WebQoof Recap: Fake Claims Around PM Modi, Agnipath Scheme and More

Read our recap to find out the top five viral pieces of misinformation on social media platforms this week.

WebQoof Recap | Here are the top five pieces of misinformation that went viral this week.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

From misleading claims around Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a fake image being circulated as government relaunching the Agnipath scheme, here are some of the most viral pieces of misinformation this week.

1. This Video Doesn’t Show PM Modi Refusing To Shake Hands With US Prez Joe Biden

Following PM Modi's visit to Italy to attend the G7 summit, a video was being circulated to claim that he refused to shake hands with United States President Joe Biden.

However, we found that the claim was false as the man spotted walking with PM Modi was not US President Biden. Watch our video below for more details.

Read the full story here.

2. No, PM Modi, Rajnath Singh Did Not Recently Join BJP’s Margdarshak Mandal

The official X (formerly Twitter) handle of Congress party's Kerala wing shared a screenshot of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) website claiming that PM Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently joined the latter's Margdarshak Mandal.

An archived version of this post can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

But the truth was that both leaders have been a part of the Margdarshak Mandal since 2014, when it first formed after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Read our fact-check here.

3. Fact-Check: Does This Video Show PM Modi Receiving Huge Welcome in Italy? No!

A video of PM Modi entering a stadium as the audience could be heard chanting his name went viral with a claim that it showed him receiving a grand welcome in Italy.

You can view an archive of the post here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

Team WebQoof found that the claim to be misleading as the video showed PM Modi receiving a grand reception in Sydney, Australia, when PM Modi had attended a community programme in May 2023.

Read the full story here.

4. No, Agnipath Scheme Is Not Being Relaunched as ‘Sainik Saman Scheme'

An image went viral on social media platforms with users claiming that the government was relaunching the Agnipath scheme as 'Sainik Saman Scheme' and introducing some changes.

You can view an archive of the post here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

We found that there was evidence to prove that such changes had been introduced to the scheme. Moreover, Press Information Bureau's (PIB) fact-check wing, too, dismissed the claims and called the image "fake."

5. Edited Video Shared to Claim Tejashwi Yadav Was Seen in an Inebriated State

A clip of former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, went viral with a claim that he was recently spotted speaking to the media in an inebriated state.

The video showed Yadav slurring his words and saying, "Look, I have just landed now and the way the departments have been distributed. Although, it is the prime minister, who is given which department. The work should be done in any department. But it was because of Bihar that you became the Prime Minister and when the ministry was given to the people of Bihar, it felt like a rattler toy was handed over from somewhere."

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X/Screenshot) 

In reality, the original video was edited and slowed down to make it appear that Yadav was slurring his words.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818, 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.)