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
Man greeting BJP leader with garland of shoes during campaigning.
Fact
2018 video from Madhya Pradesh has been shared out of context.
A video showing an elderly man presenting a BJP leader with a garland of shoes during campaigning has been shared on social media platforms. In the footage, the BJP leader is seen seeking blessings from a group of men standing on a pavement, when one of them garlands him with shoes, and seemingly lambasts him. Multiple X users shared the clip with “ #LokSabhaElection2024” hashtag, linking it to the ongoing polls. Newschecker found that the video is 6-year-old, and has been shared out of context.
The twenty-four-second-long-video has been shared on X with the caption “People gave special gifts to BJP leader.”
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
Also Read: Shoe Attack On BJP MLA In Hamirpur? No, 2018 Video Shared With False Claim
Fact Check/Verification
A keyword search for “BJP leader,” “shoe garland” and “campaigning” on Google led us to a report by NDTV, dated January 8, 2018. Displaying a screengrab from the viral video, the report stated, “A BJP candidate campaigning for the upcoming civic body elections in Madhya Pradesh was left embarrassed after he was greeted with garland of shoes while campaigning in Dhamnod, a town in Dhar district situated around 272 km from state capital Bhopal.”
The report identified the leader as Dinesh Sharma, BJP candidate for Dhamnod Civic election, and added that the incident took place when he was doing door-to-door campaigning for the party.
We found a report by ABP Live, dated January 8, 2018, detailing the incident. The report quoted Sharma as saying, “They are one of my own. There must have been something which upset him and he acted like that. We will sit together and talk. I am like their child.”
Also Read: Ranveer Singh Endorses Congress, Mocks PM Narendra Modi? No, Viral Video Is Deepfake
The elderly man who garlanded Sharma with shoes was reportedly angry with the water crisis in the area.”There’s acute water problem. Had complained about it. Our women went to the then Chairperson to complain but a complaint was registered against them. They were called multiple times to police station even at night. So I did this: Man who made Dinesh Sharma wear garland of shoes, (sic)” the man was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
A report by IndiaTV, dated January 8, 2018, carried the viral footage of an old man greeting the BJP candidate with a shoe garland. It stated, “Madhya Pradesh: Old man offers garland of shoes to BJP leader Dinesh Sharma.”
Other reports on the incident can be seen here and here.
Also Read: Old Video Of Uma Bharti Calling PM Modi ‘Vinash Purush’ Revived Ahead Of Lok Sabha Polls
Conclusion
We could thus conclude that a 6-year-old video of an elderly man greeting a BJP leader with a garland of shoes has been misleadingly shared to show a recent incident.
Result: Missing Context
Sources
Report By NDTV, Dated January 8, 2018
Report By ABP Live, Dated January 8, 2018
X Post By @ANI, Dated January 7, 2018
YouTube Video By IndiaTV, Dated January 8, 2018
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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.
