WebQoof Recap: Of Controversy Surrounding Prophet Muhammad & More

Here's a round-up of the most viral pieces of misinformation that people believed to be real.

Misinformation surrounding Nupur Sharma's controversial remarks against Prophet Muhammad, clashes in Kanpur, a fake account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kailasa, and more; here's a round-up of everything that misled the people.

1. Did Nithyananda’s Kailasa Condemn Remarks on Prophet Muhammad? Not Quite!

A purported tweet by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kailasa (fugitive god-man Swami Nithyananda's island nation) which condemns "Indian politicians" for making inflammatory comments against Prophet Muhammad, went viral.

These comments were made by suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Spokesperson Nupur Sharma and a tweet by the former media head of the party's Delhi unit, Naveen Jindal.

The viral tweet was shared by several users, and news agencies such as HW News and One India Tamil carried a news report on the same.

However, we found that the tweet was from a fake account whose handle was previously called ‘@shrutisharmaIAS.’

You can read our fact-check here.

2. Stone Pelting Video From Khargone Clashes Passed Off as Kanpur Violence

A video which shows a group pelting stones from the terrace of a building was shared, linking it to the violence that broke out in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh on 3 June, over Nupur Sharma's remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

However, we found that this video in question is from Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, where clashes had erupted during Ram Navami celebrations on 10 April.

Locals living in Tavdi Mohalla (the area where the video was shot) confirmed the same to us and sent us visuals which helped us locate the place.

You can read our fact-check here.

3. Sadhguru Claims 'No Communal Riots in Last 10 Years,' NCRB Data Says Otherwise

In an interview with news agency ANI on Monday, 6 June, the founder of Isha Foundation Jagadish 'Jaggi' Vasudev, also known as Sadhguru, claimed that India had not witnessed any major riots in the past ten years.

However, according to the data provided by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 5,000 communal riots were reported between 2014 and 2020 in the country.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which also keeps a record of incidents of communal violence, does not classify riots as "major" or "minor." According to a response provided by the ministry in 2015, 1,491 cases of communal violence took place in 2012 and 2013, bringing the total instances of communal violence in the last 10 years to close to 7,000.

You can read our fact-check here.

4. Fact-Check: Photo Shows Sringar Chauri Temple in Chittor and Not a Mosque

With mosques and monuments like the Taj Mahal and the Qutub Minar being viewed through cultural and communal lenses, a photo showing a structure with a dome on top, was shared on social media with the claim that a temple was converted into a mosque by the Mughals.

However, the image shows a temple named Sringar Chauri, which is situated within Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan.

You can read our fact-check here.

5. Video of Indian Flag Being Disrespected in Karachi Falsely Shared as Happened In Kerala

A video showing vehicles driving over the Indian national flag, which was pasted onto a road, was shared on social media, with the claim that the incident happened in Kerala.

The text shared alongside the video asked people to raise their voices against the act and share the video as much as possible.

However, we found that the video was from Pakistan, and stills of the same have been on the internet since at least 2020. Shop boards seen in the video confirm that the incident is from Pakistan's Karachi, and not from Kerala, as claimed.

You can 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 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.)