WebQoof Recap: Misinformation Around Nitin Gadkari, Abuse in Rajasthan, and More

From claims around the prison cells of freedom fighters to a video from Haryana being shared as that from Bihar.

From political party members incorrectly calling out The New York Times' article on Delhi's schools, to a misleading set of images comparing the 'prison cells' of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Veer Savarkar, here's a list of all the misinformation that went viral on social media this week.

1. Image in NYT Article on Delhi Schools Is From Sarvodaya, Not Mother Mary's

After The New York Times carried an article about the Delhi model of education, several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders called it a 'paid' one. BJP leader Kapil Mishra shared a photo of school students from the piece, saying that it showed students from a private school – Mother Mary's – and not a government school.

However, Mishra's claim fell flat. The photograph in the article indeed shows students from Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, a government-run school in Delhi. Mother Mary's is a private, all-girls school, and the photo in the claim shows boys in the classroom as well.

Read our fact-check here.

2. Nitin Gadkari's Remark Shared Out of Context to Claim 'He's Quitting BJP'

A video of the Minister of Transport and Highways of India, Nitin Gadkari, was shared, claiming that he said he might soon quit the BJP. In the viral video, Gadkari can be heard saying that he does not care if he loses his position and that he is not a political professional but a simple man who has led a humble life.

However, the video is clipped and is being shared out of context. In the full video, Gadkari, who was speaking at a book launch event, discusses an older incident that happened in 1995.

You can read out fact-check here.

3. Old Video Shared With False Claim About Abuse of Dalit Man in Rajasthan

A video of a man being forced to drink out of a shoe went viral with a claim that it shows Hindu men, from the privileged caste, forcing a Dalit man to drink water from a shoe in Rajasthan.

But the claim is misleading. The Quint contacted the local police station, where the case was registered, whose SHO told us that the victim and the abusers were from the same community and that it was not a case of caste-based violence.

Read the full fact-check here.

4. Video From Haryana Linked to Bihar Man’s Lynching Over Cattle Theft

A CCTV footage showing six to seven men fatally assaulting a man with rods, sticks, and axes went viral on social media, claiming to show the death of a Muslim man named Mohammed Mustaqim in Samastipur, Bihar, over suspicion of cattle theft.

While the incident from Bihar is true, this video is not related to it. This disturbing footage shows the murder of one Vikas in Hansi town in Haryana's Hisar, over a long-standing personal enmity.

Read our fact-check here.

5. Post Comparing 'Prison Cells' of Gandhi, Nehru, and Savarkar Is Misleading

A misleading collage comparing the 'prison cells' of Veer Savarkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru went viral on social media.

Comparing the availability of beds and chairs in the rooms seen in the collage, social media users widely shared the photos mentioning how the British government treated Savarkar differently than Gandhi and Nehru.

But the comparisons are misleading. While the photos shared are accurate, the claim lacks context.

Veer Savarkar was arrested in connection with a conspiracy case where a member of a society founded by Savarkar fatally shot a magistrate. Savarkar was then transported to the Cellular Jail in Port Blair for the act.

On the other hand, Gandhi was kept under house arrest, along with his wife and his secretary, among others at Pune's Aga Khan Palace. Nehru was imprisoned at the Ahmednagar Fort along with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on the eve of the Quit India Movement.

You can read our fact-check here.

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