WebQoof Recap: Misinformation Around The Kashmir Files, Punjab Govt & More

Here's a recap of five pieces of misinformation that went viral this week.

WebQoof Recap | Here's a recap of some of the misleading posts that went viral this week.

(Photo: Namita Chauhan/ The Quint)

From a misleading claim about Vivek Agnihotri's movie The Kashmir Files winning the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in the "best film" category to a viral document claiming to be issued by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, here's a recap of some of the viral claims that we debunked this week.

1. Punjab Govt Didn't Issue Circular to Monitor Employees' Social Media Accounts

A screenshot of a document mentioning that the social media accounts of government employees would be monitored for posts critical of the government or its policies has gone viral on social media.

The screenshot is being shared to claim that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, issued the notification for government employees in the state.

Political activist Adnan Ali Khan, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Gujarat's media head Zubin Ashara, right-wing organisation OpIndia, and verified Twitter account MeghUpdates shared the claim.

An archive of the post can be seen here.

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

However, the document shows directions issued for government employees in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Quint got in touch with Syed Junaid Hashmi, Managing Editor of The Straight Line (a Jammu-based digital media venture), who shared the full document and said that it showed the minutes of a meeting conducted by Arun Kumar Mehta, chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir on 17 January.

You can read our story here.

2. Fact-Check: Did 'The Kashmir Files' Win The Dada Saheb Phalke Award?

Several news organisations and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri on Tuesday, 21 February, announced that the movie The Kashmir Files got the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2023 in the "best film" category.

The filmmaker tweeted the photograph of the award as well.

However, the claim is misleading as the movie didn't win the Dada Saheb Phalke Award but was selected as the "best film" at the Dada Saheb International Film Festival Awards 2023.

You can read our story here.

3. Old Video From Varanasi Shared as Metro Pillar Collapsing in Delhi's Najafgarh

A video showing several vehicles trapped under what looks like debris of a collapsed structure has gone viral on the internet.

Those sharing the video have claimed that an under-construction pillar of Delhi Metro collapsed in Delhi's Najafgarh, killing many and leaving several others injured. People also blamed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the tragedy.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

However, the viral video is from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, where at least 18 people lost their lives after part of an under-construction flyover collapsed on 15 May 2018.

You can read our story here.

4. Video of Man Brandishing Knife is From Karnataka, Not Uttar Pradesh

A video showing a man brandishing a knife on a busy street, before being shot and ambushed by police personnel is being shared on social media.

Some users are sharing this video, claiming that it shows visuals from Uttar Pradesh, where the man was brought to justice under Yogi Adityanath's governance.

An archived version of this tweet can be seen here.

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

However, the video shows an incident from Kalaburagi, Karnataka, where a man identified as Mohammed Fazal brandished a knife in a busy market on 5 February.

• Fazal was shot in the leg by the police after reportedly refusing to put down his weapon and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

• Kalaburagi Commissioner of Police R Chetan confirmed to The Quint that the video was from Kalaburagi and that the police was yet to ascertain the reasons behind Fazal's actions.

You can read our story here.

5. Old Video From China Passed Off as Crack in Land Caused by Turkey Earthquake

A video showing a massive crack in the land is going viral on social media with a claim that it shows a 300-kilometre-long crack in the Earth's crust caused by strong earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

However, we found an older version of the video, which was uploaded on the internet on 4 November 2022. This predates the earthquakes.

• The video caption mentioned that it showed a fissure located in Pinglu county of China's southern Shanxi province.

The video is from China and not from Turkey or Syria.

(Source: The Quint)

You can read our story 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.)