WebQoof Recap: From Misinformation Around Eknath Shinde to Nupur Sharma

Old videos were also falsely linked to the Assam floods and Agnipath protests this week.

False claims around suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, actor Dharmendra, and more.

(Photo: Vibhusita Singh/Altered by The Quint)

From several news organisations falsely claiming that rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde had dropped the reference to the party from his Twitter bio to false claims about suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma being arrested, here's what misled the public this week.

1. Eknath Shinde Dropped Shiv Sena From His Twitter Bio, or He Never Had It?

With the spotlight on rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, several news organisations claimed Shinde had removed the reference to Shiv Sena party from his Twitter bio.

NDTV, Scroll, Free Press Journal, The Telegraph, and ABP Live had all reported that Shinde dropped 'Shiv Sena' from his bio.

An archive can be seen here.

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

With the help of Wayback Machine, an internet archiving tool, we looked for Shinde's profile, and found captures from 2019 to June 2022. The rebel Shiv Sena leader had never mentioned the name of the party.

His Twitter bio is the same as was in the year 2021.

You can read our story here.

2. Not Nupur Sharma's Arrest, This Video Shows Farmers' Protest in Rajasthan

Amid the row around Nupur Sharma's derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad, a video showing a woman being held by female police personnel was shared to claim that it shows that Sharma has been arrested.

The video claimed to show that Nupur Sharma has been arrested.

(Photo: The Quint)

However, we found that the woman seen in the video is Bhumi Birmi, Churu, district president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Women Wing).

The video showed a clash between protesting farmers and police near the Sub-Divisional Magistrate's (SDM) office in Rajasthan's Churu district.

You can read our story here.

3. Old Video of a Crocodile on a Street in Gujarat Falsely Linked to Assam Flood

A video showing men wearing the National Disaster Response Force's (NDRF) t-shirts and catching hold of a crocodile was being shared on social media with the claim that it is from flood-hit Silchar in Assam.

An archive of the post can be seen here.

(Source: Facebook/screenshot)

However, this visual dates back to 2019 when a crocodile was rescued by the NDRF from the waterlogged streets of Vadodara in Gujarat.

You can read our story here.

4. Fact-Check: 2021 Video From Kashmir Falsely Linked to Agnipath Protests

As the Agnipath protests intensified in the country, a video showing protesters clashing with the police and army personnel was shared on social media with the claim that it is of protests in Bihar.

We found the video on the YouTube channel of 'Associated Press Archive' in 2021.

It showed police firing tear gas and warning shots to disperse protesters who had attempted to participate in the Muharram procession in Kashmir's Srinagar.

You can read our report here.

5. Fact-Check: Viral Claim About Actor Dharmendra's Death Is a Hoax!

Some social media users shared a photo of famous Bollywood actor Dharmendra, claiming that he had passed away.

An archive of the post can be seen here.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

However, his children dismissed the claims and said he was keeping well. Senior entertainment journalists, too, confirmed the same.

Several actors, authors, sports players, and political figures have been the victims of online death hoaxes in the past.

You can read our fact-check here.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)