From AI-manipulated and clipped videos being linked to ministers and politicians talking about the Cockroach Janta Party-led (CJP) protests, to unrelated visuals being shared as recent videos, here are five of the most viral pieces of misinformation we debunked this week.
1. Did Uddhav Thackeray Call CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke an 'Avatar of Lord Vishnu'? No!
A video of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader likening someone to an "avatar of Lord Vishnu" went viral on social media, where some users claimed that he was talking about CJP's founder, Abhijeet Dipke.
However, the claim is false. A longer version of the video showed that Thackeray was talking about the protesters who came to the streets "to protect the nation", saying that they had taken up the form of Lord Vishnu while doing so.
Read our fact-check here.
2. Has a Student Protester Injured in Police Action Died? No, Viral Image Is AI
An image showing a young woman's photo with a garland was widely shared on social media shortly after the CJP called off their protests, claiming that she had suffered injuries during police action and later succumbed to them.
Is it true?: No, there have been no deaths due to, or during, the recent agitation.
The image being shared with the claim is an AI-generated one and does not show a real person.
You can read our fact-check here.
3. Video of Piyush Goyal Wanting ‘Cockroaches’ To Be Hanged Is a Deepfake
A video of Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, speaking to the media went viral on social media this week.
In the clip, Goyal was heard saying that "two-three cockroaches should be hanged," and that the rest of the CJP-led protesters would learn their lesson from it.
Did he say that?: No, the video is a deepfake. Goyal clarified so himself, and stated that he had filed a police complaint regarding the video.
Read our fact-check here.
4. DCP Sumit Jha Resigns Over Police Action on Student Protesters? No, Video is AI
A video, claiming to show Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police (DCP) Sumit Jha announcing his resignation over the CJP-led protests, was shared on social media.
The post was captioned, "I am being forced to lie on student protests, I can't do it any longer. I am resigning because I can't lie anymore."
But...?: This video was altered using AI. There is no evidence of DCP Jha having resigned.
Read our fact-check here.
5. BJP Shares Old Videos Claiming To Show 2026 NEET Student Success Stories
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and accounts associated with it shared a set of two videos showing students who had cleared examinations with their parents, claiming to show to aspirants who had allegedly cleared the 2026 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
But...?: Both videos are old and date back to 2024, showing two candidates who had cleared the same exam two years ago.
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 webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)