From misinformation around the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections to deep fake technology used to impersonate a call between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Swati Maliwal and Youtuber Dhruv Rathee, here are the pieces of fake news we fact-checked this week.
1. Edited Photo of Boarding Pass to Bangkok Falsely Linked to Rahul Gandhi
A viral photo on the internet shows a Vistara Airline boarding pass to Bangkok, Thailand with the name of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a passenger.
Users claimed that Gandhi will depart from India the day following the announcement of the Lok Sabha election results.
It is an edited photo and does not display Gandhi's name on the boarding pass, unlike the original photo.
Furthermore, the original version indicates that this boarding pass was for a flight to Singapore on 6 August 2019.
Read the story here.
2. 2019 Video of Yogendra Yadav Calling Elections 'One-Sided' Peddled as Recent
A video of Yogendra Yadav, President of Swaraj India, discussing the elections as being biased and criticizing the opposition, is gaining popularity on social media.
He mentions that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in the elections. Users have linked the video with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
However, this interview is from 2019 and is being falsely linked with Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Read the full story here.
3. Old Video Shared to Claim Navneet Rana Was Crying After Losing in 2024 Elections
A video of former Amravati MP and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Navneet Rana is being shared to claim that it captures her breaking down following her defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
However, this video dates back to 2022, shows Rana crying after meeting her husband following his release from a prison in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
You can read the story here.
4. Edited Image Viral as K Annamalai Receiving 1 Vote at Booth in Coimbatore
A photo allegedly showing the quantity of votes received by candidates of the Coimbatore constituency for the Lok Sabha Elections is being shared on social media platforms.
It claims that BJP Tamil Nadu President and candidate K Annamalai obtained just a single vote at a particular polling station.
You can view an archive of the post here.
(Source: X /Screenshot)
However, the image is edited whereas the original image showed the leader receiving approximately 101 votes.
Read the story here.
5. Deepfake Tech Used to Create This Call Between Swati Maliwal & Dhruv Rathee
A video of a phone call conversation allegedly between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Swati Maliwal and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee is circulating widely on social media platforms.
In the video, Maliwal describes to Rathee her experience of being attacked in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his wife Sunita Kejriwal.
She then urges Rathee not to publish any video in their support. Additionally, Rathee mentions receiving payment directly from the United Kingdom.
An archive of this post can be seen here.
(Source:X/Screenshot)
However, the audio in this video has been created using a deepfake technology. It is not a real instance.
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 9540511818, 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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