WebQoof Recap: Of AIUDF Chief’s Edited Clip & Kejriwal’s Claims

Here’s a round-up of all that misled the public this week.

(Photo: Shruti Mathur/ The Quint)

From social media users sharing an edited video to allege that AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal called for an ‘Islamic nation’ to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal falsely claiming that the national capital would soon have the “country’s first” university dedicated to training teachers – here’s all that misled the public this week.

1. AIUDF Chief’s Viral Clip Calling for an ‘Islamic Nation’ Is Edited

An edited clip of AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal was massively shared to falsely claim that he said if the Congress-AIUDF alliance is voted to power in Assam, India will become an “Islamic country”.

Among the ones who shared the 36-second-long video were ABP News journalist Astha Kaushik, senior journalist Deepak Chaurasia, columnist Ratan Sharda, Karnataka MP and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje, and actor Paresh Rawal.

You can view the archived version here.(Source: Twitter/ Screenshot)

However, we found that the viral clip was a doctored version of a 2019 speech by the AIUDF Chief. At no point does he hint towards making India an “Islamic country”. Parts of the speech had been sliced and put together to give that impression.

You can read the full story here.

2. Kejriwal Setting Up India’s First Teachers’ University? Not Quite!

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the national capital would soon have the “country’s first” university dedicated to training teachers.

On 9 March, the CM tweeted in Hindi, “The Delhi government will establish the country's first teachers’ university this year. The best teachers of the country and the world will be produced here.”

You can view the archived version here.(Photo: Twitter/Screenshot)

However, his claim falls flat as states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and West Bengal already have universities dedicated to educating teachers. These were established between 2008 and 2015.

You can read the full story here.

3. No, These Aren’t Recent Pics From PM Modi’s Brigade Ground Rally

Old photos of political rallies showing massive crowds were shared shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his first rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on 7 March, ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, with claims of a huge turnout at the event.

However, we found that some of the photos were actually of Left front rallies. While one of them was from 2019 at Brigade Parade Ground, another was from a 2014 rally at the same venue.

You can read the full story here.

4. Clip Shows ‘Live Murder’ in Mumbai’s Dongri? No, it’s a Film Shoot

A video showing two men being shot to death in broad daylight has gone viral on social media, with the false claim that it shows a ‘live murder’ in Mumbai’s Dongri area.

You can view an archived version here.(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

However, we found another video of the incident, which shows a camera crew and film equipment.

You can read the full story here.

5. No Evidence, But MP Min Says Cow Dung ‘Havan’ Can Sanitise Homes

Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Usha Thakur on 7 March advocated the need for a Vedic lifestyle for protection against coronavirus and claimed that ‘havan’ (ritual burning) of a cow dung cake can keep a house sanitised for 12 hours.

We also found that people suffer from health problems due to burning of cow dung cakes. Image used for representation.(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

However, we couldn’t find any evidence to support the claim that burning cow dung cakes can ward off coronavirus or any other virus. Instead, we found a study that said that people from rural areas in India are prone to a lot of health problems due to the burning of cow dung cakes.

You can read the full story here.

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