From an edited video of the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared by Zee News, falsely linking it to the Udaipur killing, to a claim around a photo saying that it shows NDTV's Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy with Supreme Court judges Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala, read about the misinformation that you might have fallen for this week.
1. Zee News Falsely Links Rahul Gandhi's Remark on Wayanad to Udaipur Killing
Hindi news channel Zee News aired a clip of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi calling the people who choose violence as 'children' and adding that he doesn't hold any anger towards them. The media outlet linked his statements to the murder of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor, who was brutally murdered in Rajasthan's Udaipur.
However, we noticed that Zee News' report was misleading.
1. Zee News aired an altered clip to claim that Gandhi was defending the accused in the Udaipur killing.
2. Gandhi was talking about the people who vandalised his office at Wayanad, Kerala, on 24 June and not about the Udaipur incident.
Later, Zee News issued a clarification about the report.
The anchor, Rohit Ranjan, was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police from Ghaziabad. Ranjan has approached the Supreme Court for relief.
You can read the story here.
2. News Outlets Falsely Claim 'Pro-Pakistan' Chants Raised After MP Panchayat Polls
A video showing people celebrating the victory of a person called Wajid Khan in the panchayat polls in Madhya Pradesh's Katni district has gone viral online with a false claim that chants of 'Pakistan zindabad' were raised.
The false claim was given publicity not only by social media users but also news channels and publications like Dainik Bhaskar, Times Now, News Nation, OpIndia Hindi, among others.
However, when we slowed down the video, we found that the crowd was raising slogans of 'Wajid bhai zindabad' and not 'Pakistan zindabad'. We also received more videos of the celebrations from Khan, which showed that the claim was false.
The matter is under investigation with the Forensic Science Laboratory but according to senior police officials, the preliminary investigations show that 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans were not raised.
You can read the story here.
3. No, 'Aphelion Phenomenon' Will Not Cause Extremely Cold Winter
A post going viral on various social media platforms claims that a cosmological event called “Aphelion phenomenon” will cause cold weather on Earth between 4 July and August 2022.
Aphelion is an annual phenomenon during which the Earth is farthest away from the Sun.
The claim further states that the phenomenon – during which the Earth will be nearly 152 million kilometre away from the Sun – will make people sick as the temperatures will drop.
However, according to US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the average distance between the Earth and the Sun is roughly 150 million km and that during aphelion is about 152 million km.
The Quint also spoke to Aniket Sule, a professor at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, who dismissed the claims and said that Aphelion will not cause seasonal flu or cough.
You can read the story here.
4. Photo Doesn't Show Prannoy Roy, N Ram With SC Judges Surya Kant and Pardiwala
A photograph of NDTV's Prannoy Roy, Radhika Roy along with The Hindu's N Ram is being shared on social media to claim that the journalists had a lunch with the Supreme Court Judges Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala.
The two judges were a part of the bench that came down heavily on ex-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her remarks against Prophet Muhammad.
However, the image shows the owner of TNQ Books and Journals, Mariam Ram, NDTV co-founder Prannoy Roy, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat, journalist Radhika Roy, founder of MindEspaces Club, Dipali Sikand, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister P Thiaga Rajan, and the director of the The Hindu Publishing Group, N Ram (from left to right).
The image was uploaded on 3 July 2022 by MindEscapes, a community club at the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu.
You can read the story here.
5. Fact-Check: No, the Supreme Court Has Not Recognised a ‘Brahmin Atrocities Act'
A text message claiming that the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act – popularly known as the SC/ST Act – would also apply against those “abusing Brahmin caste,” is making rounds on social media.
The post elaborates that the Supreme Court of India recognised a petition filed by one advocate Mukesh Bhatt, rejoicing the "big decision."
However, we found no news reports or court documents corroborating the claim regarding its application against those “abusing Brahmin caste.”
The latest reports on any amendments to the provision of the Act date back to 2018, when a Supreme Court order struck down a provision mandating immediate arrest in the event of a complaint, which was later overturned by the Parliament.
You can read the 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 webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
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