From misinformation around Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Gujarat rally to misleading claims following Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's death, here's a recap of the top five pieces of misinformation that went viral this week.
1. Clip of Empty Chairs at PM Modi’s Event in Gujarat Shared With Misleading Claim
A video showing a significant number of vacant chairs inside a venue, where a speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's is playing on big screens is being widely shared on social media with a claim that only a few people attended Modi's event held in Gujarat's Modhera on 9 October.
The claim was going viral ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections that will be held this year in Gujarat.
An archive of the post can be seen here.
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
However, we found the claim misleading as several videos from the same event showed that the venue was crowded when the PM delivered his speech. In addition, several reporters who attended the event corroborated the same.
Read the full story here.
2. Fight During Durga Puja Immersion in Chhattisgarh Given a False Communal Spin
A video which showed people attacking a truck with sticks and stones was shared with a claim that Muslims attacked Hindus during a Durga puja visarjan (immersion) rally in Bilaspur, Chattisgarh.
However, the claim was misleading. The fight took place between two different groups of Durga puja worship committee over the issue of immersion and had no communal angle to it.
This was further corroborated by the police, who confirmed that both sides belonged to the Hindu community.
Read the full story here.
3. This Image Doesn't Show Akhilesh Yadav Performing Last Rites of Mulayam Singh
After the passing away of Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, social media users shared a picture of a man performing last rites with a claim that it showed party president Akhilesh Yadav lighting the pyre of his father.
The claim that the picture shows SP President Akhilesh Yadav performing last rites is false.
(Source: The Quint)
However, the claim is not true. It shows Ashish Misra, a journalist, performing the last rites of his father who passed away on the same day as Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Read the full story here.
4. Old Artwork of Flag Made From Hair Falsely Linked to Anti-Hijab Protests in Iran
An image, which shows a flag made of hair, is being widely shared on the internet with a claim that the Iranian women hoisted the flag as a symbol of resistance while protesting over the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody after Iran's morality police arrested her.
The artwork is old and was not created in solidarity with the ongoing Iran protests
(Source: The Quint)
However, the image is old and dates back to 2014. Edith Dekyndt, a Belgian artist, created the artwork.
It was stuck on the rocks Diamant coast in France where a boat which was carrying a hundred African captives was washed up in the 1830s.
Read the full story here.
5. Bhagwat Refers to 'Religion-Based Population Imbalance', But How True Is That?
On 5 October, during his Vijayadashmi speech, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat called for a “comprehensive population control policy” that applies “equally” to everyone.
He further asked people to be careful about “religion-based population imbalance”. He claimed that apart from the fertility rate, infiltration and conversions by force, lure, or greed as the major reasons for the imbalance.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat.
(Photo: Liju Joseph/The Quint)
However, we found that data shows that no religion is likely to exceed the population of Hindus in the country. Further, his reference to conversions and migration as a possible reason causing of “population imbalance” has no empirical evidence.
Read the full story here.
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