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.
Claim
Protesting farmers tie PM Modi’s effigy to their tractor, and express their resentments against the Prime Minister
Fact
Over 3-year-old audio has been digitally added to a video shot in the US.
As farmers resume their protest march on Wednesday after rejecting the centre’s proposal on the minimum support price (MSP), a video showing an effigy of PM Narendra Modi tied to a tractor -that has emerged as a symbol of the agitation- has gained social media attention. In the nearly ten-second-long-clip, a person can be overheard expressing his resentments against the Prime Minister.
Multiple social media users have linked the video to the ongoing Delhi Chalo protest march. Newschecker found that the video has been digitally altered.
Such posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
The footage has also found its way to YouTube.
Fact Check/Verification
On carefully analysing the video, we observed that no one is seen either sitting or around the tractor, while a verbal exchange between two individuals can be heard.
Following this, we looked up different combinations of the words being spoken in the video. One such search on YouTube yielded multiple videos from 2020. One such video shared by Locate Prince on November 27, 2020 showed a reporter interviewing an elderly Sikh man.
After comparing the voices, pitch, duration, tone and verbal exchange in the videos, we concluded that the audio of a conversation between a reporter and the elderly farmer has been digitally added to the viral footage.
Notably, the elderly man’s remarks on PM Modi had gone viral in 2020 with multiple social media users sharing his interview clip. Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
A video report by Avee News Punjabi identified the elderly man as one Satnam Singh.
Hence, the audio of objectionable remarks on PM Modi has been superimposed in the viral footage.
Also Read: Video From Prayer Meet For Sidhu Moose Wala Falsely Linked To Farmers’ March
We continued our investigation to ascertain more information about the video.
A Google lens search on the keyframes of the viral footage led us to the Yelp website, identifying the “Punjabi Dhaba” outlet seen in the clip as US-based Sizzling Tandoori Hut.
As per Trip Advisor, Sizzling Tandoori Hut is an Indian cuisine restaurant in Aurora, Oregon.
We were also able to geo-locate the eatery on Google Street View. A Google image of the outlet also featured the blue-coloured tractor seen in the viral footage. This helped in confirming that the video does not show any incident from India, and was actually shot in the US.
Conclusion
Viral video of PM Modi’s effigy tied to tractor is from the US, and audio from over 3-year-old footage has been digitally added to it.
Result: Altered Video
Sources
YouTube Video By Locate Prince, Dated November 27, 2020
Yelp Website
Google Street View
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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.
