WebQoof Recap: Of Misinformation Trends Around Elections and The Kashmir Files

Here's a roundup of the biggest misinformation trends this week.

Here's a round-up of all that had misled the public this week.

(Photo: Deeksha Malhotra /The Quint)

From a photo showing Rhode Island's recognition for 'The Kashmir Files', fake Twitter accounts of Akhilesh Yadav’s children to an unrelated video of a drunk cop in Punjab after AAP's win, here's a round-up of all that had misled the public this week.

1. Did Rhode Island Recognise 'Kashmir Genocide' After 'The Kashmir Files'?

Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, the director of the movie 'The Kashmir Files' shared a photograph of a certificate issued by the American state of Rhode Island claiming that the state had "recognised Kashmir Genocide" because of his movie.

The claim followed the recent release of the movie, which highlights the ordeals faced by the Kashmiri Pandits. The movie has been promoted by several prominent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders with some states making the movie tax-free.

An archive of the post can be found here.

However, the claim was false and misleading. The image Agnihotri shared showed a citation that only recognised the premiere of the movie in Rhode Island.

Read the detailed fact-check here.

2. Fake Twitter Accounts of Akhilesh Yadav’s Children Seen During UP Polls

BJP's victory was announced on 10 March in Uttar Pradesh. Around the election trend, two social media accounts claiming to be Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's children – Aditi Yadav and Arjun Yadav – gained popularity for supporting and defending their father's party and work.

The account claims to be Yadavs' family member.

However, neither of the two accounts with a following of over 42,000 and 1.68 lakh respectively, were associated with any of the Yadav family children. These accounts were impersonating Aditi and Arjun Yadav.

Read the detailed fact-check here.

3. Old Video of Drunk Cop Falsely Linked To Aam Aadmi Party's Win in Punjab Polls

An old video of a turbaned police personnel in an inebriated state is being circulated on social media while taking a dig at Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who took an oath on 16 March.

This comes after AAP's victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections in Punjab. The standup comedian-turned-politician won from the Dhuri seat.

An archived version of the tweet can be seen here.

However, WebQoof team could trace the video back to 2017, which shows the man failing to lift himself from the ground despite repeated attempts, making it clear that it is not linked to polls.

Although we have not been able to independently verify the exact location of the video, the fact that it happened after Bhagwant Mann won the polls is false.

Read the detailed fact-check here.

4. Did LK Advani Cry After Watching 'The Kashmir Files'? No, This Video is Old

A video showing senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani in a theatre is being shared on social media claiming that he cried while watching Vivek Agnihotri's 'The Kashmir Files', a film based on the lives of Kashmiri Pandits.

The movie has garnered a lot of attention since its released on 11 March. Several videos of moviegoers making provocative communal statements inside cinema halls started surfacing on social media.

An archive of the tweet can be seen here.

However, the video is from 2020, when Advani got emotional during the film screening of 'Shikara', another movie based on the exodus of a Kashmiri Pandit couple from the Valley following the insurgency in the 1990s. This movie was made by Oscar-nominated director Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

Read the detailed fact-check here.

5. ‘Leaked Footage’ of Russia-Ukraine War? No, Viral Video is From Afghanistan

Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, a lot of misleading visuals have been making rounds on social media.

One of them is this 12-minute-long video showing heavy firing and blasts across a sandy landscape, with military personnel appearing to detect and defuse explosives while training.

It claims to show "leaked footage of heavy war" between Russia and Ukraine.

An archived version of this post can be seen here.

However, the video is from 2011 and shows US military personnel in Kandahar, Afghanistan conducting a military operation named 'Operation Creature Pan Kalay,' along with Afghan soldiers.

Read the detailed 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 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.)