WebQoof Recap: Of Misinformation Around Teesta Setalvad, Maha Crisis & More

From the arrest of Teesta Setalvad to Maharashtra crisis, here's what misled the public this week.

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that all villages in India are now open defecation-free while addressing the Indian diaspora in Germany to claims that activist Teesta Setalvad's great grandfather Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad, who was a part of the Hunter Commission that investigated the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre, gave a "clean chit" to General Dyer, here's what misled the public this week.

1. PM Narendra Modi Says All Villages Are Open Defecation-Free, but Data Differs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the Indian community at the Audi Dome in Munich, Germany on 27 June listed numerous achievements of his government, including, all villages in India were open defecation-free (ODF).

Speaking about how Indians have "achieved big goals together," the PM remarked that "today, every village in India is open defecation free."

(The remark can be heard at around 27:20 minutes)

However, we dug into the data and found that his claims were not supported by it.

As per the publicly available data on rural sanitation – the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), the National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS) (2019-2020), and the National Statistical Office's (NSO) 2018 report – the 100 percent claim doesn't hold true.

You can read our detailed report here.

2. Did People in Jammu and Kashmir Get Electricity for Free? No, Claim Is False

Social media users shared a video showing some women breaking electricity meters on the road claiming that women in Kashmir resisted setting up of electric meters in their area.

Further, the claims added that residents in Kashmir didn't want to pay for electricity, water, etc, as they have received free electricity for almost 70 years.

We found that the video was from Srinagar's Rajbagh area and showed women break new smart meters that the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) had brought to install in place of the old meters.

Moreover, we found notifications from the state department talking about electricity tariffs and also accessed old bills from people in Kashmir, which clearly showed that electricity was never free for residents.

You can read our fact-check here.

3. Tweet on Teesta Setalvad’s Kin Giving 'Clean Chit' to General Dyer Is Misleading

A day after activist-journalist Teesta Setalvad was arrested by the Gujarat Police Crime Branch, Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Kanchan Gupta, put out a tweet about Setalvad's great grandfather.

In his tweet, Gupta said, "Teesta Setalvad is great granddaughter of Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad who was member of the infamous ‘Hunter Commission’ on Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Commission gave clean chit to General Dyer who ordered the firing on civilians."

We found that Commission had put out two reports – majority and minority – as the members disagreed on several counts, including Dyer's motive and punishment for the firing, and CH Setalvad was part of the minority report.

The minority report found Dyer was wrong and used many excerpts from Dyer's account of the incident to show that the general used unnecessary and excessive force at Jallianwala Bagh, and didn't give Dyer a "clean chit".

You can read our fact-check here.

4. Amit Shah's Claim About 'No Riots in Gujarat Post-2002' Contradicts NCRB Data

Home Minister Amit Shah in an interview to news agency ANI claimed that there have been no riots in Gujarat post-2002.

(The remark can be heard around the 33-minute mark here.)

However, we went through the data available in the annual 'Crime in India' report published National Crime Records Bureau.

As per this data, between 2002 and 2020 (the last available report), there have been over 29,000 incidents of rioting in Gujarat.

You can read our report here.

5. Old Video of a Brawl Between NCP-Shiv Sena Workers Falsely Linked to MVA Crisis

A video was being shared on social media amid the Maharashtra political crisis claiming that it showed workers from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena engaging in a brawl.

However, we could trace back the video to 2019.

Sena activist and local corporator MK Madhvi broke into a fight with members of the NCP after they didn't wait to inaugurate a marriage hall at Airoli in Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai till Thane Shiv Sena MP Rajan Vichare arrived there.

You can read our report 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.)