Hindu monk, to lead India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh. Unlike many people, I have the resources to fight back against innuendo and intimidation. But imagine for a moment that you’re a reporter for a small Indian publication, or working at an unknown think tank. Say the wrong thing and an entire online machine — complete with WhatsApp groups, fake news sites and tens of thousands of dedicated followers — can swing into action to undermine your reputation. The Los Angeles Times recently wrote about this here. The Financial Times reviewed a book that looks at the BJP’s social media operation here. Fake news-busting site Alt News has chronicledattacks on the noted Indian columnist Tavleen Singh for sharing a photograph of the squalor of Adityanath’s hometown, and the wild-eyed allegation that TV journalist Barkha Dutt had hitched a scooter ride with an Islamist terrorist. Organized online smear campaigns are what we have come to expect in Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey and Vladimir Putin’s Russia. As long as BJP President Amit Shah empowers the likes of Malviya, it is also increasingly the reality in Narendra Modi’s India. Sadanand Dhume is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he writes about South Asian political economy, foreign policy, business, and society, with a focus on India and Pakistan. He is also a South Asia columnist for the Wall Street Journal. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	28th July 2017 / 11:50 am	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-cells-smear-machine-works-personal-story/", "author": "Sadanand Dhume" }
375	BJP Chhattisgarh uses images from Gujarat and abroad to showcase improved highways - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 1st October 2018 / 7:36 pm BJP Chhattisgarh on September 30 tweeted images of three expressways and captioned them as – “विश्वास से विकास का सफर। #BadhtaChhattisgarh (The journey from trust to development #BadhtaChhattisgarh),” obliquely accrediting itself with the construction of the roads in the pictures. विश्वास से विकास का सफर। #BadhtaChhattisgarh pic.twitter.com/5YkEcNs9Rm — BJP Chhattisgarh (@BJP4CGState) September 30, 2018 Alt News cropped the pictures and searched for them individually to ascertain the origin of each image. When we reverse-searched this photograph on Google, multiple links of media portals that have used the same image came up. Among them was – a 2018 Dainik Jagran report, a 2017 article by Odishatv, a 2016 India Today report, a 2014 report by NMTV, and more. Not only Indian media but we found that the image was also used by Pakistani (1,2) and Bangladeshi portals as well. While rummaging through other outlets that have shared this photograph, we came across a 2016 report by Financial Express. Alt News reverse-search the image on Google once again and found a Times of India report with the identical picture of a better quality. If one carefully notices this photograph, there is a signage on the left side of the crossroad. While one of the words – “Vadodara” – is clearly visible on the board, the other word appears hazy. However, the scope of the search was truncated to highways that run through Vadodara, Gujarat. Subsequently, we Googled ‘Vadodara Expressway’, which is National Expressway 1 (NE-1) or Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway. Scrolling through images of this highway on Google landed us on a gujaratmoney.com link that had shared a picture similar to the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway image, but taken from another angle. The signage on the left side of the crossroad was identical and another signage located at the far end of the photograph was placed at the same spot on both the pictures. One can clearly read the crossroad signage on the gujaratmoney.com image. It says – “Vadodara” and “Nadiad” therefore, conclusively establishing that the photograph shared by BJP Chattisgarh does not pertain to a highway in the state but is of the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway. Alt News reverse searched this image on Google and came across several links that had shared the identical photograph. Among them was a News18 report from 2014 on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway and a 2016 Amar Ujala link which captioned the image as “Road in Chamba”. While we could not establish the origin of the photograph, we were able to trace it as far back as 2013. None of the links that we found stated that the image was of a road in Chattisgarh. A Google reverse search of the third image unveiled a plethora of links to stock photography websites. Among them was a Shuttershock link that redirected us to a section “Toronto Traffic Photos” on the website. Here, we found that the identical image was uploaded by a photographer named Elena Elisseeva. Alt News also found the photograph in the stock images of a Canadian website CanStockPhoto. If one zooms in on the picture, the driver can be seen sitting behind the wheel on the left whereas, in India, all vehicles have wheels on the right. While Shutterstock included the image as part of “Toronto Traffic Photos” and the photographer is also from Canada, Alt News could not independently confirm the origin of the picture. However, the evidence at hand conclusively establishes that it was not shot in India. Photographs depicting infrastructural development have often been shared as achievements of the ruling party. Last year, Chhattisgarh PWD minister Rajesh Munat passed off a Vietnamese bridge as one in Raigarh; a digital impression of Rajkot Bus stand was circulated by BJP MP Babul Supriyo as the real image; the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways posted pictures of roadways from US and Canada on its parivahan website. With enough pieces of evidence suggesting that “development” photographs are often circulated to espouse propaganda, self-verification is pertinent. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	1st October 2018 / 7:36 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-chhattisgarh-uses-images-from-gujarat-and-abroad-to-showcase-improved-highways/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
376	BJP claims encroachment over Hindu shrine in Andhra, collector and police deny - Alt News Archit & Pooja Chaudhuri 4th March 2021 / 7:43 pm / Last updated: 4th March 2021 BJP national secretary and co-incharge of Andhra Pradesh Sunil Deodhar claimed that an illegal Christian cross was erected on a hilltop in Edlapadu, Andhra Pradesh where footprints of Hindu deity Sita used to exist. He also said that a carving of the Hindu deity Narasimhama exists at the back of the cross. His tweet drew close to 7,000 retweets as of this writing. See huge illegal Cross in Edlapadu, AP where once foot prints of #SitaMaa existed. Carving of Lord Narasimhama exists at back. In Guntur Dist Christian mafias have created havoc.@BJP4Andhra & @friendsofrss protested but administration tacitly supported.#Encroachment4ChristInAP pic.twitter.com/WAfFgVYMD6 — Sunil Deodhar (@Sunil_Deodhar) March 2, 2021 Deodhar’s tweet was quote-tweeted by BJP MP from Karnataka Tejasvi Surya. “Hindu places of reverence are systematically targeted and new structures raised at very same places to show aggression on indigenous faith people,” he wrote. State sponsored support to evangelical forces in AP must be a cause of concern for all who believe in rights of indigenous faiths. Hindu places of reverence are systematically targeted and new structures raised at very same places to show aggression on indigenous faith people. https://t.co/MuRMxabF8K — Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) March 2, 2021 Other BJP leaders from Andhra Pradesh who amplified the claim were the party’s state president Somu Veerraju and general secretary S Vishnu Vardhan Reddy. It was also shared by RSS publication Organiser. Yedlapadu police station SI Srihari told to Alt News, “The cross is erected on a hill that has a Mary Amma’s temple that dates back at least 30 years. Adjacent to that hill, about half a kilometre away, is Lord Narshima’s (avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu) place of worship. No encroachment has been made on the latter.” Narasaraopet sub-collector Srivas Nupur gave a similar statement to Hindustan Times. “There was absolutely no truth in the claim about the encroachment of the hillock hosting the Hindu religious sites,” he said. He further added that “there was an old Mother Mary temple at an adjacent hill at Yerragonda hillock in the same village and local RCM Church authorities sought district administration’s permission to construct steps for the devotees to reach the temple.” Guntur rural district police uploaded a video on Twitter to show that the Hindu place of worship is on a different hilltop. Fact check : THEY ARE COMPLETELY 2 DIFFERENT HILLOCKS and there is absolutely NO encroachment of the hill where Narasimha Swami idol is there ..(check videos by our SHO) Request to use Twitter to spread love, unity and peace..@APPOLICE100 @dgpapofficial @ysjagan pic.twitter.com/lc7HZpq6c5 — GUNTUR RURAL DISTRICT POLICE (@GntRuralPolice) March 2, 2021 Guntur police uploaded another video to debunk the claim. Fact check: THEY ARE COMPLETELY 2 DIFFERENT HILLOCKS and there is absolutely NO encroachment of the hill where Narasimha Swami idol is there .check videos by our SHO Request to use Twitter to spread love, unity and peace..@APPOLICE100 @dgpapofficial @ysjagan @AndhraPradeshCM pic.twitter.com/mL5pxJL7iP — GUNTUR RURAL DISTRICT POLICE (@GntRuralPolice) March 2, 2021 Guntur district collector also tweeted, “The allegation that the Cross was erected where Sita Maata footprints and carvings of Lord Narsimha existed is not true.” As reported by the SP Rural Guntur and Sub Collector,the allegation that the Cross was erected where Sita Maata footprints and carvings of Lord Narsimha existed is not true. The hill with Sita Maata footprints is different from the hill which has the Cross. https://t.co/JaGBvo2d6q — District Collector, Guntur (@CollectorGuntr) March 2, 2021 However, SI Srihar also informed Alt News that an application for the land where the cross is erected is in process. Sub-collector Nupur told Hindustan Times that the church authorities started constructing steps and erecting a huge cross before the government gave any permission. “The police and revenue authorities went there and stopped the works,” he said. While the Church authorities have submitted an application to erect the cross, it is yet to be approved. Guntur collector and district magistrate Vivek Yadav told Alt News that a committee has been formed to inspect the matter. However, the claim that the cross encroached on land with a Hindu shrine was denied by the authorities. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	4th March 2021 / 7:43 pm / Last updated: 4th March 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-claims-encroachment-on-holy-hindu-site-in-andhra-collector-and-police-deny/", "author": "Archit & Pooja Chaudhuri" }
377	BJP, Congress falsely targeted with alleged booth capturing video from West Bengal - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 24th April 2019 / 8:27 pm / Last updated: 7th May 2019 A video clip viral on social media is being shared as a case of booth capturing in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls by “BJP MP Brijesh Singh”. The caption used to circulate the video is – “BJP MP Brijesh Singh going with each voter to ensure vote for BJP. What reply does Modi have for this? This video has to go viral so that maximum people know what is happening.” BJP MP Brijesh Singh Going With Each Voter To _ensure_ Vote For bjp. What Reply Does modi Have For This? This _Video_ Has To Go Viral So That Maximum People Know What Is _Happening_….. Posted by Dheeman Das on Monday, 6 May 2019 The clip has been shared by several individual users on Facebook and Twitter. Incidentally, both BJP and Congress were last month targeted using the same clip. “कोंग्रेस विधायक अनिल उपाध्याय की इस हरकत पर क्या कहेगे राहुल जी, इस video को इतना वायरल करो की ये पूरा हिन्दुस्तान देख सके (Rahul ji, what is your comment on Congress MLA Anil Upadhyay’s act? Make this video so viral that the whole of India watches it),” read the post when circulated in the name of Congress. The video was circulated with a similar caption attacking the BJP. Even the name of the MLA – Anil Upadhyay – was the same – “BJP विधायक अनिल उपाध्याय की इस हरकत पर क्या कहेगे MODI जी, इस video को इतना वायरल करो की ये पूरा हिन्दुस्तान देख सके (Modi ji, what is your comment on BJP MLA Anil Upadhyay’s act? Make this video so viral that the whole of India watches it.)” Alt News found that the video had also been attributed to the TMC. SHOCKING!! Elections have no meaning in West Bengal. Voting happens as per the wishes of Mamata Banerjee. Look at the White Kurta Clad #TMC goon.. dictating voters to vote for Trinamool. Is #ECI sleeping? Where is Central Force?? #VotingRound2 pic.twitter.com/XP89cEWQYf — Dr. Manish Kumar (@DrManishKumar1) April 18, 2019 If one listens carefully, the people in the video can be heard talking in Bengali. Upon looking for news reports on possible booth capturing in West Bengal, we came across an April 18 YouTube upload by Republic. The media outlet had posted the same video and captioned it as – “Booth Capturing By TMC In Islampur.” While we were unable to locate other media reports carrying the same video, there have been allegations of booth capturing in Islampur, which falls under the Raiganj constituency of West Bengal. According to an India Today report, “BJP’s Raiganj Parliamentary constituency candidate Debasree Chaudhuri alleged that TMC workers tried to capture a polling booth in the constituency.” The Quint’s ground report claims that the incident depicted in the viral video indeed took place in Islampur, which had gone to polls on April 18. “According to The Quint’s sources, the man in the video is a TMC worker named Md Sominuddin from Raiganj. When asked what was he doing inside the polling booth during an interview to local media, he had said that he was only present there to help his aged mother and first-time voter daughters with the voting process, as the presiding officer in the booth fell sick,” per the report. CPM candidate from Raiganj Mohammad Salim’s vehicle was also attacked when he went to the polling booth in Islampur. The CPM alleged that the TMC was behind the attack. “I got to know of rigging inside this booth,” Salim informed the media. Alt News contacted the CPM leader who claimed that around 50-odd polling booths in Raigunj constituency were compromised. “This wasn’t a case of traditional booth capturing. Instead of local goons or panchayat members belonging to TMC, there were people sitting inside the booth who were intimidating voters by watching who they were voting for.” Salim alleged that booth capturing was possible because of corrupt police officials influenced by the TMC. “Members of TMC were inside the booth unauthorised. The sector officer, election commission representative and observer – all were muted,” he said. An alleged incident from West Bengal was used to target both BJP and Congress. Moreover, the candidates’ names – Brijesh Singh and Anil Upadhyay – were also fictitious. My Neta, a website that contains details about state and central legislators, did not include any information about any person by those names who belonged to either of the parties. Given below is a screenshot of the results thrown up by My Neta when we searched for ‘Brijesh Singh’. The screen-grab posted below show the search results for ‘Anil Upadhyay’. [UPDATE: This article was revised on May 7, 2019, to include the separate claim of the video representing an incident of polling booth capture by ‘BJP MP Brijesh Singh’, which was found to be false.] Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	24th April 2019 / 8:27 pm / Last updated: 7th May 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-congress-falsely-targeted-with-alleged-booth-capturing-video-from-west-bengal/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
378	BJP, Congress members share dubious 'Sikhs For Justice' letter supporting AAP in Punjab - Alt News Archit 19th February 2022 / 8:39 pm / Last updated: 23rd February 2022 A letter written in Punjabi has been widely shared on social media with the claim that US-based ‘Sikhs For Justice’ (SFJ) has extended support to AAP ahead of the Punjab elections. SFG, founded by US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, was banned by the Indian government in 2019 as an unlawful association as it supports the secession of Punjab from India and the formation of a separate Khalistan. The viral letter was tweeted by lawyer Shashank Shekhar Jha. This tweet gained over 1,000 retweets. Surprising: Khalistan group “Sikhs for Justice” declares support for Aam Aadmi Party. pic.twitter.com/qRpw5gElun — Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) February 17, 2022 It was also posted by multiple verified social media users such as BJP’s Haryana IT cell head Arun Yadav, National Media In-charge at BJP’s youth wing BJYM Amandeep Singh, BJP leader Anirban Ganguly, National President Indian Youth Congress Srinivas BV, and author of the book ‘Narendra Modi Censored’ Ashok Shrivastav. It was also tweeted by Twitter handle @PollUpdateInd and CapitalTV India chief editor Manish Kumar. Several Twitter and Facebook users have shared this document. Using CrowdTangle, a social media monitoring tool, we found that at least 20 Facebook users made this claim. We used Google Lens to translate the viral letter to English. The letter allegedly declares that SFJ has extended full support to AAP and their Punjab candidate CM Bhagwant Mann. It says if AAP is elected, SFJ’s goals will be revived. It is worth noting that in the second part, the letter claims SFJ also supported AAP in 2017, during the previous Punjab assembly polls. Zee News reporter Shivank Mishra uploaded a video of Pannun stating that SFJ hasn’t issued the viral letter. Pannun even alleged that AAP is behind circulating this letter. Fact Check : सिख फ़ॉर जस्टिस के नाम से वायरल किया जा रहा आम आदमी पार्टी को समर्थन देने वाला पत्र फ़र्ज़ी है… खुद गुरपतवंत सिंह पन्नू ने इसके फ़र्ज़ी होने का ऐलान किया है. @BhagwantMann @ArvindKejriwal @AamAadmiParty @raghav_chadha pic.twitter.com/100ptq2nVr — Shivank Mishra (@shivank_8mishra) February 17, 2022 The viral letter was shared on social media on February 17. Punjab-based journalist Taruni Gandhi tweeted that SFJ had released only one letter on February 17 that called for a ‘Rail Roko’ protest to honour late actor-activist Deep Sidhu. She also pointed out that there are differences between the viral letter and the genuine ‘Rail Roko’ letter. I think Sikh for Justice released only one letter today saying #RailRoko. So far this letter regarding AAP is concerned from SFJ, it needs factcheck. Anyhow here are two letters, anyone can make out the difference. @AamAadmiParty @AartiTikoo @srinivasiyc pic.twitter.com/k5Rkktrnxs — Taruni Gandhi (@TaruniGandhi) February 17, 2022 Taruni told Alt News, “Pannun sent an email to me and several journalists from Punjab where the February 17 letter regarding late Deep Sidhu was attached along with a video. Based on the letter in the email, we can say that the viral letter targeting AAP is not authentic. To the best of my knowledge, his letters are in English.” The screenshot below was shared by Taruni. It highlights Pannun’s email ID as the sender (top left), the date of the email sent (top right) and the attached letter about the ‘Rail Roko’ protest (arrow). We have omitted personal details from this screenshot. We found two more SFJ letters – one from June 2020 which was tweeted by Congress leader Ravneet Singh Bittu, and the other from last year which was posted by The Hindu’s Jatin Anand. Upon comparing the viral letter with the three genuine SFJ letters (2022, 2021, 2020), Alt News noticed abnormalities in: Letterhead SFJ letters included three links — sikhsforjustice.org, referendum2020.org, facebook.com/sikhsforjusticepage — just beneath the addresses mentioned in the letterhead. However, that’s not the case with the viral letter. Left alignment The body of the letter is misaligned in the viral letter. It goes beyond the green line. In all the three genuine letters, the body of the letter does not cross over to the left of the ‘Sikhs For Justice’ logo. It is worth noting that the second part of the viral letter claims SFJ supported AAP in 2017, however, Hindustan Times had reported just the year before that SFJ had lodged a formal complaint against AAP with the Canadian foreign affairs minister asking the federal government to intervene with respect to AAP’s election-related activities within Canada and block the proposed visit of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to the country. To sum it up, a dubious letter alleges that banned outfit ‘Sikhs For Justice’ extended support to AAP. It was shared on social media by several users, including BJP and Congress leaders and members. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	19th February 2022 / 8:39 pm / Last updated: 23rd February 2022	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-congress-members-share-dubious-sikhs-for-justice-letter-supporting-aap-in-punjab/", "author": "Archit" }
379	BJP Delhi falsely accuses AAP of purchasing oximeters at inflated price - Alt News Priyanka Jha 21st December 2020 / 4:59 pm In a tweet posted on December 18, 2020, BJP’s Delhi unit accused the AAP-led Delhi government of corruption. It claimed that the Kejriwal administration bought a single pulse oximeter, normally priced between Rs 500 and 1000, for Rs 66,320. The picture in the tweet shows the order number of a pulse oximeter that has been highlighted and its rate is shown as Rs 66,320. It also mentions that this was allegedly purchased by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Delhi. (Archive link) Oximeter अगर आप बाज़ार में ख़रीदने जाए तो 500 या 1000 रुपए में मिल जाता है लेकिन केजरीवाल सरकार ने एक Oximeter को 66,320 रुपए में ख़रीदा है। यह केवल एक की क़ीमत है। यह इतना बड़ा भ्रष्टाचार है जिसकी कल्पना भी नहीं की जा सकती – श्री @RajivBabbarbjp pic.twitter.com/EmRyUiLF55 — BJP Delhi (@BJP4Delhi) December 18, 2020 Rajeev Babbar, vice-president of BJP Delhi, had earlier made this claim in a press conference along with tweeting a video on the matter. (Archive link) अपनी पारदर्शिता का ढिंढोरा पीटने वाली @ArvindKejriwal सरकार असल मे तरह-तरह के घोटालों में संलिप्त है।जिस Oximeter की कीमत 500-1000 रू. या उससे थोड़ा ज्यादा होती है उसको @AamAadmiParty सरकार ने 66,320 रू. मे खरीदा है।इनके घोटालों की लिस्ट लम्बी है,धीरे-धीरे परत-दर-परत खुलती रहेगी। pic.twitter.com/IK75orfagJ — Rajiv Babbar (@RajivBabbarbjp) December 18, 2020 BJP member Surendra Poonia and Rishi Bagree, who have both been caught spreading misinformation in the past, also made the same claim. Poonia wrote, “The Delhi government bought pulse oximeters during the COVID-19 pandemic…You will be shocked to know the price of one oximeter, which is Rs. 66,320.” This tweet received more than 8000 likes (archived link). Bagree wrote that the government of Delhi has purchased oximeter worth Rs 1500 for Rs 66,320 (archived link). Visshnu Mittal, treasurer of BJP Delhi, also promoted the same claim (archive link). In a press conference, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh dismissed the corruption allegations, clarifying that the devices they purchased were not the ordinary finger pulse oximeters, which are clamped onto the patient’s finger, but a special type of table-top oximeters. They bought these from the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). Singh also shared details of the purchase showing the order number cited in BJP Delhi’s tweet. He explained that this rate is mentioned on the GeM government website, which comes under the central government. दिल्ली सरकार ने ये विशेष तरह के ऑक्सिमिटर भारत सरकार के GeM पोर्टल से खरीदे है। सरकारी नियम है कि अगर GeM पोर्टल पर कोई चीज उपलब्ध है तो उसको बाहर से खरीदा नही जा सकता। तो क्या योगी सरकार ये कह रही है कि मोदी सरकार GeM पोर्टल पर गलत रेट लगा रही है?- सांसद श्री @SanjayAzadSln pic.twitter.com/AirU3pWhUI — AAP (@AamAadmiParty) December 18, 2020 The AAP leader shows the order number and its details in the video. Citing the same order number, BJP had claimed that the devices normally costing Rs 500-1000 were bought for more than Rs. 60,000. The name of the product purchased by the Delhi Government is ‘EDAN TABLE TOP Adult and Pediatric and Neonatal Pulse Oximeter’. The contract is dated June 5, 2020. Apart from this, we noticed that AAP’s social media officer Abhijeet Dipke shared a screenshot of the purchase of this product on the GeM website in a reply to Rishi Bagree’s tweet. The oximeter has been brought from Central Govt. Here are the details of the order from Centre Govt’s GeM website. @rishibagree does this mean Centre Govt is selling oximeter at a high price? pic.twitter.com/RGy2yc1iUg — Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) December 18, 2020 In the screenshot shared by Dipke, the details of contract number 511687749745527 have been shared off of the URL gem.gov.in/view_contracts. When Alt News tried to look up this number on the site, we derived the same information. This can be seen in the video posted below. Prices of oximeters of this kind from different brands range anywhere from Rs 10,000 (after a heavy discount) to Rs. 1,50,000 on the GeM website. These prices vary depending on the device’s features and manufacturer. AAP had bought an oximeter with an M3B Vital Signs monitor from a brand called EdanUSA. We located the same device on the company’s website. The price of an oximeter with the same features is Rs 2,00,000 on IndiaMart. On ColMed, its price has been stated as Rs 1,92,000. On the American site absolutemed.com, it is priced at around USD 1450, i.e. Rs 1,00,000. Therefore, in June, the Delhi government bought two EdanUSA table-top oximeters. Seeing the high rates of the devices, the BJP wrongly accused them of corruption on social media. However, the equipment purchased was specialized oximeters hence priced at those rates. Moreover, they were bought from the central government’s e-market website. She specializes in information verification, examining mis/disinformation, social media monitoring and platform accountability. Her aim is to make the internet a safer place and enable people to become informed social media users. She has been a part of Alt News since 2018. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	21st December 2020 / 4:59 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-delhi-falsely-accused-aap-govt-of-buying-oximeters-at-extremely-high-price/", "author": "Priyanka Jha" }
380	BJP disowned their IT cell guy after he was detained for running ISI spy ring, here are 21 more things they have disowned in the past - Alt News Alt News Desk 15th February 2017 / 12:00 pm / Last updated: 17th May 2019 Over the growing controversy on links with ISI, BJP has disowned their IT cell member Dhruv Saxena. Well, this is not the first time that RSS/BJP has disowned something after being squared. India Resists had created an initial list and we are expanding on it. It becomes relevant to recall their history of disowning. 2. RSS “disowns” article defending Dadri lynching by RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya which says, “The Vedas order the killing of “sinners” who slaughter cows” http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/rss-disowns-paanchajanya-organiser-as-its-mouthpiece 3. RSS disowns controversial Nehru article http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/rss-disowns-controversial-nehru-article/ 4. RSS disowns Golwalkar’s book : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/RSS-officially-disowns-Golwalkars-book/articleshow/1443606.cms 5. RSS disowns RSS member Swami Aseemanand who claims that the RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat, knew about the conspiracy to bomb civilian targets and Sanctioned Terrorist Attacks http://www.truthofgujarat.com/orphaning-swami-aseemanand-nathuram-godse-typical-tales-disownment-rss/selection_256/ http://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/the-caravan-press-release/289461 6. RSS disowns Mangalore attackers : http://www.ndtv.com/video/news/news/rss-disowns-mangalore-attackers-54438 7. BJP on distanced itself from comments by its MP, Sakshi Maharaj, who blamed the population boom in India on the Muslim community : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/BJP-disowns-MP%E2%80%99s-comments/article17007081.ece 8. BJP disowns Swamy’s attack on Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Arvind Subramanian : http://www.deccanherald.com/content/553811/bjp-disowns-swamys-attack-cea.html 9. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat disowns Sakshi Maharaj’s ‘Hindus must have four babies’ remark! http://www.india.com/buzz/rss-chief-mohan-bhagwat-disowns-sakshi-maharajs-hindus-must-have-four-babies-remark-287023/ 10. BJP disowns RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s call for quota review – LOL even disowned what their own chief said. http://www.abplive.in/india/2015/09/22/article720690.ece/BJP-disowns-RSS-chief-Mohan-Bhagwats-call-for-quota-review 11. RSS disowns controversial content by Golwalkar : http://koenraadelst.bharatvani.org/articles/fascism/Nazi6GurujiWithdrawn.html 12. RSS disowns leather tweet : “Govt should take action against @myntra for selling cow leather shoe and hurting sentiments of Hindus,” : https://www.telegraphindia.com/1151114/jsp/nation/story_53131.jsp#.WKNsvlN96M8 13. RSS disowns Kesari article published by in it’s Malayalam mouthpiece that Nathuram Godse should have targeted Jawaharlal Nehru instead of Mahatma Gandhi as he was responsible for the Partition : http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/rss-disowns-kesari-article-after-congress-criticism/story-aYfg81kz4bFBp9085WbZQM.html 14. RSS officially disowns Golwalkar’s book “Bunch of Thoughts” : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/RSS-officially-disowns-Golwalkars-book/articleshow/1443606.cms 15. BJP disowned BJP IT cell member Dhruv Saxena, An Alleged ISI agents who was arrested by Anti-Terrorist Squad detains him for Running Pakistan’s ISI Spy Ring In Madhya Pradesh https://satyavijayi.com/bjp-head-amit-malviya-says-pakistani-spy-no-association-bhartiya-janta-party/ 16. RSS disowned its mouth piece ‘Organiser’ after an article alleging that IITs and IIMs were hotbeds of “anti-India and anti-Hindu” : http://www.mathrubhumi.com/tv/ReadMore/17197/rss-disown-organiser/E 17. RSS disowns Hindutva ‘fringe’ : http://www.firstpost.com/politics/world-hindu-congress-rss-touts-broad-minded-hindutva-disowns-fringe-1818319.html 18. RSS disowns M.G. Vaidya’s comments on Nitin Gadkari and BJP : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ6rEUxrjbU 19. BJP distanced itself from the meeting between Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and a delegation led by its leader Yashwant Sinha, saying the party has nothing to do with it. : https://kashmirobserver.net/2016/local-news/bjp-disowns-delegation-11394 20. Varun Gandhi, who made communally inflammatory remarks. BJP disowns his speech : http://www.livemint.com/Politics/95YPKyNX7leS5HyNgVnarJ/Varun-Gandhi-replies-to-EC-BJP-disowns-his-speech.html 21. Hindutva group disown cow vigilantes who Lynched the BJP worker to death in Udupi district of Karnataka : http://www.coastaldigest.com/index.php/news/90302-after-bjp-workers-murder-hindutva-groups-disown-udupi-cow-vigilantes The history of disowning its links with any acts of extremism is nothing new for RSS/BJP. They brazenly show their allegiance to extremist organisations and activities when in power, but cowardly retreat when squared. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	15th February 2017 / 12:00 pm / Last updated: 17th May 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-disowned-its-it-cell-guy-after-he-was-detained-for-running-isi-spy-ring-here-are-21-more-things-they-have-disowned-in-the-past/", "author": "Alt News Desk" }
381	BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya shares mischievously clipped video of Manmohan Singh - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 28th November 2018 / 4:19 pm / Last updated: 19th March 2019 In-charge of BJP’s national Information & Technology Amit Malviya tweeted a video of Dr Manmohan Singh on November 27 where the former PM can be heard saying, “The Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were very good.” This clip where Singh seems to appreciate the BJP state governments was captioned as, “Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh contradicted Rahul Gandhi, says governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh were ‘very good’… Waters down everything Congress President has been saying over the last few days!” Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh contradicts Rahul Gandhi, says governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh were ‘very good’… Waters down everything Congress President has been saying over the last few days! pic.twitter.com/cLqCL0al7q — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) November 27, 2018 Malviya’s tweet comes at the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi’s speeches in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where the INC chief criticised PM Modi-led BJP government. The identical video was also circulated by national in-charge of social media – BJP Mahila Morcha, Priti Gandhi. Meanwhile, Former PM Manmohan Singh has given a thumbs up to the good governance in Madhya Pradesh & Chhatisgarh!! #TrustBJP pic.twitter.com/rQJkpTOzV3 — Priti Gandhi (@MrsGandhi) November 27, 2018 As it turns out, Malviya and Gandhi shared a mischievously clipped video of the former PM’s speech made on November 26. Singh was a panelist in a discussion organised for the book release function of former Union Minister Manish Tewari’s new book ‘Fables of Fractured Times’. During the dialogue, journalist and anchor Rajdeep Sardesai posed a question to the former PM regarding maintaining dignity and decorum at a time of polarised election propaganda. Responding to Sardesai, Singh asserted the significance of the Prime Minister maintaining a certain restraint on the use of language when he visits states that are ruled by parties other than the BJP. Singh continued to say that during UPA’s government, he maintained cordial relationships with the governments of both Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh despite the states not being ruled by the Congress. The former PM’s exact words were, “My relationships with the government of Madhya Pradesh, the government of Chhattisgarh were very good. We never discriminated against BJP-ruled states.” He further went on to say that MP CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan can testify the same. The relevant part of Singh’s statement starts at 1:20 minutes in the complete video tweeted earlier by Congress. A lesson for PM Modi on maintaining the dignity of his office. pic.twitter.com/JvUiXebnJF — Congress (@INCIndia) November 27, 2018 In conclusion, former PM Manmohan Singh wasn’t praising BJP governments in MP and Chhatisgarh. He was, in fact, advising Prime Minister Modi to not discriminate against states that aren’t ruled by the BJP, same as he claimed to have practised when in power. This was first pointed out by True News (@TrueNewsBengal). Singh’s original statement “my relationships with the government of Madhya Pradesh, the government of Chhattisgarh were very good” was clipped to “the government of Madhya Pradesh, the government of Chhattisgarh were very good” to make it seem otherwise. This wasn’t an isolated instance when BJP IT cell heads circulated cropped videos to portray Congress in poor light. Earlier, Amit Malviya had tweeted a misleading clip of INC MLA Jitu Patwari. He had also shared a clipped video to malign journalist Ravish Kumar. In August, Priti Gandhi had circulated a video of pro-Khalistan supporters gate-crashing a Congress event with a false narrative. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	28th November 2018 / 4:19 pm / Last updated: 19th March 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-it-cell-head-amit-malviya-shares-mischievously-clipped-video-of-manmohan-singh/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
382	BJP IT Cell man Dhruv Saxena along with 10 others arrested for helping ISI spy on Army - Alt News Alt News Desk 10th February 2017 / 11:04 pm / Last updated: 12th July 2018 BJP Bhopal IT Cell district coordinator Dhruv Saxena along with 10 others we’re booked under SEC 122 and 123 of IPC, which deal with collecting arms, information for waging war against the country. As reported by various dailies in Madhya Pradesh, about 11 people have been arrested in the latest ISI spying conspiracy. According to DBPost, they were facilitating ISI by providing crucial information about Indian Army deployments. These men had been clandestinely operating various mediums to send classified information out to their Pakistan handlers. DBPost also reported that three of the detainees were working as handlers for ISI agents and either were running parallel telecom exchanges. We at AltNews.in dug deeper to find more information about at least two of those who have been detained, namely Dhruv Saxena and Mohit Agarwal. Dhruv Saxena, based on his social media profile, is a BJP/BJYM guy and the co-accused Mohit Agarwal is also friends with Dhruv on social media platform Facebook. While Anshul Tiwari, the BJYM President of Bhopal, refuses to acknowledge that Dhruv Saxena held a position in BJYM Bhopal, the now expired bjymbhopal.org website retrieved from Google Cache clearly shows Dhruv as the district coordinator, IT Cell. In fact, the bjymbhopal.org website was made by Dhruv’s company Vocal Heart Infotech and is displayed at the bottom of the website in Google Cache. Dhruv Saxena’s social media profile shows that he’s the Managing Director of Vocal Heart Infotech. Screenshots of the now expired BJYM Bhopal site showing the membership details of Dhruv Saxena and his Facebook work profile can be seen below. Pic taken from his Facebook account. Druv Saxena also seen with BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. One more Pic with Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan So, the above information proves without a shadow of doubt that Dhruv Saxena is involved with BJP and has access to its topmost leaders. So, Yes, BJP which keeps raising the national-anti-national debate every single day has a ISI operative in their ranks standing shoulder to shoulder with their senior most leaders. Follow @free_thinker Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	10th February 2017 / 11:04 pm / Last updated: 12th July 2018	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-it-cell-man-dhruv-saxena-along-with-10-others-arrested-for-helping-isi-spy-on-army/", "author": "Alt News Desk" }
383	Fake letter alleging divisive poll strategy of Congress shared ahead of elections - Alt News Arjun Sidharth 16th April 2019 / 2:58 pm / Last updated: 25th March 2021 A letter which was purportedly written by Karnataka Congress leader M B Patil to Sonia Gandhi in July 2017, has been shared by a few social media users. According to the tweet, the letter exposes the divide-and-rule policy of the Congress party which had allegedly fomented division within the Hindu community in Karnataka by pledging a separate status for the Lingayat community. कांग्रेस किस हद तक जा सकती है ध्यान से देखिए कर्नाटक के कांग्रेसी मंत्री M.b. patil का सोनिया गांधी को पत्र जिसमें साफ लिखा है कि भाजपा को हराना है तो हिंदुओं को तोड़ दो। और ऐसा करने के लिए global Christian council or world Islamic organisation आपकी मदद करेगा।@SoniyaGandhinc pic.twitter.com/W55s9wVJ9K — 🚩भगवाधारी कट्टर हिन्दू नितेश कुमार सिंह धनगर🚩⚔️ (@BhagvadhariD) March 22, 2021 The official Twitter handle of the Bharatiya Janata Party Karnataka state unit had shared the letter on April 16, 2019. It was retweeted over 1400 times and ‘liked’ over 1800 times. Congress exposed The entire Lingayat & Veerashaiva community division was planted under direct instruction of Sonia Gandhi The letter written to Sonia Gandhi by Congress leader MB Patil exposes shocking details of how Sonia Gandhi wanted to divide Hindu communities in Karnataka pic.twitter.com/ZC6CpQf1fN — BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 16, 2019 An excerpt from this letter is quoted below. “The unanimous opinion is that in order to win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it is essential to curb the RSS growth in Karnataka and defeat BJP in the 2018 Assembly elections. This can be achieved by uniting the Muslims and Christians on the basis of their faith; divide the Hindus on the basis of caste/sub-caste and sect and sub/sect.” The same ‘letter’ had circulated widely ahead of the assembly election in Karnataka in May 2018. The fake news website Postcard News had even published an article based purely on this fake letter. The article was, expectedly, later deleted and so was Postcard News founder Mahesh Vikram Hegde’s tweet regarding the same. The letter is fake. Not only are the language and contents a dead giveaway, but a quick Google search also reveals that ‘Global Christian Council’ and ‘World Islamic Organisation’, organisations with which the Congress has supposedly schemed to politically divide the state, do not even exist. The names of the organisations are a figment of imagination. Moreover, M B Patil, in a conversation with Alt News had confirmed that the letter is fake. Alt News’ earlier fact-check can be read here. The English news channel Republic TV initially reported about this letter, publishing an article with the words “SENSATIONAL: BJP shares purported Congress’ 2017 strategy letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi pitching explosive caste and religion divide and conquer plan”. The article is now no longer on the website. A little later, Republic TV updated their reportage with the word ‘fake’ to describe the letter. It may be noted that this was in the nature of an update, and not a clarification or an acknowledgement of error. With assembly elections in five states underway, such recirculation of previously bunked information is to be expected. Alt News has been debunking false news ahead of the polls. Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	16th April 2019 / 2:58 pm / Last updated: 25th March 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-karnataka-tweets-fake-letter-targeting-congress-alleging-divisive-poll-strategy/", "author": "Arjun Sidharth" }
384	BJP Kerala General Secretary openly advocates violence, clash between SFI-ABVP students - Alt News Alt News Desk 18th March 2017 / 2:29 am / Last updated: 12th July 2018 Around 15 students sustained injuries in clashes, after Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists stormed the Sree Kerala Varma College in Thrissur district in Kerala on Friday. The issues started earlier in the day with the ABVP, BJP and Yuva Morcha organising a meeting of “former students” outside the campus gates, against the alleged violence of the SFI in the campus. During the meeting, BJP State General Secretary B.Gopalakrishnan openly advocated the ABVP-RSS activists to unleash violence. In the video, he is heard saying – “We will enter the campus and beat them up”. Though the meeting was supposedly against violence in the campus, many of those who attended were outsiders, carrying sticks and stones. https://www.facebook.com/ajith.keralavarma/videos/1931365073753021/ The group soon gathered in front of the college gate, threatening to enter forcibly. The students of the college, many of them SFI activists, blocked their entry at the gates and held them off for a short time. In the video below, one can see objects being pelted from both sides of the gate. Though the ABVP-RSS activists backed down then, they soon came back with more people and entered the campus forcibly, unleashing violence. At 1 minute 28 seconds into the video, one can see ABVP-RSS activists marching into the college. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5riCB_DdWJw Pitched battles between the students went on for about an hour, during which fifteen students sustained injuries. One student fainted on seeing the bloody fight. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	18th March 2017 / 2:29 am / Last updated: 12th July 2018	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-kerala-general-secretary-openly-advocates-violence-clash-sfi-abvp-students/", "author": "Alt News Desk" }
385	BJP Kerala, Kapil Mishra spread fake news about a Sabarimala devotee dying due to police action - Alt News Jignesh Patel 2nd November 2018 / 11:37 pm / Last updated: 19th March 2019 “BJP is protesting against Kerala Police who have killed Mr. Shivadasan during Sabarimala women entry protest. Strike has been declared by BJP in Pathanamthitta district on 2/11/2018,” was the message inscribed in an image posted by the official Facebook page of BJP Kerala. It claims that the man shown in the image named Sivadasan was ‘killed by Kerala police’ during a protest against the entry of women in Sabarimala temple. ശബരിമലയിലും പരിസരപ്രദേശങ്ങളിലും പോലീസ് അഴിച്ചുവിട്ട നരനായാട്ടിൽ അതിക്രൂരമായി കൊലചെയ്യപ്പെട്ട അയ്യപ്പൻ ശിവദാസന്റെ… Posted by BJP Keralam on Thursday, 1 November 2018 Another post from BJP Kerala stated, “Murder of Ayyappa devotee, Hartal in Pathanamthitta tomorrow. He was killed in the police violence -translated”. Both the aforementioned pictures were also posted on Facebook by Kerala BJP state president Sreedharan Pillai who made the identical claims. ശബരിമലയിലും പരിസരപ്രദേശങ്ങളിലും പോലീസ് അഴിച്ചുവിട്ട നരനായാട്ടിൽ അതിക്രൂരമായി കൊലചെയ്യപ്പെട്ട അയ്യപ്പൻ ശിവദാസന്റെ… Posted by Sreedharan Pillai PS on Thursday, 1 November 2018 Kerala State BJP General Secretary K Surendran joined the bandwagon and posted a message on Facebook, “Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan is responsible for this murder. Meet Mr. Sivadas, who became martyr while trying to protect God Ayyappa. People will remember your martyrdom until God Ayyappa dharma lives on. Pinarayi is planning to kill more and more devotees. On the 5th of November when Sabarimala reopens again I am sure police will kill more such devotees like Sivadas. But your plan will not work out even if you kill thousands of devotees -translated”. J Nandakumar, an RSS functionary, also tweeted that Sivadasan died after ‘ghastly police action’ against Sabarimala pilgrims. NDA Kerala tweeted along the same lines saying, “Body of Sivadas who was missing after police atrocity on devotees at Sabarimala is found now. All Police officials involved should be punished for killing an innocent devotee. Also Home Minister (CM himself) should take the responsibility and resign. Pranams. @rajeev_mp @AmitShah”. This was retweeted by BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar. On November 1, rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra tweeted a video of a man who falls into a gorge while escaping police lathi charge, “This man Sivadas, a devotee of Lord Ayyappa was trying to save himself from brutal police”. At the time of writing, Mishra’s tweet had been retweeted more than 6500 times and ‘liked’ more than 7900 times. This man Sivadas, a devotee of Lord Ayyappa was trying to save himself from brutal police Today his deadbody was found He has no human rights because he is a Hindu#Sabarimala pic.twitter.com/iXGqOYrQHF — Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) November 1, 2018 A Twitter user Gita S. Kapoor, who is followed by PM Narendra Modi, also made a similar claim while tweeting a photo of Sivadasan. In the video statement, SP T Narayanan of Pathanamthitta district has categorically rubbished the claims of Sivadasan’s death being linked to Sabarimala police action. According to him, the police lathi charge happened on October 17 while Sivadasan left for the pilgrimage on the morning of October 18 and was in touch with his family till the morning of October 19. He said, “Sivadasan, who went missing after Sabarimala pilgrimage was found dead near Laha. Police noticed that there are a lot false news circulating on social media related to the dead body and the cause of death with police lathi charge which happened on October 17 at Nilakkal. Sivadasan left home only on the morning of October 18 for Sabarimala pilgrimage. After reaching Sannidhanam, he made a call to his wife from a Tamil Ayyappa devotee’s mobile phone and again on the morning of October 19, informing her about the return plans (he informed her I am done here and am getting ready to come back). But he didn’t reach home that day. So, his son and family members started searching for him. On October 25, his son registered a complaint at Pandalam police station. Police registered a missing person case, number 1974/2018, and started a search operation for Sivadasan. This is the truth. So the police will take strict action against all, be it media or individuals who are spreading false news about this incident. Thank you -translated” An article published by The News Minute on November 2, 2018 also corroborates that Sivadasan left for Sabarimala on October 18. “A complaint filed by Sivadasan’s son Sarath at the Pandalam police station on October 25 states that Sivadasan left home on October 18, and that he never carried his mobile with him while going to the temple,” according to the report. Regarding the video shared by Kapil Mishra, many versions (1, 2) of this video from different angles are available on the Internet, all of them shot on October 17. This video is of a lathi charge at Pamba which is a Sabrimala base camp. Earlier, it was claimed that a woman was injured during this lathicharge due to Kerala police brutality. However, an Alt News investigation revealed that the woman was hit by a stone from a protester. A video of the same incident is now being used to claim that one of the devotees jumped into the ‘gorge’ and possibly died. However, no media reports have claimed any deaths due to the police lathi charge on October 17. As we mentioned earlier, Sivadas was alive till at least October 19, and has no connection with the above video. An incident of death of a Sabarimala devotee was falsely linked to police action initiated against worshippers. In the past as well, Alt News has reported how misinformation about Sabarimala and the events surrounding it were circulated on social media, where old and unrelated images were shared to claim police brutality on the protesters. In yet another instance of misinformation about Sabarimala, Kerala government and CM Pinarayi Vijayan were targeted with false claim that a CPM worker disguising as a cop incited violence. Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	2nd November 2018 / 11:37 pm / Last updated: 19th March 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-kerala-kapil-mishra-spreads-fake-news-about-a-sabarimala-devotee-dying-due-to-police-action/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
386	BJP leader accused in different rape case misidentified as father of accused in Hathras case - Alt News Archit 3rd October 2020 / 7:45 pm / Last updated: 3rd October 2020 Photographs of a man with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are being circulated on Twitter and Facebook with the claim that he is the father of one of the accused in the alleged gang-rape case in Hathras. A 19-year-old Dalit woman from Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras was allegedly tortured and gang-raped by four upper-caste men on September 14. According to reports, the four accused in the case are Ramu, Lavkush, Ravi and Sandeep. Additional Director General of Police Prashant Kumar however, said that the woman’s postmortem report showed that she died of neck injuries. “The perpetrator of Hathras victim **** Sandeep’s father’s memorable images make everything evident,” reads the viral message. (archived link) The same has been posted on Facebook (archived link). The man in the viral images is Prayagraj-based Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dr Shyam Prakash Dwivedi. On September 16, two days after the Hathras incident, DNA reported that Prayagraj police registered a case against BJP leader Shyam Prakash Dwivedi and Dr Anil Dwivedi for allegedly raping a BA student. As per the report, Dwivedi has denied the charges. Alt News rummaged through Dwivedi’s Facebook profile and found two of the viral images in a collage from 2014. The image of Dwivedi with Adityanatah was found in a 2017 post. Alt News performed a keyword search on YouTube and found a report by channel News24 UP and Uttrakhand where the family of the accused in the Hathras case are being interviewed. At 8:33 mark, the reporter asked, “You are Sandip’s father. Sandip the one whose name was first taken…” This establishes that Sandip’s father and the man in the viral images, BJP leader Dr Shyam Prakash Dwivedi, are not the same person. Thus pictures of BJP leader Dr Shyam Prakash Dwivedi who is being investigated in an alleged rape case in Prayagraj are being linked to the death of a Dalit woman in Hathras. He is not the father of Sandeep, one of the accused in the Hathras case. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	3rd October 2020 / 7:45 pm / Last updated: 3rd October 2020	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leader-accused-in-a-different-rape-case-claimed-to-be-father-of-hathras-accused/", "author": "Archit" }
387	BJP leader Dilip Ghosh shares old photo from Bihar as West Bengal farmers supporting PM Modi - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 7th October 2020 / 4:36 pm / Last updated: 7th October 2020 “Farmers of Bengal, extending their gratitude towards Hon’ble Prime Minister,” tweeted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) West Bengal President Dilip Ghosh on October 7. Ghosh claimed that the picture featured in his tweet was taken at Puntor village of Kumarganj assembly (Dakshin Dinajpur). A simple reverse-image search takes one to Outlook photo gallery which says that the photo was shot in Kaimur district of Bihar ahead of the state assembly polls. The image is dated July 12, 2020. An old picture from Bihar was therefore used by BJP WB President as farmers in West Bengal extending support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of massive protests by farmer groups against the centre’s farm legislation. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	7th October 2020 / 4:36 pm / Last updated: 7th October 2020	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leader-dilip-ghosh-shares-old-photo-from-bihar-as-west-bengal-farmers-supporting-pm-modi/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
388	BJP leader gives false communal spin to domestic violence case in Pak, media follows suit - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 23rd December 2021 / 5:45 pm A video of a woman being dragged by a group of men who can be heard saying, “Put her in the car,” was shared by BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa claiming that a Hindu woman was abducted outside a session court in Umarkot, Sindh-Pakistan. Stunned to silence! Look how a Hindu woman is abducted in daylight, out-side session courts Umarkot,Sindh-Pakistan. She is screaming for help but they aren’t afraid of any police or action and they dragged her from hair & put her in car.@DrSjaishankar Ji @ImranKhanPTI pic.twitter.com/hTIx71cKGm — Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 21, 2021 Republic World carried a report based on Upadhyay’s tweet. “This happened yesterday when a married woman, 19 years old, from the Meghwal SC community of Sindh, was forcefully raped and married to another married man,” Sirsa told the channel on a telephonic conversation. It must be noted that the Meghwal community is predominately Hindu. Sirsa also claimed that the woman was converted to Islam and her husband’s name is ‘Bhai Khan’. Times Now, Hindustan Times and One India Hindi also reported on the video based on Sirsa’s tweet. Hindu women allegedly abducted by men in Umarkot, Sindh-Pakistan. Pradeep with more details. pic.twitter.com/gnQW6Mw9jN — TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) December 22, 2021 BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay further amplified the video. बहन काफिर है इसलिए अपहरण हो गया कुंभा 100 साल में काबुल बना गंधार 100 साल में कंधार बना पर्सिया 100 साल में ईरान बना कैकेय 100 साल में पेशावर बना पाकिस्तान 1947 में हिंदुस्तान था संविधान 100% लागू नहीं किया तो हिंदुस्तान 2047 में पाकिस्तान बनेगा@narendramodi @blsanthosh pic.twitter.com/NWnokeEttZ — Ashwini Upadhyay (@AshwiniUpadhyay) December 22, 2021 It was also shared by BJP supporters with the same claim – @TrulyMonica and @RashmiDVS. Lal Malhi, a member of the national assembly of Pakistan, tweeted that the incident took place in his hometown Umerkot and the woman belonged to the tribal Bheel community. He said that she was dragged by her relatives, who also hailed from the Bheel community, because she wanted to divorce her husband. This incident has happened at my home town- Umerkot and is a family dispute. The woman wanted divorce and in laws dragged her. The accused are not muslims but her relatives belonging to Bheel community. The accused have beenn booked and arrests made. @mssirsa https://t.co/fJVTvBS6Fz — LAL MALHI (@LALMALHI) December 23, 2021 The incident was reported in Pakistani media. According to Dawn, “Tejhan Bheel, 40, told reporters that she had moved the civil court to seek dissolution of marriage with Herchand Bheel, resident of Vehro Sharif, as she could no more tolerate domestic violence.” She was assaulted by eight persons, including her husband, and the police have arrested one of the accused, Hemo Bheel. Alt News spoke with A B Arisar, correspondent Daily Dawn Umerkot Sindh Pakistan, who confirmed that the woman and the accused hailed from the Bheel community. He informed us that according to the FIR filed in the case, “Tejhan, 40, wife of Herchand Bheel resident of Vehro Sharif, had an altercation with her spouse, therefore she approached the civil court in Umerkot for dissolution of their marriage. On Monday, when she was returning back home, after attending the hearing of a case, she was attacked by eight persons who dragged her on a road, pulled her hair and humiliated her. They attempted to kidnap her. She cried for help and as a result, the police rushed to the site and saved her. All the accused managed to flee, except one Hemo Bheel. He was arrested by the police. Later, Tejhan’s relative Mangal Bheel lodged an FIR at Umerkot police station against eight persons identified as Hemo, Bhanji, Pehlaj, Somji, Ghaman, Togo, Jaipal Thakur and Herchand Bheel, her husband.” A case of domestic violence was given a false communal spin by BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa. Several media outlets, without verifying the facts of the case, also reported that a Hindu woman was abducted in broad daylight by Muslims in Pakistan. Both the woman and the perpetrators hailed from the tribal Bheel community. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The CCTV footage of a man violently flinging a child on the ground has created… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… A minute-long video clip of a woman being physically assaulted is viral on social media….	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	23rd December 2021 / 5:45 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leader-gives-false-communal-spin-to-domestic-violence-case-in-pak-media-follows-suit/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
389	Tajinder Bagga misidentifies Congress leader as Subramanian Swamy, claims he has joined Congress - Alt News Kinjal 30th September 2021 / 7:57 pm Delhi BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga tweeted a picture on September 25, 2021 where Rahul Gandhi is seen addressing a press conference. A man encircled in the background in the image is being claimed to be BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. Bagga remarked Swamy has joined the Congress party. (Archive link) Congratulations @Swamy39 Ji for your officially Joining pic.twitter.com/MDsrH4F0AY — Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) September 25, 2021 Several other Twitter users also shared this picture with the same claim. (Link 1, Link 2) Alt News performed a reverse image search and found the photo on Getty Images, where it is dated December 10, 2018. According to the caption, a meeting between members of the opposition parties was held in New Delhi on December 10, 2018. This was followed by Rahul Gandhi holding a press conference. Hindustan Times photographer Arvind Yadav captured this photo. ANI had also tweeted about this meeting. After a closer look at the original image, we found that the encircled man was wearing spectacles. However, Subramanian Swamy is rarely seen sporting spectacles in public. Even though this individual resembles the BJP leader from a distance, zooming into the image confirms that he is not Swamy. Alt News reached out to Congress communication in-charge Pranav Jha for more information. “The person seen in the picture is not Subramanian Swamy, but Manish Chatrath. He is a representative in charge of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh,” he said. We also got in touch with Chatrath himself, who confirmed that it was him in the photo. India Today and Boomive have also published fact-check reports debunking the viral claim. On August 14, 2021, Swamy tweeted that he was against the Modi government’s economic and foreign policies. He stated further in the post that PM Modi was not the king of India, drawing widespread opposition from party supporters. To sum it up, a photo from a press conference held by opposition parties was shared with the false claim that Subramanian Swamy had joined the Congress. The man in the photo is actually Congress leader Manish Chatrath. Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	30th September 2021 / 7:57 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leader-subramanyam-swamy-attending-congress-meeting-false-claim-old-picture/", "author": "Kinjal" }
390	BJP members falsely claim AAP provided COVID relief only to a Muslim doctor's family - Alt News Archit 25th May 2021 / 3:20 pm / Last updated: 25th May 2021 On May 22, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted a video that shows him visiting the parents of late Dr Anas Mujahid who used to work at GTB Hospital and succumbed to COVID-19 infection. Kejriwal wrote, “He was martyred at the age of 26, treating patients.” His family was offered Rs 1 crore as a relief fund. In the backdrop of this, several social media users have claimed that Aam Admi Party (AAP) has not offered similar aid to other families, thus alleging that the party is indulging in favouritism toward one religious community. Some users also stated that CM Kejriwal hasn’t tweeted about giving aid to other families. This claim is viral in Hindi (अनस मुजाहिद) and English. BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay and social media head of BJP Haryana Arun Yadav drew over 5,000 retweets cumulatively for the claim. BJP member Gaurav Mahajan and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha member Ravi Solanki further amplified the allegation. Tweets by BJP supporters @MeghUpdates, @ExSecular and Rishi Bagree gained over 5,000 retweets cumulatively. These users have shared misinformation in the past (1, 2). Propaganda websites TFI Post and Kreately published an article along the identical narrative. On April 19, the Government Of National Capital Territory Of Delhi and Health & Family Welfare Department stated, “Any person including Doctor, Nurse, Para-Medical Staff, Security/Sanitation Staff, or any other Government Officer/Official including Police Officer/Official, whether temporary or permanent employee or contractual, in Government or Private Sector, deployed for COVID-19 duties by Government of NCT of Delhi, if expires by contracting the disease during discharge of his/her duty, his/her family shall be compensated with ex-gratia amount of Rupees One Crore, posthumously.” (view PDF) While social media claims suggest only Dr Anas Mujahid’s family received the aid and CM Kejriwal hasn’t tweeted about offering relief to other families, we found multiple tweets by the Chief Minister the provide otherwise. He has shared multiple videos or photos of offering aid to other families. A leader from AAP shared a list of 15 families that recieved aid with Alt News on the condition of anonymity. Out of the 15, Kejriwal’s meeting with 11 families (highlighted in red/green) were tweeted by the CM. The ones highlighted in green were doctors. As for the remaining four, media reports are available for three of them — ̌Baikali Sarkar, a contractual teacher of a municipal corporation; Charan Singh, an employee of Lok Nayak Hospital, and Sheoji Mishra, teacher. The reports state that they will receive the COVID aid. BJP leaders and supporters of the party added a misleading communal colour to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s tweet about extending COVID aid of Rs 1 crore to late Dr Anas Mujahid’s family. There are 11 other tweets posted by the CM that show him visit numerous families of COVID victims. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The CCTV footage of a man violently flinging a child on the ground has created… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… A minute-long video clip of a woman being physically assaulted is viral on social media….	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	25th May 2021 / 3:20 pm / Last updated: 25th May 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leaders-falsely-claim-aap-provided-covid-relief-only-to-a-muslim-doctors-family/", "author": "Archit" }
391	BJP leaders mock Rahul Gandhi by falsely claiming he ate with mask on - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 28th January 2022 / 9:50 pm / Last updated: 28th January 2022 BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra quote-tweeted a tweet by ANI reporting that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu ate ‘langar’ at Golden Temple in Amritsar ahead of state elections. Gandhi can be seen wearing a mask in the video. Patra mocked him by tweeting, “Langar with the mask on? Only the eight wonder of the world can do this.” मास्क पहन कर लंगर? ये तो आठवां अजूबा ही हो सकता है! https://t.co/ugYOdenALE — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) January 27, 2022 BJP Punjab also tweeted the video claiming that Gandhi was sitting for the langar with an empty plate and a mask on his face. एक तो श्री हरमंदिर साहिब के लंगर हाल में @RahulGandhi के मुंह पर मास्क और ऊपर से प्लेट खाली… कांग्रेस की सिखों के प्रति नफरत की सोच को उजागर करती है pic.twitter.com/PWANkpBk6Y — BJP PUNJAB (@BJP4Punjab) January 27, 2022 Several other BJP leaders also shared the video including BJP SC Morcha chief Lal Singh Arya, BJP MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal and BJP Delhi General Secretary Kuldeep Singh Chahal. Even certain journalists mocked the Congress leader – Pramod Pandey from News Nation and Jitendra Pratap Singh from Sudarshan News. The video is also circulating on Facebook. While ANI’s video does not capture Rahul Gandhi eating, the Congress leader had himself broadcast a video of the langar where he can be seen opening his mask before consuming his food. This can be watched from 1:20 minutes in the video below. हरमंदिर साहिब में पंजाब के भविष्य के लिए कांग्रेस उम्मीदवारों के साथ प्रार्थना की। साथ बैठके लंगर का प्रसाद खाया। https://t.co/Qk8PdD00v4 — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 27, 2022 After BJP leaders shared ANI’s video with a false claim, Congress leaders also came to Rahul Gandhi’s defence. They uploaded a video where he can clearly be seen eating the food with the mask off. कितना ओछापन आ गया है BJPमें कि लंगर खाने को लेकर भी घटिया टिप्पणी करते हैं। वीडियो का वो हिस्सा ANI से ट्वीट कराते हैं जिसमें लंगर परोसा जा रहा है और राहुल जी मास्क पहन कर इंतज़ार कर रहे हैं। जब लंगर ग्रहण करना शुरु करते हैं वे वीडियो ANI नहीं डालता,पात्रा अपनी मक्कारी दिखाता है। pic.twitter.com/1JiU9XEqlS — Alka Lamba (@LambaAlka) January 28, 2022 On January 26, BJP Haryana IT cell head Arun Yadav had posted a picture of Rahul Gandhi sitting in front of a plateful of food with his mask on. “The first man to eat food with his mask on,” wrote Yadav. मास्क लगा कर खाना खाने वाला पहला आदमी 😂 pic.twitter.com/P8lvc8Ncs1 — Arun Yadav (@beingarun28) January 26, 2022 This picture was shared by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee on January 24 along with other pictures that show Gandhi with his mask off. அன்பும் பண்பும் நிறைந்த தமிழ் மக்களோடு உணவு உண்டது மகிழ்ச்சி அளிக்கிறது. – தலைவர் ராகுல் காந்தி#ThalaivarRahulGandhi#VaangaOruKaiPaapom pic.twitter.com/hhc1VNvK1E — Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (@INCTamilNadu) January 24, 2021 That same day J&K Pradesh Congress Seva Dal had also tweeted pictures from the event. The handle wrote that Gandhi ate food with weavers in Tamil Nadu. Finally, It’s lunch time! ❤️ Rahul Gandhi having lunch with the weavers in Tamil Nadu today.#ThalaivarRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/VPBOr0KKTh — J&K Pradesh Congress Sevadal (@SevadalJK) January 24, 2021 There are also videos that show Gandhi without a mask and eating the food. BJP leaders and members, therefore, misrepresented an image and a video to mock Rahul Gandhi by falsely claiming that he consumed food with his mask on. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	28th January 2022 / 9:50 pm / Last updated: 28th January 2022	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leaders-mock-rahul-gandhi-by-falsely-claiming-he-ate-with-mask-on/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
392	Political leaders share image of US Naval ship on Indian Navy Day every year - Alt News Jignesh Patel 4th December 2020 / 7:11 pm / Last updated: 6th December 2021 Navy Day in India is observed every year on December 4 to celebrate the accomplishments of the Indian Navy. Several BJP accounts and leaders have shared a poster featuring a Naval ship with the hashtag #NavyDay – Rambhai Mokariya, Janak Chamar, Dr Anil Bonde, Rajiv Babbar, Vinod Chavda, Tankadhar Tripathy, Jaskaur Meena, Gaurishankar Bisen and Mukesh Patel. It was also shared by BJP Maharashtra. Several Congress leaders and accounts also shared the same image of a naval ship. A Google reverse image search revealed that the ship in the picture is US Navy’s Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship. In 2010, Stars and Stripes captioned the image, “Defense secretary Robert Gates has called for 55 Littoral Combat Ships, which are designed to operate in shallow, or littoral, waters.” The official website of the US Navy said, “The Littoral Combat Ship would be designed as a focused-mission, modular, surface combatant smaller than a FFG but larger and more capable than a PC or MCM ship. LCS was envisioned to be an independently deployable, theater-based ship, capable of changing primary missions through modular Mission Package.” Therefore, an image of US Navy ship was tweeted BJP Tamil Nadu and several leaders of the party to celebrate Indian Navy Day. The same image was shared BJP Tamil Nadu last year. 04 டிசம்பர் இந்திய கடற்படை தினம்#NavyDay2020 pic.twitter.com/KoiQ29xVok — BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) December 4, 2020 BJP MP Vijay Baghel shared the same picture while expressing gratitude to Indian naval soldiers. देश के जल सीमा की रक्षा करने वाले भारतीय नौ सेना के वीर जवानों के अदम्य साहस और समर्पण को सलाम। @indiannavy#NavyDay2020 #IndianNavyDay pic.twitter.com/2IYyf5NEdh — VIJAY BAGHEL (@VijayBaghelCG) December 4, 2020 Other BJP members who tweeted the image were MLAs Krishna Gaur and Sunil Deshmukh. BJYM Madhya Pradesh president Abhilash Pandey also joined the bandwagon. Akali Dal spokesperson Manjinder Sirsa too shared the image. On Dec 4, 1971, Indian Navy successfully executed Operation Trident causing huge damage to Karachi port in Indo-Pak war. Indian Navy’s fleet sank four Pak vessels ravaging the Karachi harbour fuel fields We celebrate the day to hail the role of @indiannavy #NavyDay #NavyDay2020 pic.twitter.com/MKKbhXBJcC — Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 4, 2020 And so did TRS MLA Devireddy Sudheer Reddy. మన స్వేచ్ఛ, మన రక్షణ కోసం తీర ప్రాంత సరిహద్దుల్లో పోరాడే వీరులకు, ధీరులకు ఇవే నా జోహార్లు. భారత నౌకా దళం దినోత్సవం శుభాకాంక్షలు.#NavyDay #NavyDay2020 pic.twitter.com/pftZz8oDdv — Devireddy Sudheer Reddy (@D_SudheerReddy) December 4, 2020 Congress had tweeted the same image of a combat ship on Navy day in 2019. It was later taken down from their timeline. It was also tweeted by Lt. Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi with the message, “we salute all the women and men in the #Navy for their bravery, dedication and patriotism.” Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje posted the image in 2019 to commemorate the day on Twitter. Adding to the list was state-owned broadcaster Doordarshan News that put out a tweet with the same photo. In 2017, the official Twitter handle of Bharatiya Janata Party had tweeted the photograph on Navy Day. Greetings on Indian Navy Day. Let’s wear Armed Forces flag with honour and pride. Contribute generously to the ‘#ArmedForcesFlagDay Fund’ to assure our soldiers that the entire nation cares for them & their families. https://t.co/sFwfNCgrcA pic.twitter.com/PHtqYm9QZU — BJP (@BJP4India) December 4, 2017 Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	4th December 2020 / 7:11 pm / Last updated: 6th December 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leaders-share-image-of-us-naval-ship-to-commemorate-indian-navy-day/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
393	BJP leaders share images from S Korea and China in a video on Noida Intl Airport - Alt News Archit 26th November 2021 / 4:27 pm In the run-up to the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, the BJP government has inaugurated multiple infrastructure projects in the state. On November 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Noida International Airport, near Jewar in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district. Subsequently, social media accounts associated with the government and several BJP leaders shared images or videos that show an ariel view of two futuristic airports. These images and videos laud the upcoming airport in UP. Image 1 Hindi Twitter account of MyGovernment used the photo below as part of a video on November 24. Other GOI accounts that shared the video with the image of this airport were — Press Information Bureau (PIB), My Government’s English Twitter account, PIB in Chandigarh, Prasar Bharati News Services, Regional Outreach Bureau, Uttar Pradesh, and the Twitter account of Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti. Similarly, BJP leaders such as MP Dr Mahesh Sharma, Assam’s National General Secretary Dilip Saikia, Union Minister Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda, Minister of State in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region BL Verma, and BJP MP Mahesh Poddar, also shared the video. Upon performing a reverse image search, multiple results stated that this image shows Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport in South Korea. The image was published in a 2017 report by Korea JoongAng Daily, a South Korean-based English-language national daily. As per the report, plans to open a new terminal at Incheon International Airport in January 2018 were made by the airport’s operator three weeks prior to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Image 2 PIB UP shared a video that shows this airport in the opening few seconds. MyGovHindi and MyGovIndia also posted this video and later deleted it. Just like the previous image, this was shared by several BJP leaders including Office of Union Minister I&B and Youth Affairs & Sports Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal, BJP VP UP Pankaj Singh and BJP VP Delhi Sunil Yadav. Gujarati-language daily Sandesh published this image on their front page on November 26. As in the case of the previous image, Google instantly recognised the image upon reverse image search. The image shows the Beijing Daxing International Airport in China. A 2015 report by US-based media outlet Vice had published this image. The report said that Architect Zaha Hadid and her team were working alongside airport engineers from France-based design firm ADPI to construct the new airport. They were the winners of the competition launched by the Beijing New Airport Construction Headquarters. As per the report, the project would complete in 2018. In 2019, Beijing-based media outlet CGTN uploaded a video of the newly constructed airport on YouTube and stated, “Beijing’s new mega airport, Beijing Daxing International Airport, is nearing completion and is slated to open for business in September.” To sum it up, images of airports in South Korea and China were shared as representative images for an upcoming airport project in Uttar Pradesh by various GoI social media accounts and BJP leaders. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	26th November 2021 / 4:27 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leaders-share-images-from-s-korea-and-china-in-a-video-on-noida-intl-airport/", "author": "Archit" }
394	BJP leaders share morphed image of national flag hoisted in Lal Chowk, Srinagar - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 15th August 2020 / 3:35 pm / Last updated: 17th August 2020 As India celebrates its 74th Independence Day, pictures of the national flag hoisted in different parts of the country are widely circulating. Among these photographs is one from Lal Chowk, Srinagar where the tricolour can be seen atop Ghanta Ghar. Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been sharing the image since the morning of August 15. Below is a tweet by BJP Delhi leader Kapil Mishra which garnered over 40,000 likes and more than 7,000 retweets. On August 5 last year, prime minister Modi-led government abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, the region has been attempting to return back to normalcy even as high speed internet remains inactive. BJP MP and the party’s state president from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal and BJP MP Kirron Kher also shared the picture. The image also found a place in a report by News Nation. “Lal Chowk used to see bloodshed due to hoisting of the national flag. Now the country’s flag rises there with pride,” read the report. Dainik Jagran claimed, “On the occasion of India’s 74th Independence Day, the tricolour was reportedly hoisted at the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar,” in both English and Hindi reports. ABP News journalist Astha Kaushik also tweeted the photograph. A simple reverse image search brings out the truth. The national flag has been morphed into an old picture of deserted Lal Chowk. A blogpost on mubasshir.blogspot.com carried the picture in 2010. The cars on the left and the man walking can be seen in both the pictures, thus indicating that it is the same. Mubasshir Mushtaq, the person who runs the blog, quote-tweeted Kapil Mishra and said that he had shot the photograph on June 22, 2010. Have you no shame in sharing a doctored image? I clicked the original photo without the Indian flag on June 22, 2010. @SMHoaxSlayer @AltNews @boomlive_in @free_thinker #LalChowk #FakeNews #Fakeimage https://t.co/25FtKivTft — مبشر مشتاق Mubasshir Mushtaq (@MubasshirM) August 15, 2020 Journalist Ahmer Khan shared a picture of the clock tower in Lal Chowk with Alt News. The photograph has been shot today and the tricolour flag isn’t visible. Khan had also tweeted a video of deserted Lal Chowk area. Live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech at deserted Lal Chowk, Srinagar, #Kashmir. Video: Ahmer Khan. pic.twitter.com/L3fM0ukrFZ — Ahmer Khan (@ahmermkhan) August 15, 2020 As of this writing, there have been no reported sightings of the Indian national flag in Lal Chowk, Srinagar. According to a report in The Kashmir Monitor, the main Independence Day function was held at SK Stadium in Srinagar where Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha hoisted the tri-colour. “Authorities suspended the 2G mobile internet service across Kashmir on Saturday as I-day functions were held in district headquarters in the valley. Kashmiris woke up to see the service barred even as mobile telephony was working,” the report adds. Several prominent users shared the photograph falsely claiming that the national flag was hoisted in Lal Chowk. Among them were BJP Delhi IT cell member Sandeep Rajliwal, president of fringe group Azad Sena Abhishek Azad, Friends of RSS, parody account of Republic TV founder Arnab Goswami (@arnew5222) and Gaurav Pradhan. [Update: Mubasshir Mushtaq’s tweet has been added to the report.] Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	15th August 2020 / 3:35 pm / Last updated: 17th August 2020	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leaders-share-morphed-image-of-national-flag-hoisted-in-lal-chowk-srinagar/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
395	BJP leaders share photo of a dam in Andhra-Telangana as a new dam in Bundelkhand - Alt News Archit 22nd November 2021 / 9:12 pm / Last updated: 25th November 2021 In a three-day visit to Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and launched infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 6,000 crore in the Bundelkhand region. I will be in Mahoba and Jhansi tomorrow, 19th November to inaugurate various development projects which will benefit the Bundelkhand region. This includes key projects relating to overcoming the problems of water shortage. https://t.co/uXZTysrhm3 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 18, 2021 On November 19, BJP MLA Dr Avadhesh Singh posted an image of a dam and claimed that Bundelkhand will get such irrigation projects. He wrote, “Bundelkhand which was traditionally used by politicians for their personal benefits is today witnessing a sea of change.” It’s worth noting the text over the dam’s image reads “Bundelkhand’s gift” (translated from बुंदेलखंड की सौगात). Bundelkhand which was traditionally used by politicians for their personal benefits is today witnessing a sea of change. #बुलन्द_बुन्देलखण्ड pic.twitter.com/rddId0NV5n — Dr. Avadhesh Singh MLA (@DrAvadheshBJP) November 19, 2021 BJP MLAs Ravindra Nath Tripathi and Suresh Kumar Khanna, BJP member Anil Kumar, and Hindu Yuva Vahini Gujarat in-charge Yogi Devnath also shared the same image. Facebook page with thee lakh followers with ‘Narendra Modi for PM’ also shared it. #बुलन्द_बुन्देलखण्ड Posted by Narendra Modi for PM on Friday, 19 November 2021 Alt News performed a reverse image search and found that the image in question was published by Deccan Chronicle in 2014. As per the report, the image shows the Srisailam Dam. This is constructed across the Krishna River in Nagarkurnool district in Telangana and Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh. The comparison below shows that both dams are the same. On November 19, the PM India website stated in a press release that the projects announced by PM Modi include Arjun Sahayak Project, Ratauli Weir Project, Bhaoni Dam Project and Majhgaon-Chilli Sprinkler Project. Several BJP leaders posted a photo of Srisailam Dam and claimed that it is a gift for Bundelkhand. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	22nd November 2021 / 9:12 pm / Last updated: 25th November 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leaders-share-photo-of-a-dam-from-south-india-as-a-gift-to-bundelkhand/", "author": "Archit" }
396	BJP leaders share puff piece replete with misinfo to defend PM Modi on COVID crisis - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 11th May 2021 / 8:25 pm / Last updated: 12th May 2021 An article exalting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic made a sudden appearance on the Twitter timelines of BJP leaders. “PM Modi has been working hard; don’t get trapped in the opposition barbs,” read its headline in all capitals. The article was shared by BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya, Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, BJP MP Dr Jitendra Singh who holds multiple ministries, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kishan Reddy, Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, BJP MP Narendra Keshav Sawaikar, former Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das and former BJP MLA Archana Chitnis. The entire piece argues how the Prime Minister is working his best, in silence, for the betterment of the country, how Chief Ministers have been acting like ‘crybabies’, how the previous Congress government did little to build strong healthcare infrastructure and how PM Modi’s critics have been trying to paint a negative image of the Prime Minister. The story was published on a never-heard-before outlet ‘The Daily Guardian’ that closely resembles the name ‘The Guardian’ but isn’t associated with the UK daily. While the word ‘Guardian’ in the outlet’s name might fool some readers into believing that an international publication praised the Indian Prime Minister in an over 2700-word piece, the article was penned by Sudesh Verma who is the convenor of the Media Relations Department of the BJP. He also represents the party as a spokesperson in TV debates. Verma tries to hold everyone except the Prime Minister accountable for the mismanagement of the healthcare crisis in India due to COVID. “No one in the world had expected that the second wave would be so pervasive. Everyone thought this would be less severe. Can we blame Modi for this?” asks Verma. But a forum of scientific advisors set up by the government itself had in early March warned of a huge spike in infections. The warnings were ignored. “We should not forget that till Atal Bihari Vajpayee became Prime Minister, there had been only one AIIMS set up in 1952. It was Vajpayee who decided to open six AIIMS…Learning from Vajpayee, Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister opened one AIIMS in Uttar Pradesh at Rae Bareli in 2013. When Narendra Modi came to power, he decided to open 14 AIIMS to cover the entire country,” the article further says, omitting the fact that the six AIIMS announced in Vajpayee’s term were inaugurated during Manmohan Singh’s tenure. Furthermore, none of the 14 AIIMS announced by PM Modi are fully operational. They are either partially functional or in different stages of construction. “Nobody had problems with other parties and their leaders campaigning but critics had problems with the Prime Minister. You don’t create a different norm for the PM. And he did cancel his meeting towards the last leg of campaigning in West Bengal. BJP leaders including Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah cancelled all their election visits to the poll-bound state of West Bengal.” Below is PM Modi’s speech in Asansol where he said that he has never seen such a huge crowd before. “Wherever I turn, I see people,” said an unmasked Prime Minister on April 17 when the country recorded over 2.6 lakh daily COVID cases. “Have never ever seen such huge crowds at a rally”: PM Modi in Asansol #WestBengalPolls #ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/5SOspgdJKZ — NDTV (@ndtv) April 17, 2021 Five days later, PM Modi decided to not attend election rallies in West Bengal. This was after the state witnessed its highest surge in cases since the pandemic began. Verma conveniently hailed PM Modi for cancelling his visit in the last legs of the campaigning but did not deem it appropriate to inform that the rallies were still being held on the ground with the PM’s virtual presence. “Why was Kumbh Mela allowed to take place in Haridwar? It could have been cancelled. It was for the state government to decide whether it was feasible to organise such a large mela and yet follow COVID protocol…The Prime Minister did appeal to people and seers to make the mela symbolic,” the article says. But this too is a misrepresentation of facts. PM Modi had said that Kumbh Mela should be made symbolic on April 18. This was nine days after Haridwar hosted lakhs of pilgrims. Kumbh Mela advertisements were published in nearly every newspaper featuring the Prime Minister’s photograph. “A hearty welcome to all devotees,” said the advertisement. What a monumentally callous signal for complacency! Here’s arguably India’s most influential man flagging off an event that is known for MASSIVE crowds, during a pandemic – if that isn’t a signal (+ election rallies) for people to drop their guard, what is? pic.twitter.com/NGdlhKqZWd — Karthik (@beastoftraal) April 24, 2021 A recent report in The Caravan revealed that ex-Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was fired overnight by the BJP for insisting that the Kumbh Mela should be restricted. It was Rawat who suggested that a symbolic festival should be held keeping COVID in mind. However, not only was Kumbh Mela held but it was also advanced by one year based on the reading of astrological charts by jyotishs and tantriks. The Daily Guardian newspaper was launched by ITV Network in February this year. ITV Network is the parent company of NewsX. The website of The Daily Guardian has articles dating back to April 2020. #TheDailyGuardian \| Sharpest Kid On The Block: ITV Network launches The Daily Guardian newspaperhttps://t.co/QoyQW8GSMI — NewsX (@NewsX) February 8, 2021 NewsX had aired Haryana BJP President’s congratulatory note to journalists of The Daily Guardian on the launch of the newspaper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=FczMrT5R164&feature=youtu.be Despite being a new venture, The Daily Guardian published an ‘exclusive’ interview with Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari last year where the BJP leader said that the coronavirus crisis could be a “blessing in disguise” to attract FDI in India. Apart from several pro-Modi pieces, the outlet has also published an absurd article where the author asks people to stop worrying and have faith in the government. “Dear sir, the government is yours, so have faith. And if you don’t, what will happen, you know? It will increase negativity, further adding to the fear and anxiety,” says the piece, adorning the homepage of The Daily Guardian website. Its headline – ‘Be cheerful to produce antibodies’ – is repeated twice. There are also grammatical and formatting errors inside the article. Utpal Kumar is the Executive Editor of The Daily Guardian. A member of BJP’s Media Relations Department penned an ‘opinion’ piece, replete with misinformation, on Prime Minister Modi’s contribution to India’s healthcare system. This was published in the newly launched The Daily Guardian, owned by ITV Network. A plethora of BJP leaders shared the article as evidence that the PM has been working overtime for the upliftment of the country during the COVID crisis. This isn’t the first time that an article celebrating PM Modi made headlines. An obscure website ‘British Herald’ declared PM Modi the winner of a readers’ poll on ‘who is the world’s most powerful leader’ in 2019. Despite its name, an Indian businessman owned the website. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Inter-faith relationships between Hindu women and Muslim men have been a sore point for the… Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… Right after Elon Musk took over the reins of microblogging site Twitter, the organization carried… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	11th May 2021 / 8:25 pm / Last updated: 12th May 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leaders-share-puff-piece-replete-with-misinfo-to-defend-pm-modi-on-covid-crisis/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
397	BJP leaders share photo from Jharkhand as CISF jawan injured in West Bengal violence - Alt News Rohan Datta 12th April 2021 / 7:34 pm / Last updated: 12th April 2021 [Warning: This article carries a photograph that may be distressing for some. Reader’s discretion is advised.] Sitalkuchi constituency in Cooch Behar, West Bengal went into polling on April 10. Four people lost their lives in firing by CISF in Sitalkuchi during the fourth phase of voting. While Cooch Behar SP said that the firing was an act of ‘self-defence’, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has blamed the Home Ministry under Amit Shah. In the backdrop of the Sitalkuchi violence, a photograph of a wounded CISF personnel is being widely shared by BJP leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari. চতুর্থ দফার ভোটের দিন কোচবিহারের শীতলকুচি-তে @CISFHQrs সিআইএসএফ জওয়ানদের উপর হামলা চালায় @AITCofficial তৃণমূল আশ্রিত দুষ্কৃতীরা। বন্দুক ছিনিয়ে নেওয়ার চেষ্টা করা হয়। গুরুতর জখম হন এক জওয়ান। তাই আত্মরক্ষার্থে গুলি চালাতে বাধ্য হয় কেন্দ্রীয় বাহিনী। pic.twitter.com/g3HM1rwe4T — Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) April 11, 2021 Another BJP leader and Member Lok Sabha Saumitra Khan shared the same picture and claimed it shows a CISF soldier who was seriously injured in Sitalkuchi. BJP MP Arjun Singh shared the picture on Facebook and Twitter. He too later took down his posts. It is noteworthy that none of the posts has any mention of the four people who died in the CISF firing. Santosh Ranjan Rai‏, the national Vice President of BJP Yuva Morcha, also tweeted the image. With a simple Google reverse image search, Alt News came across an article by Dainik Jagran published on April 10, 2021. The article says that the man in the viral image is ASI SP Sharma. According to this article, ASI SP Sharma was attacked by ‘langurs’ on Friday night while on duty at the CISF camp at Bhimkanari in Baghmara, Jharkhand. The ASI was attacked by four langurs and left with a deep wound on his cheek. He was rushed to a nearby hospital. Monday Morning Newspaper also reported on the incident. CISF headquarters, Dhanbad confirmed to Boomlive that the image is from Baghmara when SP Sharma was attacked by a langur. Several BJP leaders shared an unrelated picture of an injured CISF jawan with the false claim that he was attacked during poll violence in West Bengal’s Sitalkuchi. But the image was taken a day before in Jharkhand. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	12th April 2021 / 7:34 pm / Last updated: 12th April 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leaders-share-unrelated-photo-as-cisf-jawan-injured-in-west-bengal-violence/", "author": "Rohan Datta" }
398	BJP members share clipped video of Congress leader Rashid Alvi's "Jai Shri Ram" speech - Alt News Kinjal 16th November 2021 / 8:37 pm BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted a video of Congress politician Rashid Alvi on November 12. In the video, Alvi can be heard saying, “Beware, not everyone who chants ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is a saint, but a demon.” Sharing the 10-second video clip, Malviya wrote that Congress members’ hearts are filled with hatred for Hindus. (Archive link) सलमान ख़ुर्शीद के बाद अब कांग्रेस के नेता राशिद अल्वी जय श्री राम कहने वालों को निशाचर (राक्षस) बता रहे हैं। राम भक्तों के प्रति कांग्रेस के विचारों में कितना ज़हर घुला हुआ है। pic.twitter.com/kHG3vXSpDW — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) November 12, 2021 BJP UP spokesperson Prashant Patel Umrao also tweeted the video and claimed that Alvi termed those who raise “Jai Shri Ram” slogans as “demons”. (Archive link) कांग्रेस के वरिष्ठ नेता राशिद अल्वी नें कहा कि जय श्री राम का नारा लगाने वाले मुनि नहीं, बल्कि निशिचर (राक्षस) हैं। pic.twitter.com/SEaQT2sCGB — Prashant Umrao (@ippatel) November 12, 2021 BJP Haryana state in-charge Arun Yadav (Archive link) and BJP Indore chief Gaurav Ranadive (Archive link) further amplified the clip. सलमान ख़ुर्शीद के बाद अब कांग्रेस के नेता राशिद अल्वी जय श्री राम कहने वालों को निशाचर (राक्षस) बता रहे हैं। राम भक्तों के प्रति कांग्रेस के विचारों में कितना ज़हर घुला हुआ है।#ISupportAmishDevgan pic.twitter.com/ZPCndHqZ4E — Arun Yadav (@beingarun28) November 12, 2021 आखिर भगवान राम से #कांग्रेस को इतनी नफ़रत क्यों ?? राम भक्तों के प्रति #कांग्रेस के विचारों में कितना ज़हर घुला हुआ है? सलमान ख़ुर्शीद के बाद अब #कांग्रेस नेता राशिद अल्वी जय श्री राम कहने वालों को निशाचर (राक्षस) बता रहे हैं। pic.twitter.com/By827qKQFi — Gaurav Ranadive गौरव रणदिवे (@gauravranadive) November 12, 2021 Alt News found a November 11 video of Alvi’s full speech posted by Kalki Mahotsav. At the 8:50 mark, the leader said, “In the Ramayana when Lakshman fell ill, Lord Hanuman was entrusted with procuring the sanjivani booti. And he had to retrieve it before sunrise or Lakshman would not survive. Meanwhile, Ravan tried to distract him and waste his time by sending a demon disguised as a saint. As Lord Hanuman was flying in the sky, he spotted the demon sitting below chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’.” “These days many people have begun raising the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan,” added Alvi, narrating that Hanuman, upon hearing the chant, flew down and fell on the saint’s feet. “Then the demon, sent to waste Lord Hanuman’s time, said that one cannot chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ if they have not bathed.” Continuing the story Alvi said that Hanuman went to bathe in a river and a crocodile latched onto his leg. The crocodile was actually an apsara, who returned to her original form and reminded him that he must bring the sanjivani booti before sunrise. She also revealed that the sage chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ was actually an impostor (a demon). After recounting the story, Alvi made the statement that appears in the viral clip — “not everyone who chants ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is a saint”. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xGBL4UbMgY?start=538] Alvi also clarified what he said — “I did not suggest whatsoever that every individual who chants ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is a demon. I simply stated that not everyone who chants ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is a saint. Lord Ram is a key part of our faith, and we cannot politicise one’s faith. I also stated that the right kind of Ram Rajya should indeed be inculcated in the country, the kind which is free from hatred. The BJP has a habit of dwelling on each and every word and twisting the facts.” Senior Congress Leader Rashid Alvi responds to the controversy over his viral video, says ‘my comments have been deliberately misconstrued & misinterpreted by BJP’. Watch his full statement here :#RejectAntiHinduAgenda #RashidAlvi @pradip103 pic.twitter.com/fkXbsGNG4Z — Jan Ki Baat (@jankibaat1) November 12, 2021 Numerous prominent BJP leaders, therefore, shared a clipping of a speech by Rashid Alvi out of context. Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	16th November 2021 / 8:37 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leaders-shared-a-clip-version-of-congress-leaders-rashid-alvi-jai-shree-ram/", "author": "Kinjal" }
399	Fact-check: Piles of garbage in front of a mohalla clinic in Delhi? - Alt News Abhishek Kumar 12th May 2022 / 4:35 pm A photo of an ‘Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic’ hoarding above a pile of garbage is viral on social media. Below it in smaller font is the name of the area, ‘Niti Vihar, Kirari, New Delhi’. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey tweeted the image and wrote, “This is Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party-ruled Delhi’s Mohalla Clinic.” (Archive link) BJP MP Manoj Tiwari quote-tweeted the post and stated that this was the reality on the ground. (Archive link) ये ही तो है ज़मीनी हक़ीक़त… कि सब कुछ विज्ञापन पर ही है AAP का https://t.co/E9BG4HFQYx — Manoj Tiwari 🇮🇳 (@ManojTiwariMP) May 4, 2022 BJP MP Pravesh Sahib Singh also tweeted the image, claiming that this was one of the thousand Mohalla Clinics set up by Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi. (Archive link) Several BJP workers and supporters, including Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha treasurer Sai Prasad, shared this picture with the same claim. Alt News noticed that a user named Adil Azmi replied to Singh’s tweet with a video of the location where the viral photo was taken. Adil shared a video that showed the viral hoarding along with the Mohalla Clinic located a short distance away. In other words, this hoarding has been installed a short distance from the Mohalla Clinic. The user wrote that the Mohalla Clinic was located further inside while the board was put up on the main road so that visitors could find it easily. (Archive link) ओ चचा! दो रूपिये प्रति ट्वीट वाले ढंग से सूचना नहीं दे रहे, ये विडियो आपका झूठ उजागर कर देगा- pic.twitter.com/EzzbpSvedo — Adil Azmi (@Adilogic) May 7, 2022 We reached out to Azmi for more information. He explained that a friend of his had recorded the video. He also shared an updated video which showed that the hoarding featured in the viral image had been removed. Aam Aadmi Party also tweeted a second video from its official Twitter handle along with a picture of a hoarding of Mohalla Clinic in Kirari, clarifying that the viral claim was fake. It also termed the pile of garbage seen in the image as a failure on the BJP’s part since the Delhi Municipal Corporation has been under BJP control for 15 years. BJP’s Fake News on Mohalla Clinics EXPOSED once again‼️ BJP MP @p_sahibsingh shared a misleading photo of a Mohalla Clinic & ended up exposing MCD’s failure to clean Delhi 🙃 pic.twitter.com/ZkrlY2UqMR — AAP (@AamAadmiParty) May 7, 2022 To sum it up, several BJP MPs, leaders and supporters shared a photo of a hoarding above a pile of garbage in Niti Vihar, Delhi as the real Mohalla clinic. However, in reality, the Mohalla Clinic is located close to it. The board was put up on the main road for the convenience of the people. Abhishek is a senior fact-checking journalist and researcher at Alt News. He has a keen interest in information verification and technology. He is always eager to learn new skills, explore new OSINT tools and techniques. Prior to joining Alt News, he worked in the field of content development and analysis with a major focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	12th May 2022 / 4:35 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-leaders-shared-a-photo-of-garbage-dump-with-mohalla-clinic-hordings-targetting-aap-false-claim/", "author": "Abhishek Kumar" }
400	BJP makes factual errors while 'fact-checking' Rahul Gandhi's tweet on Global Hunger Index - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 25th October 2018 / 8:21 pm / Last updated: 22nd March 2019 The Bharatiya Janata Party posted a fact-checking video on October 25, claiming that Rahul Gandhi “peddled fake news on India’s ranking in the Global Hunger Index.” Rahul Gandhi peddles fakes news to be in news. His lie on India’s ranking in the Global Hunger Index is busted here. pic.twitter.com/RLaQpF2hPO — BJP (@BJP4India) October 25, 2018 BJP was referring to the Congress President’s October 15 tweet where he shared a Dainik Bhaskar report. According to this article, India’s GHI ranking fell from 55 to 103 from 2014 to 2018. This is incorrect and was fact-checked by Alt News in an earlier article. चौकीदार ने भाषण खूब दिया, पेट का आसन भूल गये। योग-भोग सब खूब किया, जनता का राशन भूल गये।https://t.co/RTlyKbKeZl — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 15, 2018 The Bharatiya Janata Party’s fact-check was progressing rather smoothly until they compared the 2008 and 2018 GHI scores and claimed that the country has witnessed an improvement. The video said that India’s 2008 score was 35.6 and in 2018, this number stood at 31.1. BJP implied that the country’s index score has improved by 4.5 points (a lower GHI score implies better performance) in the last 10 years. However, the party got it wrong. BJP picked up the 35.6 value from GHI 2017 report and compared it with India’s 2018 GHI index score, which is 31.1. However, the 2018 report clearly mentions that GHI scores are comparable within each year’s report, but not between different years’ reports because every year the scores are revised. The 2018 report also states that “each report includes GHI scores and indicator data for three reference years in addition to the focus year. In this report, 2018 GHI scores can be directly compared with the GHI scores given for three reference years—2000, 2005, and 2010.” Contrastingly, the 2017 report included the reference years 1992, 2000 and 2008. The revised 2008 data in the 2017 report was 35.6 and BJP compared this score with the current year’s score (31.1) to show an improvement. GHI ranks/scores are based on a plethora of factors and comparison of previous years’ reports does not arrive at an accurate conclusion. This is because a country’s deteriorated ranking does not necessarily imply a fall in its index score, and vice-versa. For instance, India’s GHI score in 2017 was 31.4 and its current score is 31.1. Even with the 0.3 point improvement, India’s rank came down three places. This can be attributed to various factors, including a better performance by other countries. However, as GHI clarifies, previous years’ index scores are comparable within the same report. BJP could have only referred to the 2018 report and compared the revised index scores of 2000, 2005 or 2010 and compared it with the current year’s score (31.1) to show an improvement. Instead, the party picked up data from an entirely different report. Another misleading information provided by BJP’s in its fact-check video was terming India’s current Global Hunger Index score of 31.1 as “not alarming”. All countries with a score above 34.9 have an “alarming” level of hunger but this does not imply that scores below 34.9 are “not alarming”. India’s 2018 GHI score is at the “high end of the serious category”. The GHI 2018 report categorises index scores 20.0 to 34.9 as “serious” levels of hunger. While attempting to ‘fact-check’ Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party itself made factual errors. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	25th October 2018 / 8:21 pm / Last updated: 22nd March 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-makes-factual-errors-while-fact-checking-rahul-gandhis-tweet-on-global-hunger-index/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
401	BJP member Surendra Poonia falls for 'oranges banned in Cyberabad' satire - Alt News Sam Jawed 28th April 2020 / 12:02 am BJP member Major Surendra Poonia shared an image (archive) that looked like a newspaper front page with the headline, “Cyberabad Police bans the sale of oranges in the city”. Poonia added a rather cringe-worthy message to the image, saying “now oranges are also being maligned in the name of sickularism darling for you. Looks like police in some states has started to impose Shariah. That day is not far when sindoor, mangalsootra, bindi and Om will also be banned. Sickularism Zindabad.” His tweet garnered nearly 14,000 likes and close to 4,000 retweets before it was taken down. A few other users also shared the clipping, believing the news to be true. Twitter handle @theskindoctor13 had earlier tweeted the clipping and tagged Cyberabad police. Poonia completely missed the glaring clues that pointed to the fact that the clipping is a computer-generated spoof newspaper. The name of the paper is ‘Deccan Cbronicle’ and ‘satire by @theskindoctor13’ is clearly written on the bottom right-hand corner. In his hurry to make a reference to Shariah and ‘sickularism’ Poonia also did not notice the ludicrous text in the clipping that said ‘UNESCO has declared Cyberabad police the most secular police in the world’. Twitter user @theskindoctor who also goes with the name of Neelam Singh had made the satirical clipping in response to the news about a fruit vendor booked in Jharkhand for installing a hoarding that read ‘Hindu fruit shop’. Similar cases were reported in Telangana. A user tagged the police and wrote that vegetable vendors in Attapur were installing saffron flags in their carts. In response, Cybderabad police tagged Rajendra Nagar police station. This led to an outrage with several BJP members, including MLA Arvind Dharmapuri, questioning why the police station was tagged. @psrjnr_cyb — Cyberabad Police (@cyberabadpolice) April 26, 2020 Cyberabad police has registered a case against @theskindoctor13 for manufacturing the satirical newspaper clipping. A person from north-India circulates fake news stating Cyberabad police banned sale of oranges in Hyderabad. He used masthead of a city-based English daily to make it look that paper published ‘orange sale ban’ news. Case is registered. @MARRIRAMU @cpcybd @TelanganaDGP — The Hindu-Hyderabad (@THHyderabad) April 27, 2020 Nobody's cheerleader, I tweet at @samjawed65 Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	28th April 2020 / 12:02 am	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-member-surendra-poonia-falls-for-oranges-banned-in-cyberabad-satire/", "author": "Sam Jawed" }
402	BJP member tweets Delhi CM Kejriwal's doctored video to claim he admitted taking bribes - Alt News Archit 7th April 2022 / 8:57 pm / Last updated: 7th April 2022 BJP Delhi’s media head Naveen Kumar Jindal posted a 30-second clip of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal from an India TV interview. In the video, CM Kejriwal can be heard saying, “Earlier money would reach the chief minister… the entire system was created to facilitate the lower levels to take money… Money was collected from all departments, police, and revenue department officials and sent to the top. Now our Bhagwant Mann takes money, I take money, and even our MLAs and members take money. There was a meeting of revenue department officials in Punjab. They said – take money at lower levels or send it to the top…” आखिरकार इनका सच बाहर आ ही गया.. pic.twitter.com/aKnUqzjWqk — Naveen Kumar Jindal 🇮🇳 (@naveenjindalbjp) April 6, 2022 Pro-BJP government Facebook pages such as Narendra Modi fans and India With MODI also shared the video. The clip posted by BJP’s Naveen Kumar Jindal is from an India TV interview from April 4. The pertinent 30 seconds begin from the 6:54 mark. In order to understand the viral portions, the viewers must know what was Kejriwal responding to in the interview. Around the 6:23 mark, the interviewer asked, “In your visit to Gujarat, you said in front of Bhagwant Mann ji that he got rid of corruption in 10 days. People… your political opponents made fun of you and asked you to reveal how you did that in ten days?” At the 6:34 mark, CM Kejriwal responded, “Why don’t you visit and see for yourself? I’m inviting you. Send your local reporters or stringers to any registrar’s office, revenue department’s office, police station or anywhere for that matter. Ask them to bribe the officials to get work done. People aren’t taking bribes. Why aren’t they taking bribes? Try to understand. Because earlier money would reach the chief minister… the entire system was created to facilitate the lower levels to take money… Money was collected from all departments, police, and revenue department officials and sent to the top. Now our Bhagwant Mann doesn’t take money, I don’t take money, and even our MLAs and members don’t take money. There was a meeting of revenue department officials in Punjab. They said there is no need to take money at lower levels or send it to the top since no one is taking money…” The bold text highlights the audio heard in the viral segment. The portion of the interview shared by Jindal was edited in parts to change the meaning of what was said by Kejriwal. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwQ5gEIguLE?start=383&w=560&h=315] To sum it up, Naveen Kumar Jindal shared a doctored clip of CM Kejriwal’s interview with India TV. In the interview, CM Kejriwal claimed that none of AAP’s officials in Punjab take bribes. However, the viral clip was edited to mislead the viewer by making it appear that CM Kejriwal admitted that he and his officials in Punjab accept bribes. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	7th April 2022 / 8:57 pm / Last updated: 7th April 2022	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-member-tweets-delhi-cm-kejriwals-doctored-video-to-claim-he-admitted-taking-bribes/", "author": "Archit" }
403	BJP members, AAP Gurgaon share morphed photos of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi - Alt News Archit 27th January 2022 / 6:25 pm / Last updated: 27th January 2022 Two versions of a photograph of Congress leaders Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi has been shared on social media. In the photo, the politicians can be seen holding a document. Curiously, the two versions insinuate that they are endorsing the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). BJP leader Vinay Chauhan and spokesperson Neetu Singh shared the version that showed the Gandhi siblings holding a document that reads, “Yogi is set to be elected…” (आएंगे तो योगी जी ही). The photo also shows them adorning a tika (vermillion) on their foreheads. The image has been shared ahead of elections in UP. आएंगे तो योगी जी ही…… pic.twitter.com/EPhZFccjs9 — Neetu Singh 🇮🇳 (@INeetuDabas) January 21, 2022 It has been amplified by several pro-Facebook groups such as ‘Iron Man Modi – लोह पुरुष मोदी 💪🙏🇮🇳🙏💪‘ [over 2 lakh followers]; ‘मोदीजी 370 के बाद अब POK की बारी🚩🕉🚩‘ [over 1 lakh followers]; and BJP MISSION 350+ ‘LOKSABHA-2024’ [over 3 lakh followers]. A few days after this image was shared, AAP Gurgaon posted the same image but the document held by the Congress leaders reads, “Punjab’s pride” (पंजाब दी शान) with an image of AAP’s Punjab chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann. AAP Gurgaon later took down the post. This post was also shared on several pro-AAP Facebook groups such as We Support “Arvind Kejriwal” [over one lakh followers]; Aam Aadmi Party – Arvind Kejriwal [over 40K followers]; I 💖💞💖 Manish Sisodia [over 80K followers]. After performing a reverse image search, we found that Rahul Gandhi had tweeted the original image on January 21. The viral images are morphed iterations of the same. The text on the document held by the Gandhi siblings in the original photo reads, “भर्ती विधान युवा घोषणा पत्र” which is the youth manifesto for the upcoming UP elections. It is titled ‘Bharti Vidhan’ and lays out the party’s vision for the youth in the state. जो चीज़ें दिल से, ज़िम्मेदारी और ईमानदारी से की जाती हैं उनका नतीजा अच्छा ही होता है। यूपी की जनता को और कांग्रेस के हर कार्यकर्ता को मेरी शुभकामनाएँ।#कांग्रेस_का_भर्ती_विधान pic.twitter.com/tALA3FwCdS — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 21, 2022 The collage below compares the original image with the morphed versions. To sum it up, two morphed images were shared on social media. While one of them was shared by BJP members to show Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi supporting Yogi Adityanath ahead of UP polls, the other portrayed them supporting AAP’s Punjab CM candidate Bhagwant Mann. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	27th January 2022 / 6:25 pm / Last updated: 27th January 2022	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-members-aap-gurgaon-share-morphed-photos-of-rahul-and-priyanka-gandhi/", "author": "Archit" }
404	BJP members falsely claim man accuses SP of building "masjids" for Muslim appeasement - Alt News Aqib Pathan & Archit 7th February 2022 / 6:42 pm / Last updated: 7th February 2022 A 14-second clip has been shared along with the claim that an elderly man confronted Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav and said, “You only made masjids, we won’t give votes.” (तुमने केवल मस्जिद बनवाई, हम वोट नहीं देंगे.) BJP member Priti Gandhi, BJP Himachal in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna, BJP spokesperson Sarika A Jain, BJP UP’s social media co-convenor Saurabh tweeted this video. “तुमने केवल मस्जिद बनवाई, हम वोट नहीं देंगे!!” Posting without comments. Draw your own inference.#UPElections2022 pic.twitter.com/Dar45lWaNl — Priti Gandhi – प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) February 3, 2022 “तुमने केवल मस्जिद बनवाई “ ताऊ ने अखिलेश के सामने कहा हम वोट नहीं देंगे!! #जय_श्रीराम 🚩🚩 pic.twitter.com/y2ZYFOeI7b — Avinash Rai Khanna (@ImAvinashKhanna) February 3, 2022 Several Facebook and Twitter users posted this video. It was also shared on high-network pro-BJP pages such as टीम किशनाराम बिशनोई [over 20K followers]; भाजपा का परिवार मेरा परिवार{यूपी मिशन 2022-भाजपा समर्थकों का स्वागत है} [1.4 lakh followers] and प्रधानमंत्री – नरेंद्र मोदी जी ✅ [over 1.4 lakh followers]. Upon hearing the viral video carefully, we noticed that the dialect is difficult to understand. A UP-based reporter told Alt News that the elderly man was claiming that Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are swapped after votes are cast. In an impassioned address to Akhilesh Yadav, he alleges that people vote for the SP but the votes are not counted since the machines are swapped. The word “machine” is misrepresented as “masjid” in viral claims. Alt News also spoke with SP national spokesperson Abdul Hafiz Gandhi. He said that the elderly man is not saying, “Tumne keval masjid banvayi, hum vote nahi denge” (You only made mosques, we will give not votes). Gandhi informed, “The old man has said machines, not masjids. He is of the opinion that the SP doesn’t win since EVMs are swapped.” Using this as a clue, Alt News performed a keyword search (अखिलेश यादव बुजुर्ग evm मशीन) on Facebook and found two instances of a longer version of the video shared on the platform in 2019 [1, 2]. One of them was posted by SP spokesperson Roli Tiwari Mishra. In this video, we can hear quite clearly that the elderly man said “machines” and not “masjids”. He claimed that the BJP won elections because EVMs were swapped after people cast votes for the SP. The UP-based reporter informed Alt News that the man has used unparliamentary language towards the end of the longer video. In fact, we can also hear Yadav discouraging him from using such language. Alt News has thus, not embedded the longer video but Mishra’s post (screenshot below) has been hyperlinked above. The video below is a clipped version of Mishra’s post which only includes the viral segment. In a tweet from 2019, journalist Kiran Patnaik also wrote that the man was blaming EVMs for the SP’s loss. She wrote that a supporter of Akhilesh Yadav said, “Put the machines on fire” and “EVMs are defected. EVMs should be removed”. BJP leaders and members spun an SP supporter’s interaction with Akhilesh Yadav to portray that the man was opposing the SP. In reality, the man did not accuse the SP of building “masjids” for Muslim appeasement but alleged that the BJP wins elections because EVMs are swapped after people cast votes for the SP. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	7th February 2022 / 6:42 pm / Last updated: 7th February 2022	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-members-falsely-claim-man-accuses-sp-of-building-masjids-for-muslim-appeasement/", "author": "Aqib Pathan & Archit" }
405	BJP members falsely claim Shah Rukh Khan 'spat' on Lata Mangeshkar's mortal remains - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 7th February 2022 / 9:54 pm A video of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan paying respects and offering prayers at the funeral of late singer Lata Mangeshkar was shared by BJP office bearers with the claim that Khan spat on Mangeshkar’s mortal remains. State in-charge of BJP Haryana IT cell Arun Yadav and BJP spokesperson Gaurav Goel were among the BJP members who shared the video. क्या इसने थूका है ❓ pic.twitter.com/RZOa2NVM5I — Arun Yadav (@beingarun28) February 6, 2022 Education doesn’t make everybody a “Gentleman” ?? Is he spitting ?? If so then extremely disrespectful… pic.twitter.com/KPBiY3XBPN — Gaurav Goel (@goelgauravbjp) February 6, 2022 It was also tweeted by VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal and retired IPS officer M Nageswara Rao. ये थूका है, फूंका है या इस्लामी प्रार्थना का कोई नायाब तरीका है!! ये तो #ShahRukhKhan को ही बताना पड़ेगा किंतु क्या ये सब करना यहां उचित था? pic.twitter.com/67KGC7et8C — विनोद बंसल Vinod Bansal (@vinod_bansal) February 6, 2022 Suresh Chavhanke also amplified the claim that Khan spat on the late singer’s body on his channel Sudarshan News. https://t.co/GNbXLj3EH3 — Suresh Chavhanke “Sudarshan News” (@SureshChavhanke) February 6, 2022 Alt News has received multiple requests to verify whether Khan indeed spat during the funeral ceremony. Shah Rukh Khan is quite evidently not spitting on Lata Mangeshwar’s mortal remains. He is offering dua (prayer) by blowing into the air. This is a common practice among Muslims in the Indian subcontinent. Alt News spoke with Maulana Mahmood Madani, Islamic scholar and president of the Mahmood faction of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind. He also confirmed the same to us. In fact, several other Islamic scholars have clarified that the practice is common and well-known. Did Shah Rukh Khan ‘spit’ on #LataMangeshkar‘s mortal remains? Darul Uloom Farangi Mahal spokesperson Maulana Sufiyan Nizami rubbishes allegations; states Bollywood star @iamsrk was ‘blowing air’, a common practice in Islam to ward off evil spirits. pic.twitter.com/EsXCeu4c1m — Asianet Newsable (@AsianetNewsEN) February 7, 2022 As an influential Muslim actor, Shah Rukh Khan is often targeted by members and supporters of the BJP. Alt News has also documented several pieces of misinformation in the past that attempt to portray him as pro-Pakistan. The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked an organised campaign to not only blame Muslims for purposely spreading the virus, but also paint them as “unhygienic”. Alt News had debunked a similar claim last November where members of the BJP claimed that a Qazi was spitting on food. But in reality, he blew on the food for Barkat (prosperity) and well-being. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The CCTV footage of a man violently flinging a child on the ground has created… A minute-long video clip of a woman being physically assaulted is viral on social media…. Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	7th February 2022 / 9:54 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-members-falsely-claim-shah-rukh-khan-spat-on-lata-mangeshkars-mortal-remains/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
406	BJP members share old photos of Left Front rally as PM Modi's Kolkata address ahead of polls - Alt News Mohammed Zubair 7th March 2021 / 11:19 pm / Last updated: 7th March 2021 Ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections, Prime Minister Modi addressed his first rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Soon after pictures of the rally showing a massive crowd started circulating on social media. Among them were pictures of rallies of other political parties shared as PM Modi’s rally by enthusiastic BJP leaders and supporters. One such picture was shared by BJP Tamil Nadu, BJP Punjab and BJP members Tajinder Bagga, SG Suryah, Bhanu Jalan and CA OP Mishra. Interestingly the same image was shared by several Congress supporters last week as a joint rally of Congress, CPI(M) and Indian Secular Front (ISF). Alt News had fact-checked the claim. A reverse image search performed by Alt News revealed that the image is of a Left Front rally from 2019. The image was published by Social News XYZ in 2019 with a caption stating that it shows a Left Front rally at the Brigade Parade Ground, Kolkata on February 3, 2019. The photo is credited to IANS. The image of the rally was also tweeted by CPI(M) West Bengal last year. “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” A bird eye view of last year Birgade Rally at #Kolkata #LalSalaamComrade pic.twitter.com/EmuvpqaiXI — CPI(M) WEST BENGAL (@CPIM_WESTBENGAL) June 10, 2020 The picture shows a massive crowd, marked with red flags of the Left front parties. The picture tweeted by BJP supporters is a slightly blurred version where the red can be mistaken for saffron. A second image was shared by BJP member O.P. Mishra asking “how’s the josh”. A reverse image search reveals that this image is of a Left Front rally from 2014. A spike in misinformation is often seen before elections and West Bengal Assembly elections are no exception. However, it is noteworthy that a large crowd had gathered for PM Modi’s address at Brigade Parade Ground. The next 25 years are very important for the development of Bengal. The development here in the next 5 years will lay the foundation for State’s development in the next 25 years: PM Modi at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground pic.twitter.com/Jb7lOFMsX4 — TOI Kolkata (@TOIKolkata) March 7, 2021 Co-founder, Alt News Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via Twitter at https://twitter.com/zoo_bear Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	7th March 2021 / 11:19 pm / Last updated: 7th March 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-members-share-old-phots-of-left-front-rally-as-pm-modis-kolkata-address-ahead-of-polls/", "author": "Mohammed Zubair" }
407	Priyanka Gandhi hugged Hathras victim's mother, BJP members falsely identify her as 'Naxal bhabhi' - Alt News Priyanka Jha 14th October 2020 / 10:40 am A new development in the Hathras case came on October 10, when it was reported that a woman had stayed at the victim’s house, allegedly posing as her sister-in-law. She was later identified as Rajkumari Bansal, a doctor from Jabalpur. Since then, she was also accused of being a Naxalite and tutoring the family. Responding to these allegations, Bansal said that she went to the house for humanitarian reasons and her sole motive was to help them. Following this, several BJP leaders tweeted a picture of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra purportedly showing her embracing the same ‘fake sister-in-law’. Taking to Twitter, the national social media in-charge of BJP Mahila Morcha Priti Gandhi attacked Rahul Gandhi and Vadra for their alleged conspiracy. She accused the brother-sister duo of consoling the Naxal operative who had infiltrated the family’s home and was posing as the victim’s sister-in-law. So the family that Priyanka & Rahul Gandhi were seen hugging & consoling was infiltrated by a naxal operative who posed as the victim’s bhabhi, stayed in their home from 16th to 22nd Sept & has now mysteriously vanished!! The level of this conspiracy is horrifying!! #HathrasCase pic.twitter.com/eZSQISCPh2 — Priti Gandhi – प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) October 10, 2020 Former BJP MP Geetha Kothapalli also tweeted the image, writing, “Who is this lady? She is not [the] mother of the victim how did she get into their home? How was [she] given a chance to hug Priyanka? The same lady was interviewed by Barkha Dutt too…this seems like a well-planned conspiracy…what do you think? (sic).” Who is this lady ? She is not mother of the victim how did she got into their home ? How was given a chance to hug Priyanka ? The same lady was interviewed by @BDUTT too .. this seems like a well planned conspiracy .. what do you think ? #FakeNaxalBhabhi pic.twitter.com/nuJpM0FwhU — Geetha Kothapalli (@Geethak_MP) October 10, 2020 Saurabh Khamar of BJP Andhra Pradesh’s IT cell also tweeted the photo and wrote, “Is fake Gandhi hugging Fake Naxal Bhabhi?” Several Twitter users with followers around the 1 lakh mark, including Arun Pudur, Pinku Shukla, and @iArmySupporter also shared the picture with these claims. On Facebook, a page named Social Tamasha shared photos of the hug and wrote, “Fake Gandhi with fake sister-in-law.” This page has been caught spreading misinformation many times in the past. फेक गांधी Vs फेक भाभी 😎 #fakenaxalbhabhi #FakeGandhi Posted by Social Tamasha on Saturday, 10 October 2020 A few websites including Perform India, VK News, Best Hindi News and Haryana Abtak ran stories on the online claims. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi met the victim’s family on October 3. A number of media houses uploaded pictures and video footage of this meeting. An India Today report from the same day stated that Priyanka Gandhi was hugging the Hathras victim’s mother. #Exclusive \| #PriyankaGandhi hugs Hathras victim’s mother. @Rahulshrivstv gets us the inside details of their conversation. #HathrasCase #HathrasHorror #MeriBhiBetiHai pic.twitter.com/rOYVQbf4Oo — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) October 3, 2020 News agency ANI and journalist Marya Shakil also tweeted a video of the two women embracing on October 3. Shakil wrote in her caption, “Emotional moment in Bhoolgarhi village in Hathras. Victim’s mother hugs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.” Emotional moment in Bhoolgarhi village in Hathras. Victim’s mother hugs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. #Hathras pic.twitter.com/OGKUdoRfEi — Marya Shakil (@maryashakil) October 3, 2020 That Vadra is indeed hugging the victim’s mother can be established by a closer look at the sari she is wearing. Since the image does not show the woman’s face, Alt News used visuals obtained by other media houses and journalists that spoke to her. On October 3, Barkha Dutt tweeted a picture with the victim’s mother. Here, she is seen in the same sari that she wore while hugging Priyanka. India Today also spoke to the victim’s mother and brother on the same day. In this video too, she is seen wearing the same sari. Furthermore, the victim’s mother was interviewed by Times Now on September 30, where she can again be seen in the same sari. #Exclusive \| Mother of the victim from Hathras asks ‘till when will such things happen?’ ‘My daughter won’t return’, says the mother of the victim. \| Navika Kumar on @thenewshour \| #JusticeForBharatKiBeti pic.twitter.com/v6G0AJj4h2 — TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) September 30, 2020 Therefore, the woman Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen hugging in the viral photo was the victim’s mother. Earlier, certain individuals associated with the BJP falsely shared a photo of Rahul Gandhi alleging that he grabbed a policeman’s collar while trying to reach Hathras. The Congress has been targetted with misinformation since the party’s criticism of the UP government’s handling of the alleged rape case. She specializes in information verification, examining mis/disinformation, social media monitoring and platform accountability. Her aim is to make the internet a safer place and enable people to become informed social media users. She has been a part of Alt News since 2018. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	14th October 2020 / 10:40 am	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-members-shared-a-picture-of-priyanka-gandhi-hugging-hathras-victims-mother-with-false-claim-that-she-hugged-fake-naxal-bhabhi/", "author": "Priyanka Jha" }
408	BJP Ministers, MPs, MLAs, Spokespersons can't stop gushing about the launch of Arnab Goswami's Republic TV - Alt News Pratik Sinha 6th May 2017 / 8:29 pm / Last updated: 6th May 2017 In November 2016, while delivering the vote of thanks during Ramnath Goenka awards, Indian Express’s Editor-in-Chief Raj Kamal Jha had regaled the audience with an anecdote. He told the gathering that once when a Chief Minister told the group’s founder Ramnath Goenka, “Aap ka reporter bahut achha kaam kar raha hai (Your reporter is doing good work)”, Ramnath Goenka had sacked the reporter. Raj Kamal Jha stated that criticism from the Government was a badge of honour. What people witnessed on Twitter today as part of the launch of Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV is the exact opposite of the Ramnath Goenka school of journalism. From BJP Union Minsiters, to BJP MPs, to BJP MLAs to BJP Spokersperson, to BJP supporters, everybody seemed overjoyed at the launch of Republic TV. The unprecedented amount of love showered on Republic TV’s launch by folks from BJP is not surprising though considering Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar who is NDA’s vice-chairman in Kerala is a prominent investor. It is to be seen whether Arnab Goswami exposes the politician-mafia nexus in BJP ruled statues just like he has in a non-BJP state like Bihar with his Lalu Prasad-Liquor don Shahabuddin story. Bihar has had a liquor ban for just about 2 years, Gujarat has had one for many decades and everybody knows what goes around here. For a long time now, Arnab Goswami’s journalism has looked like an extension of BJP’s propaganda arm. Recently, after the Sukma attack, he tweeted four times targeting everyone except the Government. In 2014, when a Naxal attack had happened in the same region, he had questioned the role of UPA’s Home Ministers namely P Chidambaram, Shivraj Patil and Sushil Kumar Shinde. @TimesNow In April 2014, when attack happened in Sukma, Times Now questioned then Union Govt, in 2017, they're questioning student leaders. pic.twitter.com/vAL3PSDn5i — Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) April 24, 2017 Since Arnab refused to question the ruling BJP Governments in Chhattisgarh and Delhi for the Sukma attack, he’s probably seen as an ally and which is possibly why everybody in BJP’s rank and cadre can’t stop gushing about his new channel. Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	6th May 2017 / 8:29 pm / Last updated: 6th May 2017	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-ministers-mps-mlas-spokespersons-cant-stop-gushing-launch-arnab-goswamis-republic-tv/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
409	BJP misleads on Rafale, claims Reliance was already part of agreement finalised by UPA-II - Alt News Arjun Sidharth 22nd September 2018 / 10:28 pm / Last updated: 15th March 2019 On September 21, former President of France Francois Hollande unleashed a political storm by stating on record that it was the Indian government which had proposed Anil Ambani’s firm as the partner for the offset-clause under the current Rafale agreement, and that the French government had no say in the matter. The Central Government has been firefighting allegations of massive corruption and cronyism over the mega defence deal. It has been accused of favouring the Anil Ambani owned Reliance Defence Limited over state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) which was to make 108 of the 126 aircraft under the agreement finalised by the previous government. On September 22, the official handle of the BJP tweeted that there is incontrovertible evidence that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had existed between Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of the Rafale aircraft, and Reliance Industries since February 2013, when the UPA government was in power. There is evidence available that a proper MoU existed between Dassault and Reliance industry as early as on Feb 13, 2013, that means 1 year, 4 months before we came to power : Shri @rsprasad #RahulKaPuraKhandanChor pic.twitter.com/lAqOatziEP — BJP (@BJP4India) September 22, 2018 The same was reiterated by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who tweeted a link to an article by Times of India dated February 13, 2012 which reported that a defence pact was signed between Dassault Aviation and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). Tajinder Bagga, who is the spokesperson of Delhi BJP tweeted a collage of screenshots of news reports about the pact. As per this Times of India news dated 13 February 2012, defence pact between Dassault and Reliance was signed in 2012. #RahulKaPuraKhandanChorhttps://t.co/wcB753mY8S — RSPrasad Office (@OfficeOfRSP) September 22, 2018 What is the story behind the BJP’s claim that Reliance Industries’ involvement in the Rafale agreement is the legacy of the erstwhile government? Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which had inked a defence pact in 2012, is headed by Mukesh Ambani. His brother Anil Ambani heads the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The demerger of Reliance Industries took place in 2005 after a public spat between the brothers which eventually saw their mother Kokilaben intervene and help finalise an amicable split. The current agreement is between Dassault Aviation and Reliance Defence Limited, which was incorporated on March 28, 2015, days before the existing agreement was scrapped and a new deal was sealed in April 2015 for the purchase of 36 Rafale jets in a flyaway condition. Posted below are the details of Reliance Defence Limited available on the website of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. As can be seen, the company was registered in Mumbai and incorporated on 28/03/2015. Reliance Defence Limited is an entity of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) and NOT Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) which is owned by Mukesh Ambani. The newspaper reports that the BJP is referring to were with regard to the agreement between Dassault Aviation and the Mukesh Ambani-owned RIL. Ironically, this seems to have escaped Tajinder Bagga’s notice, who tweeted screenshots of an article which featured a photograph of Mukesh Ambani. गली गली में शोर है, सोनिया गांधी चोर है pic.twitter.com/fNCwb1TxjO — Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) September 21, 2018 In 2012, Dassault Aviation and Reliance Industries Ltd. had inked an agreement for partnering in the defence sector. This was shortly after the Rafale was chosen among a slew of Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) following extensive field trials. The Economic Times reports that “Dassault opened talks with the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance, which was considering entering the aerospace sector. A new company, Reliance Aerospace Technologies Ltd. (RATL), was incorporated on September 4, 2008. In May 2011, weeks after the Rafale and the Eurofighter jets were shortlisted by the air force, RATL started hiring key staff to stitch together a partnership roadmap that included discussions on HAL’s role.” The article further states that the agreement could not materialise as “the plan was shelved following a strategic rethink by Reliance, which withdrew from the defence and aerospace business after 2014.” BJP’s claim that Reliance Industries Ltd. was already party to the agreement signed by the previous government is, simply put, false. The Times of India article that the party has referred to is about a defence pact that was signed between Dassault Aviation and RIL, which is owned by Mukesh Ambani whereas the current agreement has awarded the offset contract to Reliance Defence Ltd which is owned by his brother Anil Ambani. With the government tying itself in knots over its defense of the Rafale deal which has been mired in controversy, this attempt at eyewash is rather embarrassing. Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	22nd September 2018 / 10:28 pm / Last updated: 15th March 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-misleads-on-rafale-claims-reliance-was-already-part-of-agreement-finalised-by-upa-ii/", "author": "Arjun Sidharth" }
410	BJP MLA 'Anil Upadhyaya' talking about CAA? No, videos yet again viral with fictitious name - Alt News Jignesh Patel 16th January 2020 / 5:58 pm / Last updated: 16th January 2020 A video of a man talking about violence at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is being shared with the claim that he is BJP MLA, Anil Upadhyay. The man questions if anyone has the guts to raise their voice against Home Minister Amit Shah. “Show me one journalist who has spoken about the violence in JNU and Jamia,” he says adding, “If anyone speaks against Modi, for now (we) have just entered in colleges and beaten up, has anyone been able to do anything and if (you) speak more then we will enter your house and smack you down and finish your life.” The statement comes across a threat allegedly given by a BJP MLA. BJP MLA Anil Upadhyaya Se the comments to all INDIAN Citizen Ab tu jago ….. Posted by Mohiuddin Mohammed Ali Kutchi on Tuesday, 14 January 2020 One Khurshid Alam Ab has shared the video on Facebook with the same narrative. Another video is doing the rounds on social media along similar lines – that he is BJP MLA Anil Upadhyaya. However, in this video, the man is criticising the government and calling for Hindu-Muslim brotherhood. “We’ll celebrate Eid, Bakri Eid, Diwali and Holi,” he says, adding that this country belongs to everyone. “This is BJP MLA Anil Upadhyay. What is Narendra Modi saying about his speech? (translated)”, reads the message shared along with the video. A Facebook user shared the video with the same claim. Bjp Mla Anil upadhyaya. ಇದು ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಶಾಸಕ ಅನಿಲ್ ಉಪಾಧ್ಯಾಯ.ಇವರ ಈ ಮಾತಿನ ಕುರಿತು ನರೇಂದ್ರ ಮೋದಿಯವರು ಏನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತೀರಾ? Posted by Sulaiman Kallarpe on Sunday, 12 January 2020 In the fact-check, we will debunk the two videos separately. The man in the video is Harish Mishra, a former district president of Seva Dal which is a grassroots frontal organization affiliated with the Indian National Congress (INC). Alt News had earlier debunked a video of Mishra in November 2019, when it was shared with the narrative that a BJP leader was threating a journalist about reporting against the government. However, the complete video makes it evident that Mishra is a BJP critic and not a supporter. BOOM spoke to Rajeshwar Singh Patel, Varanasi district president and confirmed that Mishra is an active member with the Congress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar0NgalOIII A close look at the video reveals a logo of a news organization on the top left corner of the screen which reads “DS4 News”. Alt News found the complete video posted on the outlet’s YouTube channel, uploaded on December 24, 2019. At 5:36 mins in the video, the reporter can be heard identifying the man as Pankaj Srivastav. Thus, the man in the video is not BJP MLA ‘Anil Upadhyay’. Srivastav criticizes the government on issues ranging from the Citizenship Amendment Act to women’s safety and inflation. DS4 News confirmed to fact-checking outlet Fact-Crescendo that Srivastav is an ordinary citizen who had come to protest at Raj Ghat, New Delhi. Moreover, we found a live video of protests where Pankaj Srivastav was introduced as a prominent voice on social media. ‘Anil Upadhyay’, has emerged as a recurring name used to propagate misinformation. However, quite amusingly, no such MLA exists in any state assembly or the parliament, according to MyNeta database. The name crops up on social media sometimes as a BJP MLA, and sometimes as a Congress MLA. Posted below is a screenshot of the search result on MyNeta website. Two unrelated videos – one of Congress member sarcastically criticising the BJP government and a video of a common citizen voicing his opinion against the Citizenship Act – were falsely shared as that of BJP MLA ‘Anil Upadhyay’. Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	16th January 2020 / 5:58 pm / Last updated: 16th January 2020	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mla-anil-upadhyaya-talking-about-caa-no-videos-yet-again-viral-with-fictitious-name/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
411	Fact-check: "Hindu" option removed from Maharashtra board exam forms? - Alt News Pratik Sinha & Pooja Chaudhuri 5th December 2020 / 7:15 pm / Last updated: 29th November 2021 A registration form for admission to Maharashtra SSC and HSC examinations for class 10 and 12 students has been making the rounds on social media. Below is a tweet retweeted by Gautam Chikermane, VP of Observer Research Foundation (ORF). Advocate Vivekanand Gupta who identifies as secretary of BJP Mumbai also promoted the claim. “Hindu” disappeared from the Maharashtra secondary and higher secondary forms, in the religion column… “Non Minority” was used instead of “Hindu”… MVA @OfficeofUT sarkar is worst than Britishers and Mughals. What more to come ……… pic.twitter.com/qqH5o8d1g3 — Adv.Vivekanand Gupta 🇮🇳 (@vivekanandg) November 29, 2021 The form was also shared by author Rakesh Krishnan Simha in May. Under @OfficeofUT Hindus in Maharashtra are now “Non-Minority”. Please change your party’s name to Shariah Sena. pic.twitter.com/ZSWxuXyczU — Rakesh Krishnan Simha (@ByRakeshSimha) May 8, 2021 The form had created quite a stir last year after BJP Maharashtra MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar claimed that the State Board has removed the sub-category ‘Hindu’ from the form. बाटग्यांची बांग… ठाकरे सरकारने हिंदुत्व सोडले, आता हिंदू शब्दावरही चौकट मारली. यांचा निलाजरे पणा पाहा 10 वी, 12 वी परीक्षेच्या फॉर्मवर हिंदू शब्द न वापरता नॉन मायनोरिटी हा शब्द वापरला आहे. याद राखा, फॉर्मवर येत्या 24 तासात हिंदू शब्द दिसला नाही तर, ठीक ठिकाणी फॉर्मची होळी करू. pic.twitter.com/KRZDRDrnjm — Atul Bhatkhalkar (@BhatkhalkarA) December 2, 2020 Times Now had carried a perfunctory news report on the allegation. “Maharashtra government has removed the ‘Hindu’ option from classes 10, 12 exam forms. The state government has used the ‘Non-Minority’ word instead of the Hindu option in the newly released exam forms for the next board exams,” claimed the channel. The report added that Bhatkhalkar has warned the Shiv Sena if the word ‘Hindu’ is not put back in the exam form in the next 24 hours, he would lead a movement to burn the forms across the state. Bhatkhalkar’s claim soon began widely circulating on Twitter with the message that children have been asked their faith in the form but the Hindu religion does not find a mention. Below is a tweet by Akash RSS, a user followed by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, from December 2020. Akash has often been found sharing misinformation online. महाराष्ट्र स्टेट एजुकेशन बोर्ड ने अब अपने फॉर्म में से हिंदू धर्म को ही हटा दिया है? बच्चों से पूछा गया है कि आपका धर्म क्या है सारे धर्मों के नाम लिखे हैं हिंदू नहीं लिखा है हिंदू की जगह नॉन माइनॉरिटी लिखा है pic.twitter.com/WAO6eAfkx3 — Akash RSS (@Satynistha) December 5, 2020 Another Twitter user @Ocjain4 who is followed by BJP leader Kapil Mishra also promoted the claim. महाराष्ट्र स्टेट एजुकेशन बोर्ड ने अब अपने फॉर्म में से हिंदू धर्म को ही हटा दिया है बच्चों से पूछा गया है कि आपका धर्म क्या है सारे धर्मों के नाम लिखे हैं हिंदू नहीं लिखा है हिंदू की जगह नॉन माइनॉरिटी लिखा है pic.twitter.com/GvStXNOfle — Ocean Jain (@Ocjain4) December 3, 2020 That the sub-category ‘Hindu’ has been removed by the Maharashtra government from the SSC and HSC exam forms was widespread on Facebook as well. This report will fact-check the following claims: 1. Is this a new form released for the next board examination? 2. Has the option to select ‘Hindu’ as one’s religion been removed? Form has been in use since 2014 The BJP was in power in Maharashtra in an alliance with the Shiv Sena from 2014 to 2019. Shakuntala Kale, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, was quoted in The Times of India saying, “The form was drafted in 2013 and has been in use since the 2014 exams.” When asked by the news outlet why the BJP did not change the format during its rule, Bhatkhalkar claimed that the word ‘non-minority’ replacing the word ‘Hindu’ is a recent alteration to make “some” happy, and “to protect one vote bank, anti-Hindu decisions are being consistently taken”. Alt News, however, found Bhatkhalkar’s accusation to be completely false. A copy of the SSC form uploaded in 2017 on the website of Maharashtra Board, Pune when the BJP was in power carries the option ‘non-minority’. The link includes a circular which mentions the date as 9/9/2017 in Marathi. An identical HSC exam form uploaded in 2017 can be accessed here. We also checked the Maharashtra State Board website that carries sample forms for SSC and HSC exams. The creation date of the forms is 2017. A report published in The Times of India on September 3, 2013 also supports the state government’s stance that the form has been in use since 2014. “From next academic year, application forms for the SSC and HSC exams will have a separate column where candidates can mention if they belong to a minority community,” reads the report. ‘Hindu’ is not one of the options because it isn’t a minority religion A cursory observation itself renders the claim baseless. The 11th point in the form asks students to select their minority religion. In case they don’t hail from a minority faith, there is an option of choosing ‘non-minority’. Hinduism is the majority religion in the country, therefore, to have ‘Hindu’ as one of the options for a question inquiring about students’ minority faith does not make sense. “The purpose of the column is in line with requirements of the Central and state minorities department. Hence, the column lists minorities which are notified by the state government. For students who don’t belong to those (categories), there is an option of non-minority,” said Kale. BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar’s accusation that the Shiv Sena government no longer gives SSC candidates the option to choose ‘Hindu’ as their religion is false. The format has been in place since 2014 when the BJP was in power in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena. The claim was amplified by Times Now which did not verify Bhatkhalkar’s allegation and published it as true. This was further promoted by BJP supporters on social media. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	5th December 2020 / 7:15 pm / Last updated: 29th November 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mla-falsely-claims-shiv-sena-govt-removed-hindu-option-from-board-exam-forms/", "author": "Pratik Sinha & Pooja Chaudhuri" }
412	BJP MLA Himanta Biswa posts cropped photo of anti-CAA rally in Assam to portray poor turnout - Alt News Jignesh Patel 11th January 2020 / 7:04 pm On January 10, 2020, Assam BJP minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted an image where a crowd gathered at an anti-CAA rally was compared with the one at a pro-CAA rally in Dhemaji, Assam. “here are 2 Dhemaji pictures that sum up the mood in Assam. Need I say more?”, said Sarma while tweeting the image. Sarma attended to portray a much larger gathering at the pro-CAA rally, here are 2 Dhemaji pictures that sum up the mood in Assam. Need I say more?#AssamAlwaysAhead @narendramodi @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/xTJRW7RerG — Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 10, 2020 Alt News found that the image of the anti-CAA protest organized in Dhemaji is misleading. A video of the rally organized by All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on January 9, 2020, clearly depicts that the picture used in the comparison by Sarma shows a smaller crowd than in reality. Below is a drone video of the rally tweeted by Assam journalist Atanu Bhuyan. Challenging BJP’s peace rally in Dhemaji yesterday, Jatiya Sangathans organised another rally in Dhemaji today. A sea of people spontaneously participated in the rally #CAAProtests pic.twitter.com/ekc68s4AsT — atanu bhuyan (@atanubhuyan) January 9, 2020 Twitter user Sanjib Gogoi also posted an image that gives an aerial view of the rally in Dhemaji, Assam. Dhemaji against #CAA #AssamRejectsCAA pic.twitter.com/ftdf3voW5w — Sanjib gogoi (@SanjibgogoiASM) January 9, 2020 In the comparison below, a drone’s eye view of the anti-CAA rally is compared with the image shared by Sarma on Twitter. This can also be corroborated with pictures tweeted by Lurinjyoti Gogoi, the General Secretary of AASU. সদৌ অসম ছাত্র সন্থাৰ আহ্বানত নাগৰিকত্ব সংশোধনী আইন, ২০১৯ বাতিলৰ দাবীত আজি ধেমাজি জিলা ছাত্র সন্থাৰ উদ্যোগত ধেমাজি কাছাৰী ময়দানত অনুস্থিত ‘ৰণশিঙা’ কাৰ্যসূচীত অংশ গ্ৰহণৰ মুহূৰ্তত…. pic.twitter.com/UEePspOfty — Lurinjyoti Gogoi (@lurinjtgogoi) January 9, 2020 Several other pictures taken from a different angle give a better view of the mass gathering at the anti-CAA rally. #No #CAA Today at #dhemaji pic.twitter.com/k1LJpJONfW — Axom (@Axom31485293) January 9, 2020 In conclusion, Himanta Biswa Sarma misleadingly compared a cropped image of an anti-CAA rally with a pro-CAA rally to portray mass support for the newly enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019. Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	11th January 2020 / 7:04 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mla-himanta-biswa-posts-cropped-photo-of-anti-caa-rally-in-assam-to-portray-poor-turnout/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
413	BJP MLA 'Karni Singh' toppled Ambedkar's statue? Old video, false claim - Alt News Jignesh Patel 25th January 2020 / 11:01 pm / Last updated: 25th January 2020 A video of a statue toppled by a group of people with the help of a JCB truck is circulating on social media. The message shared along with the video claims that Bhimrao Ambedkar’s statue was pulled down by a BJP MLA ‘Karni Singh’. Twitter user Azmath Sultan posted the video with the message, “विनाश काले विपरीत बुद्धि बाबा साहब अमबेंडकर की प्रतिमा गिराते Bjp नेता Bjp विधायक करणी सिंह की इस हरकत पर क्या कहेगे मोदी जी# मोदी तो गया काम से इन Videoको इतना वायरल करो की ये पूरा भारत देख सके जय भीम (In the face of destruction, one loses their intelligence. BJP MLA Karni Singh is taking down the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar. What will Modi say about this act? Days of Modi are over. Make this video viral so that whole India watches it. Jay Bheem -translated)” विनाश काले विपरीत बुद्धि बाबा साहब अमबेंडकर की प्रतिमा गिराते Bjp नेता Bjp विधायक करणी सिंह की इस हरकत पर क्या कहेगे मोदी जी# मोदी तो गया काम से इन Videoको इतना वायरल करो की ये पूरा भारत देख सके जय भीम✊🏻🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/0jjxkp8ksi — 🇮🇳❤️ Azmath Sultan 🇮🇳❤️ INC❤️🇮🇳 (@Azmath955886122) January 24, 2020 Facebook page AMU Citizens posted the video with a similar claim on January 24, 2020. It has garnered over 1,400 shares so far. The video is viral on Facebook and Twitter alike. With a keyword search on Google, Alt News found that the video depicts an incident in Tripura where a statue of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin was toppled by BJP workers and supporters celebrating their electoral victory in the state after 25 years of communist rule. In South Tripura’s Belonia, a statue of Lenin razed amid chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. This, less than 48 hours after the BJP stormed to power ending a 25-year-long Left rule. More here: https://t.co/Q7a4EsiuSh pic.twitter.com/335YDvXTb7 — The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) March 5, 2018 The statue of the communist icon was located at the centre of College Square in Tripura’s Belonia town. “According to CPI(M)’s Datta, the 11.5-ft fibre-glass statue was sculpted by local artist Krishna Debnath at a cost of Rs 3 lakh. It was installed as the party began its 21st year of rule, after winning the 2013 assembly elections,” stated a report by published by The Indian Express on March 5, 2018. In conclusion, a year-old video of Lenin’s statue toppled by BJP supporters and workers was shared as Bhimrao Ambedkar’s statue being pulled down by BJP MLA Karni Singh. According to Myneta database, no such MLA is associated with the BJP or any other party. Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	25th January 2020 / 11:01 pm / Last updated: 25th January 2020	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mla-karni-singh-toppled-ambedkars-statue-old-video-false-claim/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
414	BJP MLA Raja Singh plagiarises Pakistan Army song, dedicates it to Indian army - Alt News Alt News Desk 14th April 2019 / 11:20 pm / Last updated: 14th April 2019 On April 12th, BJP MLA Raja Singh announced the release of his new song on Ram Navami dedicated to the Indian Army. You can listen to Raja Singh’s song here: My new song which will be released on 14th April at 11:45 AM on the occasion of #SriRamNavami is dedicated to our #IndianArmy forces. pic.twitter.com/Es391cE2PT — Chowkidar Raja Singh (@TigerRajaSingh) April 12, 2019 The song started with the lyrics “Seedha rasta watan, Dil ki himat watan, Apna jazba watan, Maan ki suchi lagan, Seedha rasta watan..” While sung with great fervour, there was one small problem. The song had been copied word for word from a song written for Pakistani armed forces. It is a song released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, on March 23rd for Pakistan Day. Singh replaced ‘Pakistan’ with ‘Bharat’ and called it a song for the Indian army on the occasion of Ram Navmi. Here is a comparison with the Pakistani version BJP's Nationalist MLA @TigerRajaSingh copies Pakistan Army's official "Pakistan Zindabad" Song 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/3p6Mn0tkHy — Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 14, 2019 Singh’s musical release was immediately recognised by Pakistanis who called out the plagiarism and posted the original version. For anyone who wants to listen to the real song pic.twitter.com/ZZf8LjG4wV — MP 🇵🇰 (@PTIMPK) April 14, 2019 By the end of the day, even the official spokesperson of Pakistani Armed Forces joined in to mock the BJP MLA Glad that you copied. But copy to speak the truth as well. #PakistanZindabad https://t.co/lVPgRbcynQ — Asif Ghafoor (@peaceforchange) April 14, 2019 Ironically, Singh was in news in the past for calling the old-city area in Hyderabad as Pakistan. The BJP MLA has so far failed to delete his tweet. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	14th April 2019 / 11:20 pm / Last updated: 14th April 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mla-raja-singh-plagiarises-pakistan-army-song-dedicates-it-to-indian-army/", "author": "Alt News Desk" }
415	BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma's slip of tongue, said "Kashmir se Kanyakumari tak Pakistan ka naam-o-nishaan ho" - Alt News Pratik Sinha 25th February 2017 / 5:12 pm In a slip of tongue, BJP MLA from Madhya Pradesh Rameshwar Sharma while attending a function in Sant Hirdaram Nagar in Bhopal on the occassion of Shivratri ended up speaking in favour of Pakistan. He said, “Ek din aisa ho ki Kashmir se leke Kanyakumari tak, Atak se leke Katak tak Pakistan ka namo-o-nishaan ho” (From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Atak to Cuttack, may Pakistan’s name be known all over). BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma in a slip of tongue said: Ek din aisa ho ki Kashmir se leke Kanyakumari tak, Atak se leke Katak tak Pakistan ka namo nishan ho. Posted by Alt News on Saturday, February 25, 2017 Coincidentally, it was the same MLA who just a week ago made some disgusting remarks vis-a-vis farmers who have committed suicide in the recent past. He claimed that those farmers who committed suicide were in reality subsidy lickers. BJP Madhya Pradesh MLA Rameshwar Sharma says 'Mare vo kisaan hain jo kisaan kum aur subsidy chaatne ka vyapaar zyada karte hain' pic.twitter.com/XdghFAUSK6 — ANI (@ANI_news) February 17, 2017 Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	25th February 2017 / 5:12 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mla-rameshwar-sharmas-slip-tongue-said-kashmir-se-kanyakumari-tak-pakistan-ka-naam-o-nishaan-ho/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
416	BJP MLA Vijender Gupta tweets photoshopped image of Arvind Kejriwal's campaign poster - Alt News Jignesh Patel 11th March 2019 / 1:33 pm / Last updated: 11th March 2019 AAP नेता केजरीवाल इतने बौखलाये हुये है कि झा को वोट देने की अपील कर रहे है !” On March 9, BJP MLA Vijender Gupta tweeted an image of Aam Aadmi Party’s campaign poster suggesting that Arvind Kejriwal is ‘so panic-stricken’ that he even made an embarassing mistake in the poster. The attached image contained an abusive word which was highlighted by Gupta in his tweet. AAP नेता केजरीवाल इतने बौखलाये हुये है कि झाटू को वोट देने की अपील कर रहे है ! pic.twitter.com/QcQ4ao7Llc — Vijender Gupta (@Gupta_vijender) March 9, 2019 Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana also tweeted the same image taking a dig at the AAP chief by addressing him with the abusive word and asking if everyone knew what it meant. एक बात बिलकुल ठीक कही @ArvindKejriwal जी आप झाटू ही हो । वो अलग बात है वोट नहीं मिलेगा आपको । वैसे मित्रों आप सब लोगों को झाटू का मतलब पता है ना ? केजरीवाल जी आपको भी ?? pic.twitter.com/WcIec1co30 — Harish Khurana (@HarishKhuranna) March 9, 2019 This image, circulating at least since March 5, has now gone viral on Twitter. Few others on Facebook have also shared the image in a similar manner mocking the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for what appeared to be a spelling mistake in the poster. Alt News found that the photograph viral on social media is photoshopped. On March 5, an individual user quote-tweeted, a tweet by @squintneon, who had posted the original picture of the same poster, sarcastically saying, “They misspelled *”. Sir… your plan is to defeat only & only Modi so its shouldn't matter who defeats it. you or congress Requesting you not to contest elections in Delhi so that anti BJP Vote won't split. pic.twitter.com/b6CMlKtgUo — Comrade Squinty (@squintneon) March 5, 2019 In the original poster, it was written, “झाड़ू (broom)”. Broom is an election symbol of the Aam Aadmi Party. Comparing the two images in the collage below, the difference between the photoshopped poster and the original poster with the same background can be clearly seen. Twitter users also challenged Vijender Gupta with a zoomed in version of the image which made it clear that the image he’d posted was a morphed one. Gupta uncle, aapne yeh photoshop khud kiya hai ya kisi BJP IT Cell ke worker ko kaam diya tha? Matlab Jhuth failane mein bhi ek number ke kaamchor ho aap log 😂 pic.twitter.com/E5P7rhtIQW — Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) March 9, 2019 With elections around the corner, it is not unusual to see a spike in circulation of photoshopped images and doctored videos targeting political opponents. In this case, BJP leaders tweeted a photoshopped image with an abusive word added to an AAP campaign poster to ridicule Arvind Kejriwal. Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	11th March 2019 / 1:33 pm / Last updated: 11th March 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mla-vijender-gupta-tweets-photoshopped-image-of-arvind-kejriwals-campaign-poster/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
417	BJP MP Arjun Singh shares video of bleeding Muslim men as Hindus attacked in West Bengal - Alt News Jignesh Patel 18th May 2020 / 7:44 pm / Last updated: 18th May 2020 Reports of clashes between two communities in Telinpara and Bhadreswar area of Hoogly district emerged on May 11. Soon after West Bengal BJP MP Arjun Singh posted a video which allegedly showed visuals of the communal violence. Posting the video, Singh targeted CM Mamta Banerjee and said, “कब तक हिन्दुओं का खून बहेगा दीदी? मजाक बनाकर रख दिया है आपने और आपकी राजनीति ने बंगाल में हिंदुओं का! (How long will the blood of Hindus continue to flow didi? You and your politics have made a joke of Hindus in Bengal -translated)”. Essentially, the message says that the video shows the suffering of Hindus in the Telinpara incident. The post has garnered more than 2,500 shares. At 40 seconds in the video, one can see a gory visual of a bloodied man. [The video has disturbing visuals. Alt News is not embedding it in the article.] Twitter handle @Saaho_sher posted the same video of the bloodied man and said, “Only Hindus are losing their blood in Bengal today.” The tweet has garnered more than 2,400 retweets so far. Two more individuals – Divyans Pathak and Vishwpratap Kumar – tweeted the video with the same narrative. Alt News found a Facebook post by a Kolkata based social activist Md Zim Nawaz which said that the man in the video actually hails from the Muslim community. His name is Manzoor Alam, a 38-year-old year Jute mill worker based in Bhadreswar locality. Alam lives with his family at a place granted to him in the 12th line of Jute Mill quarters. He hails from Bihar. গত দু’তিনদিন ধরে হুগলির চন্দননগরের তেলানিপাড়ায় সাম্প্রদায়িক উত্তেজনা তৈরি হয়েছে। এবিষয়ে বেশকিছু গুরুত্বপূর্ণ তথ্য হাতে… Posted by Md Zim Nawaz on Wednesday, 13 May 2020 Alt News contacted Nawaz who then put us in touch with Alam. He said, “I was sitting in my quarters with my family after opening Roza in the evening. A group of armed men came to my line, entered the spot [a ground near his house] where we were offering our namaz and started beating us up. First time when they tried to hit on my head with a sharp weapon like a knife, I put my hand in the way to stop them and got wounded. Then, I [eventually] got hit on the head. I am the person who is bleeding in the video. I was later taken to the hospital. I have multiple stitches in my hand and head.” Watching the video on his phone and simultaneously speaking to us on the phone, Alam identified several people in the clip. He said, “The man in the red undervest is ‘Insaaf’, and there is one more boy named Bholu. Both are my neighbours. My younger son Parvez Akhtar can also be spotted in the video.” In the image posted below, the person in the red garment is Insaaf. Alt News has accessed one more video of Manzoor Alam shot after the attack where his family tries to stop his wounds from bleeding, however, owing to the disturbing nature of the video, it has been withheld. In the image posted below, we have compared a frame from this video showing the profile face of Manzoor Alam with a recent image of him taken after he was discharged from the hospital. Furthermore, we spoke to the victim’s son and asked him to shoot a testimony identifying the people while watching the video. Jawed Akhtar, the eldest son of Manzoor Alam, is in Delhi away from his family. In the video posted below, he identifies his father and his neighbours while running the viral on another mobile. After pausing the video played in the mobile at a point, he can be heard saying, “These are [my] friends who are standing here. One is Imran who standing behind and the one in a red t-shirt, his name is Insaaf.” In conclusion, BJP MP Arjun Singh shared a video of a bloodied man after communal clashes in West Bengal and suggested that the person attacked belonged to the Hindu community. However, as it turned out, the video showed a member of the Muslim community who was allegedly attacked by a mob from other community. Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The CCTV footage of a man violently flinging a child on the ground has created… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… A minute-long video clip of a woman being physically assaulted is viral on social media….	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	18th May 2020 / 7:44 pm / Last updated: 18th May 2020	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mp-arjun-singh-shares-video-of-bleeding-muslim-men-as-hindus-attacked-in-west-bengal/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
418	BJP MP Kirron Kher posts fake photo of Indian army - Alt News Arjun Sidharth 18th December 2017 / 5:14 pm Nationalism has been a dominant theme in recent political discourse and a part of this narrative is the eulogisation of the military. The Indian army has stationed soldiers at the Siachen glacier, the highest and toughest battlefield in the world where the temperature plummets to as low as -40 to -50 degrees celsius. BJP MP Kirron Kher on December 17 tweeted this picture, which was apparently of Indian army soldiers in Siachen. The caption along with the photograph read “At Siachen Glacier. Temp -50*c. Respect and Salute to Indian Army“. pic.twitter.com/OIy8yH6hM7 — Kirron Kher (@KirronKherBJP) December 17, 2017 This picture has been viral on social media for a long time, and many popular pages on Facebook and a number of twitter handles have shared it widely A Huge Respect To Real Heroes.. (Y) Posted by Laughing Colours on Thursday, December 8, 2016 Contrary to what is believed however the photograph is not of the Indian Army and the place shown in the photo is not Siachen. The original photos are of Russian army soldiers and was first posted in 2013. The rumour busting website SMHoaxSlayer has debunked this claim that the picture is of Indian Army soldiers stationed at the glacier. This is not the first time that the nationalism card has been played by the ruling party. Earlier, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had played the soldier card to defend demonetisation in this tweet dated November 20, 2016 Soldiers are standing non-stop at 18,000 ft chilling -30°C, burning 50°C in deserts & jungles. Pls bear it for sometime to clean the dirts. pic.twitter.com/J3E2inscan — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) November 20, 2016 The sacrifice and valour of the Indian army is well established, and it is disappointing to see nationalism being fuelled on the basis of a misleading picture, and shared by no less than a representative of the ruling party in parliament. While many FB pages have shared this misleading photo to induce clicks and generate revenue, misguided nationalism has often been adopted by the establishment for strategic political positioning. Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming. Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	18th December 2017 / 5:14 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mp-kirron-kher-posts-fake-photo-indian-army/", "author": "Arjun Sidharth" }
419	BJP MP Manoj Tiwari insults a teacher in public for asking him to sing - Alt News Pratik Sinha 18th March 2017 / 7:03 pm / Last updated: 12th July 2018 In a video that is viral on social media, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari can be seen insulting a teacher in a public program in front of everyone when she requested him to sing a song. He forced her to get down from the stage while asking her if she even ‘knows how to speak to an MP’ and asked for an inquiry to be set up into the conduct of the teacher. The rough English translation is as follows: While not many adjectives are required to describe Manoj Tiwari’s despicable conduct, but what is also astounding is his hypocrisy. Here’s a man who sings at every given opportunity, from public rallies to private functions, and yet he has the audacity to insult a teacher because of a simple request to sing a song? Just a couple of months ago, a video of Manoj Tiwari went viral on social media with him boasting in front of other leaders of BJP as to how he came up with a song on the fly when he had visited an ATM and people were angry about standing in long lines. BJP leaders around him burst into laughter while Manoj Tiwari went onto explain how he shut up people by calling them “Desh Bhakt”. While BJP MP Manoj Tiwari mocks people standing in bank queues, other BJP leaders around him laugh out loud. Truly a spineless party. Posted by Pratik Sinha on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 In fact, Youtube is filled with videos of Manoj Tiwari singing at public functions and political rallies. Then why is that the BJP MP blew his top off when a teacher politely requested him to sing? Even if he did not wish to, why did he have to insult a teacher in front of her own students? Here are a few examples of Manoj Tiwari’s singing talent. After the video of Manoj Tiwari insulting the teacher went viral, there was a lot of outrage from all quarters including many supporters of BJP. Meanwhile, a teacher posted a video in protest of Manoj Tiwari’s behaviour, pledging that the teacher community will teach Manoj Tiwari a lesson. Will BJP take action against this repeatedly erring MP of theirs? Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	18th March 2017 / 7:03 pm / Last updated: 12th July 2018	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mp-manoj-tiwari-insults-teacher-public-asking-sing-bjp-mps-hypocrisy-astounding/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
420	Satirical statement on fuel price hike ascribed to Manoj Tiwari believed to be true - Alt News Anuradha Prasad 25th February 2021 / 12:39 pm A statement allegedly issued by Manoj Tiwari has been gathering a lot of traction on social media. It is being circulated as a screenshot of a tweet carrying the BJP MP’s photo with a Hindi caption that reads, “Petrol would cost Rs. 200 today had the Modi government not been in power: Manoj Tiwari, BJP leader.” The cost of petrol and diesel has skyrocketed off late, with petrol touching the Rs.100 per liter mark in some parts of the country. The BJP government has come under severe criticism for the hike in fuel prices. The Facebook post below racked up more than 360 shares and 3,000 reactions at the time of writing. Dozens of people posted the claim on Facebook. A Twitter user also shared the alleged statement. Alt News performed a keyword search on Twitter using the viral text, and a tweet by the handle ‘Dainik Khaskar’ was the first search result. The bio of this user reads, “100% Fake News. Parody. Tweets are only for fun.” This indicates that the handle only shares humorous and sarcastic posts. मोदी जी की सरकार नहीं होती तो पेट्रोल का दाम आज 200 रुपये होता : मनोज तिवारी, बीजेपी नेता pic.twitter.com/rjPTq3goIX — Dainik Khaskar (@DainikKhaskar) February 17, 2021 The viral tweet carries the time stamp – February 17, 11:41 AM – which is the same as the time stamp on the viral screenshot. A screenshot of Dainik Khaskar’s tweet was thus, made viral and many people believed it to be true. However, Manoj Tiwari has not issued any such statement on rising fuel prices. A journalist and a dilettante person who always strives to learn new skills and meeting new people. Either sketching or working. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	25th February 2021 / 12:39 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mp-manoj-tiwaris-fake-statement-viral-posted-by-satire-twitter-account/", "author": "Anuradha Prasad" }
421	BJP MP Paresh Rawal shares photoshopped tweet of Rahul Gandhi on fuel price rise - Alt News Pratik Sinha 25th May 2018 / 5:40 pm / Last updated: 10th July 2018 “Petrol has gone up to 80 rupees per kg, and the government has no concern about the public !!” BJP MP Paresh Rawal has posted a screenshot of a tweet on his Twitter timeline and it is being attributed to Congress President Rahul Gandhi. The per kg phrase is circled to stress on the fact that liquids are usually measured by volume and not by weight and Mr Gandhi quoting the price of the petrol in terms of kilograms shows his ignorance about the issue. Did the Congress President make such a faux pas? pic.twitter.com/wsziXbZmdK — Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) May 24, 2018 Firstly, this tweet doesn’t exist on the Congress President’s Twitter timeline. So, if he tweeted this, he could have deleted it, or this is a morphed tweet which Gandhi never tweeted. To figure out the authenticity of the tweet, we tried checking if the tweet has any abnormalities. We took a screenshot of Gandhi’s tweet on fuel price rise and compared it to the screenshot that is viral on social media. We added a red coloured guideline on the left-hand side of both the screenshots to check text-alignment. The screenshots can be seen below. In the first screenshot, it is visible that the display picture in the tweet, the text of the tweet and the timestamp at the bottom of the tweet are all perfectly aligned to the left along one straight line. However, in case of the screenshot put out by Paresh Rawal, there’s no alignment of the display picture and the text and the red guideline passes through the display picture. This shows that the tweet put out by Rawal is a morphed tweet. The alignment of text, time and display picture can also been seen in the tweet below of PM Modi. It is clear that Rawal has fallen for a morphed tweet that was viral on social media. This is not the first time Rawal has circulated false information via his Twitter account. Recently, Alt News looked into certain quotes praising PM Modi that Rawal had circulated on social media. Alt News wrote to all the people who have been quoted in the above image. Oxford VC Louise Rirchardson and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim both confirmed that they had never used the words shown in the screenshot above. While we are still awaiting a response from Bill Gates, the text of the tweet shown above attributed to Gates wasn’t reported by any news media. In May 2017, actor and Rawal courted controversy by suggesting the Indian Army should tie Arundhati Roy to a jeep, in a reference to the incident wherein a Kashmiri protester had been tied to the front of an army jeep as a ‘human shield’ to avoid stone-pelting by Kashmiri citizens. Rawal had claimed that his tweet was in response to reports carried in the Pakistani media that Roy had criticised the Indian Army. Later, it turned out that these reports were untrue. Rawal had later deleted the tweet but remained unapologetic. His tweet attributing a fake quote to Arundhati Roy still exists on his timeline. 70 lakh Indian army can’t defeat azadi gang of Kashmir – Arundhati Roy .Her birth certi in fact is a regret letter from maternity ward . — Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) May 17, 2017 In the aftermath of Gauri Lankesh’s murder, Rawal had also claimed on Twitter that Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan who was martyred during the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks was not given a 21 gun salute. Maj Sandip Unnikrishnan who martyred in Mumbai Taj attack was from Banglore, was not given 21 gun salute by the state ! — Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) September 10, 2017 However, it was reported by multiple news media outlets that Major Unnikrishnan was cremated with a 21-gun salute in Bengaluru in November 2008. When caught, he claimed that he was being sarcastic. Sorry the Word NOT was written by mistake in Maj Sandip’s tweet . So pardon the mistake n get the sarcasm ! — Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) September 10, 2017 When a Member of Parliament routinely broadcasts misinformation to his 2.4 million followers on Twitter, then that is a matter of much concern. In case of Mr Rawal, he also remains defiant and unapologetic when his mistakes are pointed out. We are not sure if his own credibility matters to him, but he should do well to remember the he’s a representative of the people and is expected to act in a more rational and dignified manner. Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker. Follow @free_thinker Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	25th May 2018 / 5:40 pm / Last updated: 10th July 2018	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mp-paresh-rawal-shares-photoshopped-tweet-of-rahul-gandhi-on-fuel-price-rise/", "author": "Pratik Sinha" }
422	BJP MP Paresh Rawal tweets previously debunked fake newspaper clipping - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 18th April 2019 / 2:04 pm BJP MP and actor Paresh Rawal retweeted a purported newspaper clipping (archive) according to which an Indian politician was arrested in Boston airport for possession of drugs. The politician was a son for a former prime minister, claimed the alleged clipping dated ‘September 30, 2001’. At the time of writing this report, Rawal tweet was liked over 3,000 times and retweeted more than 1,300 times. Well I know and all should know ! https://t.co/Q1intlelge — Chowkidar Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) April 18, 2019 The newspaper clipping shared by Rawal is fake and was debunked by Alt News on April 17 when RBI director S Gurumurthy tweeted it. The clipping was created on a website fodey.com that gives one an option to write a story, give it a headline, name the newspaper and change the date. The video below shows how a newspaper clipping can be generated on the website. The dissemination of such misinformation, which has been proved false multiple times, is meant to wrongly shape the public opinion. Social media users should remain wary of accounts that frequently share misleading posts. BJP MP Paresh Rawal has been found circulating misinformation numerous times in the past – false statistics to show Modi govt better at combating terror in J&K, photoshopped tweet of Rahul Gandhi on fuel price rise. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	18th April 2019 / 2:04 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mp-paresh-rawal-tweets-previously-debunked-fake-newspaper-clipping/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
423	BJP MP Pratap Simha falls for Twitter account impersonating Saif Ali Khan's daughter - Alt News Sam Jawed 19th December 2017 / 7:21 pm “See the level of understanding actor Saif Ali Khan’s daughter is showing, which is lacking in grey haired and bald-headed journos n political pundits” tweeted BJP MP Pratap Simha after the announcement of Gujarat election results. He was quoting a tweet from an unverified handle cheering Narendra Modi and mocking Rahul Gandhi. A red-faced Simha had to quietly delete his tweet when it turned out that the only questionable level of understanding was his own. In his excitement about Gujarat results, he had fallen for a well-known fake account. The Twitter handle @SaraKhanWorld that claims to be “an official Twitter page of actress Sara Ali Khan, daughter of Saif Ali Khan & Amrita Singh” is known for its bigoted, pro-BJP, nationalistic tweets since it was created in June 2017. The account has 15000 followers. It has only 33 tweets because it regularly deletes old tweets. Even as we were writing this article the mastermind behind this account has changed the profile to that of Rani Mukherjee @StarRaniMukherjee. Only the very naïve would believe that the hateful messages coming out from this account are those of Saif Ali Khan’s daughter, a young girl waiting to make her Bollywood debut. Here is sample of tweets from this account Instant #TripleTalaq would be a criminal offence in India except for in state of J&K, so dear Muslims if you want to divorce your wives you know where to take them for vacations. Law can change a human behaviour, but it can’t change the mind of animals and MUSLIMS! (Link) जिन लोगों को तुलसी के पेड़ के नीचे दीपक लगाना अंधविश्वास लगता है, यही समझदार लोग 25 दिसंबर को प्लास्टिक के पेड़ के नीचे मोमबत्तियां लगाएंगे और अपने आपको पढ़ा-लिखा, साइंटिफिक, और ईश्वर के करीब साबित करने की कोशिश करेंगे! और अब डरपोक लोग RETWEET भी नहीं करेंगे (Link) सुभाष चंद्र बोस के आह्वान पर जिस देश के लोग अपने तन के कपड़े और तिजोरी के जेवर दान कर सकते हैं, वो लोग जीएसटी और नोटबंदी की थोड़ी सी असुविधा के कारण बदनीयत कांग्रेस को वोट दे देंगे… ऐसे कोई पप्पू ही सोच सकता है (Link) Here is an old tweet from this handle: It was also caught sharing an image of refugees in Europe as Bangla refugees in West Bengal Fake handle impersonating as Saif A Khan's daughter @SaraKhanWorld sharing old image from German Refugees crisis as Bangla refugees in WB pic.twitter.com/wEPIsKErRt — Irony Of India (@IronyOfIndia_) July 7, 2017 In June this year, BoomLive had analysed the tweets of this account to show how this fake account “almost always tweets in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian army and is vocal against liberals, Islam and opposition parties such as Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).” Many of those tweets are now deleted. BoomLive had also contacted Sara Ali Khan’s mother, Amrita Singh, who confirmed that her daughter was not on Twitter. The account was only a few weeks old then and had 5000 followers. Today six months later, the account is still active in spreading venom on social media. Its follower count has grown three times and its reach has widened with even a BJP MP sharing its tweet. It is unclear why Twitter has not yet acted against this account that is clearly impersonating celebrities and their kids. Nobody's cheerleader, I tweet at @samjawed65 Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	19th December 2017 / 7:21 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mp-pratap-simha-falls-twitter-account-impersonating-saif-ali-khans-daughter/", "author": "Sam Jawed" }
424	BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri did not 'abuse' farmers but used derogatory language - Alt News Priyanka Jha 25th December 2020 / 12:18 pm On December 22, News24 tweeted a video reporting that BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri hurled expletives at protesting farmers. In the video, Bidhuri is heard saying, “There are 80 crore farmers in the country, and how many are sitting at the border? 500 in one place, 250 in another, and a group of 1500 somewhere else. So with this funding from Canada and Pakistan, the [bleep] — which every village has five to seven of — these [bleep] are the ones protesting.” (archived link) BJP सांसद रमेश बिधूड़ी ने आंदोलनकारी किसानों को दी गाली, कहा- पाकिस्तान और कनाडा से आ रहा है पैसा….#किसान_आंदोलन #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/L4VOOAsLE2 — News24 (@news24tvchannel) December 22, 2020 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also promoted the same claim on Twitter. जिस किसान ने खुद भूखे रहकर देश को खाना खिलाया, उसी किसान को भाजपा के सांसद ने गाली दी। आखिर भाजपा ने अपनी औकात दिखा ही दी। pic.twitter.com/EnVfo3Svoy — AAP (@AamAadmiParty) December 22, 2020 AAP member Amit Mishra tweeted the clip expressing concern over farmers being disrespected. He asked whether the police would take action against the MP. (archived link) भाजपा के सांसद ने किसानों और पंजाबियों को दिया गाली। ‘मुफ्त में खाने को मिल रहा है, पीने को पानी मिल रहा है, सोने के लिए रजाई मिल रहा है… “वह जो किसान बॉर्डर पर आंदोलन कर रहे हैं सब के सब भड़वे हैं” बीजेपी के सांसद रमेश बिधूड़ी क्या सांसद जी के खिलाफ पुलिस कार्रवाई करेगी.? pic.twitter.com/sFhzv0rg6A — Amit Mishra (@Amitjanhit) December 22, 2020 Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajiv Rai’s tweet sharing the clip received more than one lakh views. (archived link) आंदोलन कर रहे किसान भड़वे हैं: भाजपा सांसद तुम्हारी भाषा ने साबित कर दिया की तुम क्या हो और तुम्हारे नेता क्या है 😡 #FarmersProtests ⁦@BJP4India⁩ ⁦@aajtak⁩ ⁦@ndtvindia⁩ ⁦@brajeshlive⁩ ⁦@sakshijoshii⁩ pic.twitter.com/wJZk8xHWVo — Rajeev Rai (@RajeevRai) December 22, 2020 Alt News found a 17-minute video on BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s Facebook page posted on December 21. Its description says, “The political manifestos of opposition parties protesting the [farm] bill contain these same agriculture reform laws. They are wrongly claiming that the Modi government came up with them.” The last part of the clip, specifically after the 16:20 mark, is the portion that contains the purported derogatory comment directed at the farmers — “There aren’t 4,000 farmers in the country, but 80 crore. How many farmers are there? 80 crore. And how many are sitting at the borders protesting? Somewhere 500, somewhere 250 and half a thousand. So with money coming from Canada and Pakistan, a handful of loafers from every village is here because they are getting hot food, clean water, and good quality blankets for free with calls to remove Modi from power. That’s why those people are sitting out there, brothers and sisters.” In this section, the word ‘thalua’ (loafer/ someone who has time to waste) has been deemed abusive. However, in the same video, 16 minutes prior to this portion, Bidhuri says, “We must resolve to tell farmers that 4,000 -5,000 middlemen are threatening to block Delhi. They are aiming their guns on the shoulders of farmers. There are 80 crore farmers in the country, not 4,000.” While Bidhuri did not abuse the farmers, he used derogatory language against them. Lakhs of farmers agitating against the centre’s farm legislation were termed ‘cheaters’ by the BJP MP. Moreover, he kept stressing on the number 4,000 even as the number of people protesting at Singhu border is several times higher. जो विपक्षी दल आज बिल का विरोध कर रहे हैं उनके अगर पिछले चुनाव के घोषणा पत्र उठा लिए जाएं तो उनमें इन्हीं सुधार कानूनों का जिक्र मिलेगा, वो केवल घोषणा करते थे मोदी सरकार ने यह कर दिखाया \| कालकाजी विधानसभा में यात्रा समाप्ति के दौरान सम्बोधन करते हुए।#ModiWithFarmers Posted by Ramesh Bidhuri on Monday, December 21, 2020 Multiple other leaders of the BJP, including Priti Gandhi and Puneet Aggarwal, have tried to push a similar narrative to discredit the protest. They falsely claimed that farmers at the border were waving Pakistani flags and raising pro-Khalistan slogans. In conclusion, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri did not hurl expletives at protesting farmers. But he did term them ‘loafers’ suggesting that the protesters have nothing better to do and have gathered in the national capital for ‘freebies’. He also branded them as ‘middlemen’ funded by Pakistan to topple the Narendra Modi government. She specializes in information verification, examining mis/disinformation, social media monitoring and platform accountability. Her aim is to make the internet a safer place and enable people to become informed social media users. She has been a part of Alt News since 2018. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	25th December 2020 / 12:18 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mp-ramesh-bidhuri-did-not-abuse-farmers-but-he-used-offensive-word-for-them/", "author": "Priyanka Jha" }
425	BJP MP Rameshbhai Dhaduk shares image from New Zealand as renovated freeway in Gujarat - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 30th September 2021 / 7:03 pm BJP MP Rameshbhai Dhaduk, representing Porbandar Lok Sabha constituency of Gujarat, tweeted an infographic on September 30. The infographic carried a picture of a freeway illuminated with street lights. “As it was dark on the road near National Highway-2, Umvada Chokdi, Ramanath Dham Gondal, a proposal was made to the National Highway Authority to erect a high mast tower. Thank you very much National Highway Authority for starting the operations,” he wrote. He shared the same infographic on Facebook as well. Alt News cropped the image of the freeway from the infographic and performed a reverse-image search. This led us to the original picture on Getty Images. “View of Auckland city with empty freeway at night,” reads its description. Below is a comparison of the freeway on Rameshbhai Dhaduk’s infographic with the one on Getty Images. They are evidently the same. The freeway has been marked in red in Dhaduk’s tweet. There are also other photos of the freeway in New Zealand on Getty Images. Former Ahmedabad mayor Bijal Patel had earlier shared an image from Seoul as Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	30th September 2021 / 7:03 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mp-rameshbhai-dhaduk-shares-image-from-new-zealand-as-renovated-freeway-in-gujarat/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
426	BJP MP terms death of 19 year old in Belagavi as murder by cow smugglers; Post-mortem confirms suicide - Alt News Arjun Sidharth 27th May 2019 / 10:31 pm / Last updated: 28th May 2019 “Shivu Uppar, a 19Yr old boy was murdered &hanged in Bagewadi Bus stand in Belagavi. He was hacked to death just for protecting cows from the cow smugglers, that was the only mistake he did. I demand CM to deal this sternly & arrest the culprits.” The above message has been tweeted by BJP MP from Karnataka, Shobha Karandlaje, along with disturbing images of a young boy hanging from his neck. Karandlaje’s tweet has been retweeted over 2000 times since it was posted on May 26. It has now been deleted. Several individual users have shared this message on Twitter, that Shivu Uppar was hacked to death because he was protecting cows from cow smugglers, in effect giving a communal turn to the incident. The tweet below, posted by a user has been retweeted over 2000 times so far. 19 year old young Gau Rakshak Shivu Uppar ( Karnataka)was hacked to death and hanged in bhagewadi bus stand his only crime was to prevent cattle robbery by cattle smugglers we will not sit quite until action will be not taken..@Tejasvi_Surya pic.twitter.com/GH2YUAjrnV — Meera Singh (@meeraremi11) May 26, 2019 The message has also been shared on Facebook by a page Justice For Hindus. The fake news website Dainik Bharat has also published an article stating that Uppar was killed by cow smugglers. The claim that 19 year old Shivu Uppar was murdered by cow smugglers is false. This has been confirmed by Commissioner of Police, Belgaum. In a conversation with Alt News, B S Lokesh Kumar, Commissioner of Police, Belagavi (Belgaum) said, “It is a case of suicide. We have received the post mortem report. It clearly says ‘suicide by hanging”. Moreover there are no injury marks on the body of the deceased, according to the report“. He added, “The deceased had a quarrel with his family. The family members have given a complaint saying the boy committed suicide. Unnecessarily, people are spreading false news for which SP Belgavi has taken action.” Alt News also spoke to Sudheer Kumar Reddy, SP Belgaum, who confirmed that two persons have been arrested on the charge of spreading fake news that the youth was killed by cow smugglers. The same has been reported by News18. 19 year old Shivu Uppar, according to the post-mortem report, had committed suicide. The BJP MP from Karnataka had earlier indulged in misinformation when the death of a youngster in December 2017 had been falsely portrayed as ‘murder by jihadi elements’. Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming. Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	27th May 2019 / 10:31 pm / Last updated: 28th May 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-mp-terms-death-of-19-year-old-in-belagavi-as-murder-by-cow-smugglers-post-mortem-confirms-suicide/", "author": "Arjun Sidharth" }
427	BJP or Congress sympathisers? Identifying the Trump supporters who raised Indian flag at Capitol Hill - Alt News Mohammed Zubair 9th January 2021 / 7:35 pm / Last updated: 9th January 2021 A video of an Indian flag raised prior to rioting by Donald Trump supporters at Capitol Hill sparked controversy in India after several mainstream media channels claimed that the man who waved the flag is a supporter of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. “I will show you how Shashi Tharoor fell in his own trap,” India TV chairman Rajat Sharma told his viewers in a January 8 broadcast. Sharma was referring to Tharoor’s tweet saying, “There are some Indians with the same mentality as that Trumpist mob, who enjoy using the flag as a weapon rather than a badge of pride…”. Exclusive: NRI who was holding Tricolour during Capitol Hill rampage is a Shashi Tharoor fan#AajKiBaat @RajatSharmaLive pic.twitter.com/UDXIratMh3 — India TV (@indiatvnews) January 8, 2021 While the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not find a mention in Tharoor’s statement, Sharma ironically said, “The person whose act was used to condemn Narendra Modi is a supporter of Shashi Tharoor. The man who raised the tricolour during the attack on the American Parliament is Vincent Xavier Palathingal…He is full of praises for Shashi Tharoor. He is seen having lunch with Shashi Tharoor in this picture from April 11, 2015. Our team dug out the entire biodata of Vincent…” Several other mainstream news channels claimed that that the man who raised the Indian flag isn’t a ‘bhakt’ but a supporter of the Congress MP. “The Left-Liberal cabal in India had linked Xavier to ‘Hindu-Bhakt’ groups with Tharoor saying there are some Indians with the same mentality as that Trumpist mob,” wrote Times Now. The Times of India published a fact-check report with uncanny choice of words, “One of the men who waved Indian flag at the Capitol Hill siege by pro-Trump mob on Wednesday, has been passed off as ‘bhakt’ (a pejorative term used by anti-Hindus to describe Hindus and those who support Prime Minister Narendra Modi) by a section of social media users.” The term “anti-Hindus” has now been removed. The ‘fact-check’ ironically referred to a tweet by @BefittingFacts as an “alert Twitter user”. This handle regularly shares misinformation and has been featured in several Alt News stories. Here is the one trump supporter who was carrying Indian Flag at pro trump protest in Capitol. pic.twitter.com/GMY20wA7Og — Via Getty (@BefittingFacts) January 7, 2021 Journalist Ashish Singh and Vikas Saraswat too tweeted about the purported association of Xavier and Tharoor. NDTV published a story listing tweets questioning Tharoor however the organisation did not attempt to investigate details apart from those widespread on social media. Pro-BJP propaganda website OpIndia was also quick to jump on the bandwagon. Unfortunately for liberals, the person carrying the Indian Flag was neither a ‘Hindu Supremacist’ nor a supporter of Narendra Modi. He was Vincent Xavier and he is a huge fan of senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. Welphttps://t.co/H4XnRds1kO — OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) January 9, 2021 Media organisations that reported on Vincent Xavier’s purported ‘support’ to Shashi Tharoor based their inference on his social media posts. While the man has criticised several policies of PM Modi, he was also found appreciating the Prime Minister at times. Vincent Xavier is a member of the Republican Party in Virginia. In an interview to India Today, he said, “I have no real close relationship for that matter with any politician in India. I have been living in this country [US] for 28 years. I have always been interested in American community activities. So whenever political leaders come, I have done many events for them in my house. I had celebrated an event with Shashi Tharoor, did an interview with him. That’s the photo you’re seeing. I don’t know if he even remembers me.” “I am not really a Congress politician or whatever. I am a supporter of whoever [is] a good leader in India. I own a very market-oriented capitalist philosophy so I am not really a big fan of whatever the socialists do. So associating me with Shashi Tharoor as a close guy by Varun Gandhi is unfortunate. As far as I am concerned, when it comes to the policies of the government, I like the policies of the BJP government because they are more business-friendly. Even though I have disagreed with some of their ideals. So I am politically speaking, ideologically speaking, more connected with the BJP than Congress. I have no close association with Shashi Tharoor,” he further said. This part of his speech can be watched around 4:30 minutes in the broadcast below. BJP’s Varun Gandhi has accused Congress’s Shashi Tharoor of having links with @VincentPXavier, the man who raised the Indian flag at the US #CapitolHill riots. Xavier speaks to India Today’s @nabilajamal_ on the intention behind the act. Listen in. #ITVideo pic.twitter.com/Q1KW20iswV — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) January 8, 2021 Apart from Shashi Tharoor, Xavier also has a picture with BJP MPs Poonam Mahajan and Meenakshi Lekhi. In a September 2018 Facebook post, Xavier described how he was connected to the RSS in his childhood. Wow… It was “Mudras” at the exit door of arrivals in the morning and now “Soorya Namaskar” at the entry to the… Posted by Vincent Xavier on Wednesday, 5 September 2018 While the focus of most stories was Vincent Xavier, there were other people in the group raising the Indian flag. Among them was Virat Hindustan Sangam (VHS) member Krishna Gudipati who is associated with the Republican Party. This was first revealed by Twitter user @drunkjournalist. He is the man in the red jacket in the video below which was shared by Xavier and later taken down. Gudipati was spotted in several pictures with Xavier at Capitol Hill. These pictures too were shared by Xavier and later deleted. He was seen spotted in the same red jacket in a 2018 interview to ANI. His now-deleted LinkedIn profile picture matches his facial features in another interview given to ANI in 2017 about the ‘Howdy Modi’ event. Sanskrit speaking guy is Krishna Gudipati, director of American Friends of Balochistan @narendramodi @sushmaswaraj @BBugti https://t.co/QPthgnKCCR — Ahmar Mustikhan (@mustikhan) June 25, 2017 He was seen in a picture uploaded by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2018. Mainstream media outlets, therefore, attempted to brand the group raising the Indian flag during rioting by pro-Trump supporters at Capitol Hill as Congress supporters. However, both Vincent Xavier and Krishna Gudipati are pro-Trump and politically inclined towards the BJP. Co-founder, Alt News Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via Twitter at https://twitter.com/zoo_bear Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	9th January 2021 / 7:35 pm / Last updated: 9th January 2021	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-or-congress-sympathisers-identifying-the-trump-supporters-who-raised-indian-flag-at-capitol-hill/", "author": "Mohammed Zubair" }
428	Video of woman thrashing BJP councillor placed out of context on social media - Alt News Kinjal 30th August 2021 / 9:12 pm In the first week of August, a video of a woman beating up a cab driver in the middle of the road in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh had gained prominence. Both the cab driver and the woman filed complaints. The woman alleged that she was being harassed by commuters and was scared for her safety. The video of the incident, which shows the woman mercilessly slapping the driver who does not retaliate, sparked massive outrage. People demanded the woman’s arrest on social media. Against this backdrop, a video of another incident where a woman in a sari is beating a man with a stick was shared. In the second half of the video, the man retaliates and thrashes the woman. The accompanying message states that not every man is like the Lucknow cab driver. सब लखनऊ के ड्राइवर की तरह नहीं होते।।।मैडम को कौन बताए😂😂 pic.twitter.com/xDrO2CMwlY — Sintu Tiwari🇮🇳 💯🚩% FB (@Tiwari_Sintu999) August 26, 2021 सब लखनऊ के ड्राइवर की तरह नहीं होते।।। मैडम को कौन बताए😃😀 pic.twitter.com/lk2NqdA5zt — Nainika🇮🇳❤❤💖💕 (@saffronncloud) August 26, 2021 The video is widespread on Facebook and Twitter. Replying to a viral tweet, Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair tweeted a newspaper clipping from Dainik Bhaskar dated August 24. The report states that in the Simga area of Chhattisgarh’s Baloda Bazar, a BJP councillor had attempted to coerce a woman into having a physical relationship with him. Angered by his advances, the woman had thrashed the politician. 👇 https://t.co/V86mf1T8MG pic.twitter.com/hFcGZ4N1z7 — Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) August 27, 2021 According to Navbharat Times, BJP councillor Suryakant Tamrakar offered to have sex with his friend’s wife. A few weeks before the incident depicted in the viral video, Tamrakar had come to his friend’s house and asked his wife to enter into a physical relationship with him. Enraged, the woman beat up the BJP councillor with slippers. She also reprimanded her husband who was asking her to stop. छत्तीसगढ़ बलौदाबाजार जिले के सिमगा में एक महिला को @BJP4CGState भाजपा पार्षद सूर्यकांत ताम्रकार सेक्स करने का ऑफर देता था, कहता था देवर भाभी में चलता है। महिला ने अपने पति और पार्षद दोनों की पिटाई कर दी और कहा महिला को कमजोर मत समझना@BJP4CGState क्या ऐसे पार्षद को संरक्षण देगी pic.twitter.com/o83utyI0T5 — Devesh Tiwari (@Deveshtiwari_) August 23, 2021 A few days later, Tamrakar began harassing her via text messages. She went to his shop and beat him and his friend up with a stick. The men retaliated by mercilessly thrashing the woman. Simga police was notified about this whole incident soon after. The woman had filed a complaint against the BJP councillor and his friend. The police arrested his friend while Tamrakar is reportedly absconding. The incident was reported by Patrika, Amar Ujala and Dainik Bhaskar. Alt News reached out to the SHO of Simga police station for more information. He told us that BJP councillor Suryakant Tamrakar had harassed the woman while soliciting a physical relationship. The woman had earlier beaten him up in her house. When the video of this scuffle went viral on social media, she visited his shop and thrashed the councillor once again. But this time, he retaliated. A complaint was registered following which Tamrakar’s friend was arrested. Tamrakar is still at large. A video of a woman who beat up a BJP councillor for making sexual advances at her was shared out of context. Social media claims hailed the councillor who thrashed the woman in retaliation while making references to the ‘Lucknow cab driver’. Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization. Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about… Trigger Warning: The following story contains graphic imagery. Several users have shared images of the… The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the… A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers… The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	30th August 2021 / 9:12 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-parshad-offered-sex-to-friends-wife-and-beaten-her-video-viral/", "author": "Kinjal" }
429	BJP Rajasthan uses image of Poland motorway to announce new National Highway in Rajasthan - Alt News Pooja Chaudhuri 29th January 2019 / 6:44 pm / Last updated: 12th February 2019 Union road transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari laid foundations for National Highway projects in Rajasthan on January 28. BJP uploaded posters from its official social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter) to highlight the occasion where Gadkari was to lay the foundation stone for two-lane paved shoulder road across Bikaner. The image was uploaded with the caption – “सड़क परिवहन और राजमार्ग मंत्री श्री Nitin Gadkari जी 860.26 करोड़ रुपये की लागत से 162.46 किलोमीटर का बीकानेर में रायसिंह नगर, अनूपगढ़, घड़साना, सत्तासर, पूगल खंड का दो लेन मय पेव्ड शोल्डर का शिलान्यास करेंगे। (Road transport and national highway minister Nitin Gadkari ji will lay the foundation stone for 162.46 kms of two-lane paved shoulder at a cost of Rs 860.26 crore in Bikaner in Raisinghnagar, Anupgarh, Gharsana, Sattasar, pugalkhand.)” BJP Rajasthan president Madan Lal Saini also tweeted the same photograph with the identical caption. The photograph used by BJP Rajasthan to announce the construction of new roads in Bikaner is actually Poland’s A2 motorway. Alt News had debunked this image when BJP used it in 2015 to showcase Modi government’s reform measures. Reverse-searching the image on Google gives the result ‘kampala jinja expressway map’ and throws up a bunch of articles claiming that the road is an artistic impression of the Ugandese highway. The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party had also used the photograph in 2015. When #Poland in 2003 stole #Uganda‘s 2017 “detailed, completed” Kampala–Jinja Express Highway designs pic.twitter.com/kbqApG9OUo — The Observer (@observerug) December 30, 2015 The party later apologised for using misleading imagery. Dear friends, we apologize for the misleading image used while sharing the #steadyprogress on the Kampala-Jinja Express Highway earlier. — NRM Party (@NRMOnline) December 29, 2015 In 2017, the image was also used to claim that it depicts plans for road construction in Somalia. #Qatar government will construct Two main roads from #Mogadishu to #Afgoye & From #Mogadishu to #Jowhar This is the plan for that roads. pic.twitter.com/XXLq62eWUB — Mogadishu Update (@Mogadishuupdate) December 2, 2017 A photograph of a highway in Poland was used by BJP, on at least two occasions, to showcase Indian roads. Update: The word ‘शिलान्यास’ was translated in this article as ‘inauguration.’ However, it means ‘foundation stone’ in the context of this report. The article has been accordingly updated. Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	29th January 2019 / 6:44 pm / Last updated: 12th February 2019	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-rajasthan-tweets-image-of-poland-motorway-as-newly-constructed-national-highway-in-rajasthan/", "author": "Pooja Chaudhuri" }
430	BJP rally in Kolkata? No, this is a digitally generated crowd - Alt News Jignesh Patel 19th April 2019 / 6:26 pm “This is not sand in front of the two bald heads. it is human crowd at the BJP Kolkata rally. Yesterday was an unusual day in Kolkata. Modi ji was in town! Mamta B was not! On the vast Brigade Ground was a massive crowd of 10+ lakh Karyakartas(figure given by the Kolkata Police)”, reads a message posted along with an image purportedly of a rally that was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata. Modi visited Kolkata for an election campaign rally on April 3. Several other individuals on Facebook and Twitter have claimed that this was the scene at the recent Modi-Shah rally in Kolkata. Alt News had debunked this morphed image earlier when it was shared as that of a “tsunami of supporters” in a Modi-Shah rally. Alt News was able to trace back the image to December 2017 when PM Modi and Amit Shah were sharing dais in Shimla. The event was the swearing-in ceremony of Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur. PM Shri @narendramodi at the swearing-in ceremony of the Council of Ministers of the Himachal Pradesh Government in Shimla. pic.twitter.com/6vdGNfHOm4 — BJP LIVE (@BJPLive) December 27, 2017 The attire donned by the BJP president also matches with other images of the same event posted by News agency ANI. Shimla: Virender Kanwar and Vikram Singh take oath as cabinet ministers of Himachal Pradesh government pic.twitter.com/Dgbqg012XV — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 In the comparison below, the photoshopped image is placed alongside the original image. Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	19th April 2019 / 6:26 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-rally-in-kolkata-no-this-is-a-digitally-generated-crowd/", "author": "Jignesh Patel" }
431	BJP and Science: From Ganesha's plastic surgery to 'Yoga can cure cancer' - Alt News Arjun Sidharth 9th February 2018 / 5:05 pm / Last updated: 9th February 2018 “Some people wear rings of particular gemstones for improving luck and life. But if you wear a wrong (‘manik’) gemstone then it causes trouble. So Tripura had a wrong Manik (CM), time to take it off and wear a HIRA (diamond). H-Highways, I-Iways, R-Railways, A-Airways”, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Agartala on February 8. Some people wear rings of particular gemstones for improving luck & life. But if u wear a wrong (manik) gemstone then it causes trouble. So Tripura had a wrong Manik (CM),time to take it off & wear a HIRA=diamond- H-Highway, I=Iways R=Roads A=Airways: PM Modi in Sonamura, Tripura pic.twitter.com/BF3sEeJi6D — Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) February 8, 2018 Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s love for acronyms is well known, but less discussed is his penchant for often alluding to the mythological and the obscure. This latest assertion that gemstones bring good fortune has little basis in science. In fact, not just PM Modi but many prominent members of his party who hold significant positions have made a slew of statements seeking to emphasise the supremacy of ancient India in the realm of science and technology. In doing so, they have made statements ranging from plain inaccurate to downright bizarre. Alt News has put together a compilation of all such statements and tweets that have emanated from the political establishment. 1. Lord Ganesha’s elephant head must have been due to plastic surgery Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, while referring to Hindu mythology had said that he believes that Lord Ganesha was the first ever example of plastic surgery. PM Modi has repeated this assertion more than once. Apart from the instance posted above, he also referred to it when he addressed a gathering of medical professionals in Mumbai in October 2014. 2. Karna was born due to genetic engineering Karna, a character of the epic ‘Mahabharata’ was born due to genetic engineering, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Those who have read or heard the Mahabharata, I would like to draw their attention to the epic. And according to my modest understanding, I believe that Karna’s birth was due to stem cell technology, due to science”(translated), said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 3. Darwin was wrong, no one saw ape turning into man Minister of State for HRD Satyapal Singh caused an uproar and much amusement by asserting that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is scientifically wrong because no one saw an ape turning into a man. Singh’s statement was splashed across the world and was much ridiculed. The minister however did not see the contradiction between his statement and his later assertion that he is a man of science. He stuck to his statement. 4. “Teach IIT students about Pushpak Viman” MoS HRD Satyapal Singh, before he made the infamous Darwin comment, had in September 2017 said that students in premier engineering institutes like IITs must be taught about ancient Indian discoveries and inventions such as Pushpak Viman, which is mentioned in the Ramayana. Singh had also said that before the Wright brothers supposedly invented the aeroplane, an Indian named Shivakar Talpade had invented it eight years before the Wright brothers. “Why are students not taught that before the Wright brothers, an Indian called Shivakar Babuji Talpade was the first to invent the airplane. This person invented the plane eight years before the Wright brothers. Are our students taught these things in IITs or not? They should be”. The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru had published a study and concluded that most of the theories put forward by Vaimanika Shastra on the basis of which Talpade supposedly built the aircraft were unfeasible. 5. Yoga can cure cancer Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik in 2016 said that the practice of Yoga can cure major diseases including cancer. He added that the Government could come out with scientific evidence of it in a year. “It is a proven fact. We have visited the Bengaluru-based Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) institute, where many people told us they have been cured of cancer by regular practice of yoga. The institute has found a technique of yoga for the prevention and cure of cancer”, Naik had said. More than a year has elapsed but the Government or Naik are yet to come out with ‘evidence’ of the efficacy of Yoga in curing cancer. 6. India conducted nuclear test lakhs of years ago According to BJP MP from Hardwar and former Uttarakhand CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, India was never a stranger to nuclear technology. In fact, a sage had conducted a nuclear test lakhs of years ago. Participating in a debate in Lok Sabha, Nishank had reportedly said, “Today we are talking about nuclear tests. Lakhs of years ago, Sage Kanad had conducted a nuclear test. Our knowledge and science do not lack anything”. He had also defended PM Modi’s remark on Lord Ganesha and plastic surgery, saying “People are raising questions on Modiji’s comments on Ganesh’s surgery. It was actually a surgery. The science available to us is not available elsewhere in the world… science or knowledge to transplant a severed head existed only in India”. 7. Cow only animal which inhales and exhales oxygen Rajasthan Education and Panchayati Raj Minister Vasudev Devnani came up with an ingenious theory to explain the ‘scientific significance of the cow’. According to Devnani, cow is the only animal that inhales and exhales oxygen. He had also reportedly said that ailments like cold and cough can be healed by going near a cow. 8. Ancient India discovered law of gravity Devnani was guilty once again when he recently made a statement saying that Issac Newton had not discovered the law of gravity. It was in fact discovered by the Indian scientist Brahmagupta II one thousand years before Newton. “Three-four days ago, I was reading about who discovered the law of gravitation. It was mentioned that Newton did it. I have read it, you have too. But if you go deeper, you would know Brahmagupta II had given this law of gravitation 1000 years prior to that. Why don’t we connect that? The mechanism was developed later. Modern scientists have done it”, Devnani had reportedly said. 9. Yogic farming can help boost agriculture Union Minister of Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh had said that soil fertility can be boosted and ‘seeds can be empowered’ by adopting ‘yogic farming’. “The idea behind Yogic farming is to empower the seeds with the help of positive thinking. We should enhance the potency of seeds by rays of Parmatma Shakti”, Singh had said in September 2015. When asked if yogic farming is a scientific method, Singh said “We are supporting organic farming and, along with it, the idea of Rajyog. Such exercise is accepted by my ministry essentially to enhance Indian farmers’ confidence. Indian farmers have, over the years, lost confidence in the age-tested knowledge of farming”. 10. Diseases like cancer due to sins committed in last lives Assam Health Minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma that people suffered from life-threatening diseases such as cancer because of sins they had committed in previous births. Assam Health min #HimantaBiswaSarma says people suffer from life-threatening diseases such as cancer because of sins committed in past which he called “divine justice” — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 22, 2017 According to Sarma, the occurence of such diseases is ‘divine justice’ meted out to those who had sinned in their past life. Sarma later apologised for his comment but his clarification too was laced with reiteration of his belief in karma and reincarnation. The founding fathers of our nation envisaged a society and country based on rational principles through inculcation of scientific temper and thinking. Considering the statements that have emanated from prominent BJP members and office bearers time and again, it would seem that the objective of encouraging scientific and rational spirit is far from being realised. ‘To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform’ is one of the fundamental duties prescribed in the Constitution. The Government which is mandated to cultivate the spread of scientific culture is instead seemingly inclined in favour of the obscure, the superstitious and the pseudo-scientific. No less than the Prime Minister has given credence to this tendency, positing mythology as science and in the process, sacrificing it at the altar of politics. Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar… In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin… The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to… Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile… Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	9th February 2018 / 5:05 pm / Last updated: 9th February 2018	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-science-ganeshas-plastic-surgery-yoga-can-cure-cancer/", "author": "Arjun Sidharth" }
432	BJP shares old IMF data to make misleading claim about Indian GDP growth projection - Alt News Archit 28th August 2020 / 5:24 pm On August 22, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) tweeted an infographic listing the projected Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth percentages in 2020 of nine countries—India, China, United States, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, United Kingdom and Canada. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is cited as the source of the data. “While the world continues to grapple with economic bloodbath with major economies projected to register negative growth in the aftermath of #COVID pandemic, India will be a shining spot with positive growth in 2020. It will also retain its status of the fastest growing economy,” read the BJP’s tweet. This was retweeted over 2,500 times. While the world continues to grapple with economic bloodbath with major economies projected to register negative growth in the aftermath of #COVID pandemic, India will be a shining spot with positive growth in 2020. It will also retain its status of the fastest growing economy. pic.twitter.com/lELEbZaDl3 — BJP (@BJP4India) August 22, 2020 This infographic was also shared by BJP Nagaland, BJP Delhi and BJP Odisha. Several BJP MPs tweeted it as well—Manoj Rajoria, Subhash Bhamre, Rajesh Verma, Parshottam Sabariya, Nityanand Rai and Arjun Munda. BJP’s tweet raises two questions that this fact-check will answer. The short answer to both the questions is NO. The BJP had tweeted a similar infographic in April which compared IMF’s projection of GDP growth rates for 2020 and 2021. The tweet said, “Indian economy is strong enough to withstand the impact of #Corona pandemic. While most of major economies are staring at economic mayhem and severe recession with projections of negative growth in 2020, IMF projects a positive growth for India in 2020 and 7.4% in 2021.” The data for 2020 in both the April and August infographics is identical. Readers should note that the IMF releases World Economic Outlook Reports twice a year—April and September/ October—followed by two updates. While the BJP’s April infographic was rightly based on the IMF data released in April, its August infographic was also based on the same data. ‘World Economic Outlook: The Great Lockdown’ was published in April which indeed projected 1.9% and 7.4% growth for India in 2020 and 2021 respectively. However, in June, the IMF released an update on the report—‘World Economic Outlook Update’. According to this report, “Economic data available at the time of the April 2020 WEO forecast indicated an unprecedented decline in global activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data releases [released] since then suggest even deeper downturns than previously projected for several economies.” In its June report, the IMF revised its April estimates and projected a contraction of -4.5% in 2020. “India’s economy is projected to contract by 4.5 percent following a longer period of lockdown and slower recovery than anticipated in April,” the report stated. Therefore, the BJP’s tweet claiming “India will be a shining spot with positive growth in 2020” is false. The ruling party used four-month-old data to reflect positive growth. According to the IMF’s updated report released in June, India is projected to experience a negative growth rate by 4.5%. While the BJP attempted to portray that India is projected to “retain its spot as the fastest growing economy in the world”, the IMF data forecasts better growth rates for China and ASEAN-5. In fact, China’s estimated growth rate for 2020 is 1%. It is evidently misleading to suggest that India will be at the top when the country is predicted to have negative growth while China is the only country predicted to experience positive growth. It is to be noted that the IMF’s projections in June may alter in the next report as the pandemic continues to evolve. Nonetheless, the BJP’s claim that the international organisation predicted positive growth for India in 2020 and suggested that the country will “retain” its spot as the fastest-growing economy is false. 🙏 Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023. On August 16, while responding to queries by the media on the ongoing issue of… Several social media users have shared a purported break-up of fuel prices that claims state… On February 26, Uttar-Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tweeted in Hindi, “Despite the global economic… After the fifth increase in LPG refill prices since December 2020, except for a meagre… Did the Modi government clandestinely transfer over 200 tonnes of gold overseas, from the Reserve…	news-altnews	2024-05-27T18:24:05.489452	28th August 2020 / 5:24 pm	{ "license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "url": "https://www.altnews.in/englishclone/bjp-shares-old-imf-data-to-make-misleading-claim-about-indian-gdp-growth-projection/", "author": "Archit" }

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.