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With the announcement of 2024 Lok Sabha elections, social media platforms are abuzz with politically charged content, and hence politics-linked misinformation saw an increase this week. While an old photo of Mamata Banerjee addressing the media after a car accident was falsely linked to her recent injury, videos from the 2021 ‘No Vote To BJP’ campaign were also revived ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. From a cropped video falsely claiming to show the CJI walking away during the hearing on the electoral bonds to a deepfake video of Virat Kohli, here are our top fact checks from the week:
Case Of The Moving Band-Aid: Viral Images Claiming To Prove Mamata Banerjee Faked Her Injury Found To Be Unrelated
Several social media users are circulating two images, one of which shows Mamata Banerjee with a deep cut in the middle of her forehead, while the other purportedly shows her delivering a speech after her discharge, with a band-aid slightly away (on the left side of her head, above the eyebrow) from the wound. The users, through the photos, insinuate that the West Bengal CM faked her injury. Newschecker found that an old photo of Mamata Banerjee addressing the media after a car accident falsely linked to her recent injury to the forehead after a fall at her home. Read more here.
Electoral Bonds Case: CJI, Judges Walk Away Midway Through Supreme Court Hearing? No, Viral Video Misleadingly Clipped
A video has recently gone viral with the claim that the chief justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, followed by the other judges, purportedly walked away during the middle of the Supreme Court’s (SC) hearing on the electoral bonds case, when the solicitor-general was presenting his arguments. Newschecker found that the viral video was misleadingly clipped to falsely claim that the CJI and judges walked away when the SG was presenting his arguments during the SC’s hearing of the electoral bonds case. Read more here.
Old Visuals From ‘No Vote To BJP’ Campaign From 2021 Shared As Recent
With the announcement of the 2024 poll schedule, social media users are profusely sharing political content, supporting or calling out politicians and parties. In this background, multiple social media users are posting videos and images persuading people to not vote for the BJP. Newschecker’s investigation revealed that two videos from a campaign held in 2021 ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections have been shared out of context, and misleadingly linked to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Read more here.
Viral Ad Of Virat Kohli Promoting Online Casino Is Not Real, But Deepfake
An advertisement, based on a purported India Today report, where it allegedly shows Indian cricketer Virat Kohli promoting his “online casino”, has recently gone viral. “Every person registered at Virat Kohli’s online casino will have the opportunity to hit the jackpot,” read the report. Newschecker found that the viral video claiming to show Virat Kohli endorsing an online casino has been digitally altered. Read more here.
‘Muslim Delivery Partner’ Attacked? No, Viral Video Given False Communal Spin
Several social media users are sharing a 39-second video, claiming that it shows a Muslim delivery driver being brutally assaulted by a group of men. Newschecker’s investigation revealed that the viral video showing a delivery boy in Noida assaulted by a group of men over a personal dispute given a false communal spin. Read more here.
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