WebQoof Recap: Misreporting Around Italian PM, Claims on CM Siddaramaiah & More

WebQoof Recap: Here are some of the viral pieces of misinformation that we debunked this week.

(Source: Chetan Bhakuni/The Quint) 

From misinformation around Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to clipped video of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah going viral with false claims, here are the top five pieces of misinformation that went viral this week.

1. News Organisations Share Old Comment by Italian PM Giorgia Meloni as Recent

A small clip of Italian PM Giorgia Meloni stating Islam is 'incompatible' with Italian culture is being shared on social media platforms.

This has been published by several social media users and media organisations who have claimed it as a recent comment.

The Italian PM did not make this comment recently. 

(Source: Altered by The Quint) 

However, we found out that the video is at least five years old.

• We found longer versions of the video, which were shared by verified Italian news organisations in 2018.

You can read our fact-check here.

2. Fact-Check: Old Photo of Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Shared With Misleading Claim

A photo of the new Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma standing at the door of a crowded bus is being shared on social media.

Those sharing have claimed that it shows Sharma travelling in a state transport bus just months before becoming the CM of Rajasthan. They added that it reflects his 'humble background.'

However, this claim is misleading.

• The photograph was captured in August, when BJP leaders and workers including Sharma who travelled to Jaipur to protest against the former CM Ashok Gehlot government's governance in Rajasthan.

You can read our fact-check here.

3. Clipped Video of CM Siddaramaiah Shared To Claim Congress Can’t Fulfill Promises

A video of Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah  is being shared to claim that he admitted that Congress failed at fulfilling promises it made at the time of campaigning for the elections.

This was even shared by Bharat Rashtra Samithi's (BRS) working president and former Minister for IT and Industries, KT Rama Rao (KTR).

An archive can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

However, we found out that this video is clipped.

The original video shows Siddaramaiah's criticism of the previous BJP government in Karnataka for failing to deliver on their promises.

You can read our fact-check here.

4. Fact-Check: Old Video of Stage Collapsing in Pakistan Shared With a False Claim

A video showing several people standing on a stage which 'collapses' after a while is being shared to claim that it happened after an 'Imam' spoke against Jews in Pakistan.

But, this claim is false.

• This video is old and dates back to 2018. It shows a stage set up for a political gathering collapsing in Pakistan.

You can read our fact-check here.

5. No, King George V Did Not Give Tagore Nobel Prize for Writing National Anthem

A video of activist Rajiv Dixit discussing the history of the Indian National Anthem and the involvement of Nobel prize winner Rabindranath Tagore is being shared on social media.

• Dixit claimed that Tagore wrote the anthem to honour King George V, the then-ruler of India during British rule.

• He further mentioned that the ruler was impressed by the song and decided to award Tagore with the Nobel Prize in Literature, in his capacity as the chairman of the Nobel committee.

• He also claimed that Tagore was urged by Mahatma Gandhi to return the award after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, however, Tagore refused.

An archive of this post can be seen here.

(Source: Instagram/Screenshot)

But these claims are false. Tagore did not write the national anthem for the monarch and made this clear in official letters.

• In 1913, King George V did not hold the position of chairperson in the Swedish Academy, the body responsible for awarding the Nobel Prize in Literature.

• Tagore did not to return the Nobel Prize, which was never awarded by the British.

You can read out 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 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.)