WebQoof Recap: Of Misinformation Around Lok Sabha Polls, PM Modi’s Rally & More

Here are a few pieces of fake news that we debunked this week!

Fact-Check: Here are the viral pieces of misinformation that we debunked this week!

(Source: Aroop Mishra/The Quint) 

Amid the ongoing election season, social media has been abuzz with misinformation, from old visuals of rallies shared as recent to misinformation about the Congress party's election manifesto to an old video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being shared as recent. Here are the five pieces of fake news that went viral this week.

1. Fact-Check: Viral Claim About Congress Manifesto for 2024 Polls Is Misleading!

A social media post claimed that the Congress's election manifesto lists points which are beneficial and directed to the Muslim community. Following are some of the points: bringing back Triple Talaq, burqas in schools, a communal violence bill, legalising beef, and support for Gaza (Hamas).

An archived version of this post can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot) 

However, the claim is false. All these points are largely misleading or false to create a false narrative about Congress's manifesto.

You can read the full story here.

2. Old Clip of PM Modi Rally Shared as Recent Visuals from Jalpaiguri Rally

A video of a rally with Prime Minister Narendra Modi waving at a huge crowd and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) flags unfurled in the air is being shared as the PM's recent rally in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal.

The video is old, from 2019 and shows PM Modi's rally in Kolkata. 

But this claim is false. The video is old, from 2019 and shows the huge crowd at PM Modi's rally in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Read our fact-check here.

3. No, This Video Does Not Show Pakistani Flags Being Raised in Wayanad

A video of people waving green flags in the streets is being shared to claim it shows scenes from Wayanad in Kerala, the constituency of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Those sharing the video implied that individuals were displaying flags of Pakistan.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

The video is not recent and does not show the public raising Pakistani flags. It dates back to 2019 when individuals raised flags of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

Moreover, the video was filmed in Kasaragod.

You can read our fact-check here.

4. Old Video of a Shoe Being Thrown at Mansukh Mandaviya Falsely Shared as Recent

A video of a man hurling a shoe at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mansukh Mandaviya in public is being shared as a recent video from Porbandar, Gujarat.

An archive can be seen here.

(Source:X/Screenshot)

This is an old video. The video actually shows someone throwing a shoe at Mandaviya and dates back to 2017 and is from Bhavnagar district of Gujarat.

You can read our fact-check here.

5. Did Congress Not Field Candidates for Arunachal Pradesh Elections? A Fact-Check

A post is being shared on social media platforms claiming that the Congress party has not fielded any candidates in Arunachal Pradesh as "China might get angry."

According to the post, the Congress decided not to nominate any candidates out of concern that it could provoke China and violate the 2009 Memorandum of Understanding between the Congress and the Chinese Communist Party.

It also claimed that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra did not enter Arunachal Pradesh, despite starting in the North East.

The party has nominated candidates for both general and assembly elections. 

(Source: The Quint) 

The claim is false. We found that Congress has nominated Bosiram Siram and Nabam Tuki for the Arunachal East and Arunachal West constituencies, respectively for the Lok Sabha elections.

• Similarly, for the state assembly elections, Congress has fielded three candidates.

• Additionally, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered the state on 20 January.

Read the full 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.)