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.
While the ongoing monsoon session, Rahul Gandhi’s return to the house after his disqualification was lifted, and release of Rajinikanth’s Jailer amassed massive social media tractions, the Haryana violence continued to dictate social media trends, with multiple instances of misinformation around the Nuh violence.
From a YouTube news report falsely claiming that many women participants of the Jal Abhishek yatra were abducted and raped, to an old video of a girl lamenting the loss of her home being linked to the Haryana government’s bulldozer drive, here are the top fact checks from the week:
‘No One Was Raped During Nuh Violence’: Bittu Bajrangi Clarifies Amid Claims Of Hindu Women Being Raped
A week after violence broke out in Haryana’s Nuh over a Jal Abhishek yatra by members of the Bajrang Dal, a YouTube news report is going viral on social media, where ‘locals’ interviewed by a social media based news channel are claiming that many women participants of the yatra were taken away into the fields and that they were raped. However, Newschecker found the allegations to be false. Read more here.
Video Of Special Pilgrimage Train From Hyderabad to Karnataka Goes Viral With Communal Spin
Several social media users are circulating a video of what appears to be a decked-up Indian Railways passenger train with communally charged claims, which mainly state that it is a Muslims-only train running from Hyderabad to Howrah, West Bengal. Newschecker found that a video of a special train from Hyderabad to Karnataka for devotees to visit the tomb of a Sufi saint on his death anniversary has gone viral with a communal spin. Read more here.
Manipur Conflict: A Kuki-Meitei Duet? No, Video Viral With False Claims
A video allegedly showing members of Meitei and Kuki communities, who have been involved in violent conflict in Manipur, singing an old Hindi film song together is going viral on social media platforms. Multiple social media users shared the footage to show “the beauty of diversity & love” amid the ongoing ethical crisis in the north-eastern state. Newschecker found that the viral video does not show a Kuki-Meitei duet. Read more here.
Distressing Video Of Girl Whose Home Was Demolished In Delhi Shared As Aftermath of Nuh Violence
A video of a girl narrating her ordeal after her home was razed down is being widely shared on social media platforms, with users linking it to the Haryana government’s “bulldozer drive” in Nuh in the wake of recent communal clashes. Newschecker found that a months old video of a girl narrating her ordeal following demolition of her home in Delhi has been falsely linked to the bulldozer drive by Haryana government as an aftermath of Nuh violence. Read more here.
This Is Not A Childhood Photo Of Elon Musk With His Mother And Domestic Help
An alleged childhood photo of Elon Musk in 1988 with his mother, both of them seated on the sofa, and their African domestic help, who is sitting on the floor, at their home in South Africa, has been widely shared on social media platforms. Newschecker found that it is not a childhood photo of Musk, but of an unnamed South African mother, daughter, and maid taken during apartheid. Read more here.
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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.
