WebQoof Recap: Misinformation Around Jawaharlal Nehru, Aamir Khan's Film & More
From unrelated visuals linked to the death of a Dalit boy to claims around the movie, Laal Singh Chaddha.
From unrelated visuals linked to the death of a Dalit boy to claims around the movie, Laal Singh Chaddha.
(Photo: Aroop Mishra/ The Quint)
From unrelated visuals of a teacher beating up a student getting linked to the death of a Dalit boy in Rajasthan to an altered tweet of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra about India's former Prime Minister and her great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, here's a list of all the misinformation that went viral on social media this week.
1. Fact-Check: Video From Bihar Wrongly Linked to Dalit Boy’s Death in Rajasthan
(Trigger Warning: Descriptions of physical assault. Reader discretion advised.)
A video of a man brutally thrashing a boy in a classroom, in the presence of other students, is being shared on social media platforms. The 30-second clip is being linked to the death of a nine-year-old Dalit boy in Rajasthan, who passed away on Saturday, 13 August, after his teacher beat him up for allegedly touching a pot of water.
The short clip shows the man hitting the crying child with a stick and later, beating him up with his hands as the child pleads for him to stop.
An archive of this post can be accessed here.
2. Fact Check: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's Tweet Doctored to Target Jawaharlal Nehru
An altered tweet of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in which she mentions her 'favourite story' about her great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, has been shared to take a dig at the former prime minister, who has often been targeted with misinformation.
The purported tweet by Vadra mentions that one time Nehru came home at 3 am to find his bodyguard sleeping on his bed. He covered him with a blanket and went to sleep "with his wife".
Several users shared the screenshot questioning the former prime minister's character.
An archive of the post can be seen here.
However, we found that the original tweet has been tampered with to create this story. On 14 November 2019, Vadra had tweeted a similar story, but it mentions that Nehru slept on an adjacent chair.
You can read the story here.
3. Crowd at Kerala Mall for Film Promotion Falsely Linked to Laal Singh Chaddha
A video showing a massive crowd gathered at what appears to be a shopping mall has been doing the rounds with the claim that this was the condition of Lucknow's LuLu Mall, where thousands gathered to watch Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan-starrer Laal Singh Chaddha.
The claim comes amid growing calls to boycott the film, which started on social media after an old interview of Aamir Khan speaking about "growing intolerance" in the country, started recirculating.
The claim was against Aamir Khan's movie, Laal Singh Chaddha.
However, we found that the widely shared video was from the HiLITE mall in Kerala. The massive crowd was gathered for the promotional event of a Malayalam film, Thallumaala.
You can read the story here.
4. Fact-Check: Play by Students on Religious Unity Viral With False Communal Angle
A short video showing children replacing a crown on their schoolmate's head with a hijab during a stage performance is being shared on social media.
The video has been shared with misleading claims that are communal in nature to claim that the girl, who was dressed as Bharat Mata (Mother India), was made to do this. Among those who peddled this narrative were Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Abhijat Mishra and right wing channel Sudarshan News.
However, the video is clipped. We found that the incident took place in Shishu Bharatiya Vidyalaya in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
In the longer version of the video of the school event shared by Lucknow Police's account, it is clear that the play shows Hindu, Christian, and Sikh manners of worship, along with namaz being offered to depict Muslim customs.
You can read the story here.
5. Fact-Check: Not All Tenants Have To Pay 18 Percent GST on House Rent
Several social media users are sharing posts to claim that tenants will now be charged 18 percent Goods and Services Tax (GST), under the new revised rates after the 47th meeting of the GST council.
The posts claim all people renting houses will be liable to pay 18 percent GST on house rent.
An archive of this post can be seen here.
However, the claim is misleading. As per reports, only individuals who have registered themselves as businesses under GST will be liable to the 18 percent tax, which they can claim deductions under Input Tax Credit while filing for GST returns, under the reverse charge mechanism (RCM).
Moreover, this tax will only be applicable to GST-registered tenants who offer services from the rented residential property, and will not incur the tax if the house is used for residential purposes.
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.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)