WebQoof Recap: Of False Claims Around Gurugram Weather, West Bengal Polls & More

WebQoof Recap | Here are the top five pieces of misinformation that went viral this week.

(Photo: The Quint)

From an old video being circulated as recent visuals of 'snowfall' in Gurugram to vandalism of idols of Goddesses Kali and Saraswati in West Bengal being given a false communal angle, here are our top five fact-check reports from this week.

1. Fact-Check: Is This a Recent Video of Snowfall in Gurugram? No!

A video of several people standing near the side of road went viral on the internet to claim that it showed recent visuals of snowfall near Ambience Mall in Haryana's Gurugram.

An archived version of this post can be seen here.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

However, we found that the video could be traced back to March 2023 and showed the aftermath of a hailstorm in Gurugram. This meant that the viral claim was false.

Read our fact-check here.

2. Incident of Vandalism of Hindu Idols in West Bengal Given False Communal Spin

Multiple images that showed damaged and broken idols of Hindu deities Goddesses Saraswati and Kali went viral on social media platforms as visuals from West Bengal's Shantipur.

Amit Malviya, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) IT cell head, shared this post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle and called the incident another instance of "rising wave of anti-Hindu hatred."

An archived version of this post can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

Team WebQoof found that the incident had no communal angle to it. West Bengal police clarified that two intoxicated men had vandalised the idols due to personal dispute.

You can read our full story here.

3. Ravindra Chavan Bowed Down to AIMIM Leader’s Feet? No, It Was a Sindhi Guru!

A video of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravindra Chavan went viral on the internet to claim that it showed him touching the feet of an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader during a rally in Maharashtra.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

However, the claim was false. The man in the video was identified as a Sindhi Guru based in Maharashtra's Ulhasnagar named Neeraj G Jagiasi, who is popularly known as Sai Chhotu Gurmukhdas Jagiasi.

Read our fact-check here.

4. Fact-Check: AI-Generated Clip Viral as Bangladeshi Hindu Girl Asking for Help

With reports of multiple assaults on Hindus in Bangladesh emerging, a video was circulated to claim that it showed a Hindu girl crying and expressing fear over the ongoing unrest in the country.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

We found that the video was created using the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and did not show real visuals.

You can read our full story here.

5. Did CDS Gen Chauhan Talk About Growing Bangladesh-Pakistan Ties? No, It’s AI!

A video that purportedly showed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan talking about how emerging ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh will have geopolitical implications for India went viral on the internet.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

Team WebQoof found that the video was manipulated using AI tools and did not show any real statements made by General Chauhan.

Read our fact-check 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 [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)