Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Protesters in Andhra burn Chandrababu Naidu’s photo for supporting Narendra Modi.
Fact
Video shows a protest in Andhra’s Guntakal prior to the state polls over nomination of Gummanur Jayaram as TDP candidate from the assembly seat.
A day after the declaration of the Lok Sabha Election results, the NDA on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution electing Narendra Modi as its leader thereby confirming the Modi 3.0 government. As TDP affirmed its support to the BJP, a video showing protesters thrashing a photograph of Chandrababu Naidu and setting it on fire has grabbed the attention online.
Multiple social media users shared the 33-second-long-footage claiming, “Angry people of Andhra Pradesh are burning photos of Chandrababu Naidu for supporting Modi.”
However, Newschecker found that the video shows a protest against the TDP leader over naming Gummanur Jayaram as the party candidate from the Guntakal assembly seat for the recently concluded Andhra Pradesh State Polls.
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
Also Read: Chandrababu Naidu’s 2019 Remarks On Narendra Modi Go Viral After Stellar Poll Show
Fact Check/Verification
A Google lens search on the keyframes of the viral video led us to a Facebook post by @SajjalaBhargava, dated March 29, 2024. Carrying the viral footage, it stated, “Fire in Guntakal TDP (translated from Telugu via Google)”
Taking a clue, we looked up keywords “Guntakal,” “Chandrababu Naidu photo” and “fire” on Google, which led us to a video report by Samayam Telugu from March 2024. It featured a shorter version of the video, and stated, “Guntakal TDP workers burned Chandrababu Naidu photo and protested against Gummanur Jayaram”.
The same was uploaded on their official Facebook page on March 29, 2024.
The New Indian Express report from March 2024 featured a screengrab from the viral video to show “TDP cadre set campaign material on fire resenting the allotment of party ticket to Gummanur Jayaram in Guntakal on Friday.”
Adding, “They also claimed that the seat was allotted to Jayaram who joined the TDP recently, after taking Rs 30 crore from him. In Satyavedu of Tirupati district, TDP cadre strongly opposed the party’s decision to field Koneti Adimulam, who joined the party from the YSRC recently.”
The Hindu report from March 29, 2024, corroborated with the same, and stated, “Mild tension prevailed in Anantapur and Guntakal after the disgruntled cadre of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ransacked the party offices and set fire to furniture, resenting the announcement of D. Venkateswara Prasad and Gummanur Jayaram as the MLA candidates.”
We were also able to spot the location seen in the widely circulated footage on Google Maps.
Gummanur Jayaram, who was a minister in the YSRCP government, joined the TDP in March this year. The turncoat won the Guntakal assembly seat in the recently concluded Andhra State Poll, defeating his former party’s candidate by a margin of 6,826 votes.
Also Read: BJP’s Navneet Rana In Tears After Poll Results? No, 2022 Video Passed Off As Recent
Conclusion
We could thus conclude that a video showing a protest in Andhra’s Guntakal prior to the state polls over nomination of Gummanur Jayaram as TDP candidate has been shared with a false claim.
Result: False
Sources
Facebook Post By @SajjalaBhargava, Dated March 29, 2024
YouTube Video By Samayam Telugu, Dated March 29, 2024
Report By The New Indian Express, Dated March 30, 2024
Google Images
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
