WebQoof Recap: Of Misinformation Around Chris Rock and Birbhum Violence

Here’s a round-up of the misinformation that was shared this week.

From a fake apology by comedian Chris Rock, following the fiasco with actor Will Smith at the Oscars, to a visual from Switzerland being passed off as 'hooliganism in Bengal' after the Birbhum violence, here's a round-up of all the misinformation this week.

1. Viral Statement Apologising to the Smiths Falsely Attributed to Chris Rock

A viral message of a purported apology by comedian and Oscars host Chris Rock is being shared on social media after the Oscars' fiasco.

In the claim, Rock appears to apologise to Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith and their family for crossing a line at the awards ceremony, where Rock poked fun at Jada's autoimmune condition in a joke, after which Will Smith stormed to the stage and hit Chris Rock.

However, no statement had been issued by Rock in connection to the event, though Will Smith took to Instagram to publicly apologise for the debacle.

The viral statement, being attributed to the comedian, was first penned by a podcast host on Facebook that said, "This is just how I would’ve handled it."

Read the detailed fact-check here.

2. Disturbing Video From Uttarakhand's Kaliyar Shared With False Communal Angle

A disturbing video of a man caught with a woman's corpse in a suitcase is being widely shared on social media, with a communal claim that a Muslim man killed his Hindu girlfriend in Kaliyar, Uttarakhand.

Some users have shared the video calling it 'Love Jihad,' a term popularised by the right-wing that often refers to a "campaign" by Muslims under which Hindu women are forcefully converted to Islam under the pretext of love and marriage.

However, the gruesome incident is not communal in nature. As per Kaliyar Sharif Police SO Dharmendra Rathi, both the deceased and the accused, identified as Ramsa and Gulzeb respectively, were from the same community.

He further stated that both were distant relatives.

Read the detailed fact-check here.

3. Old Video of Vandalisation in Switzerland Falsely Shared as Situation in Bengal

A video showing a group of people vandalising cars is being shared on social media with the claim that it shows the situation in West Bengal. It also states that Muslims are behind the attack, adding, in eight Indian states, Muslims are in majority and that "India must beware".

The claim is being shared in the backdrop of the Birbhum violence where eight people were charred to death in Bogtui village of West Bengal on 21 March.

However, the video is from Switzerland when a fight took place in Basel, following a football match in 2018.

Further, the claim that Muslims are in majority in eight Indian states is also incorrect. According to the 2011 Census of India, the only state with Muslim majority is Jammu and Kashmir, along with Lakshadweep, which is a Union Territory (UT).

Read the detailed fact-check here.

4. 2020 Video of Police Assaulting a Woman is From Jharkhand, Not UP

A video showing a man assualting and abusing a woman in the presence of two police personnel is being shared on social media with a claim that it is a recent incident that happened in Uttar Pradesh under Yogi Adityanath's governance.

However, we found that the video is old and is from a village named Barhait of Sahebganj district, Jharkhand.

Read the detailed fact-check here.

5. AAP Leader Raghav Chadha's Image From Lakmé Fashion Week in Makeup is Edited

A photo of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha in makeup and coloured hair is going viral on social media claiming that it was his look for the Lakmé Fashion Week, which was held in Delhi.

Chadha, walked the ramp for his maternal uncle and fashion designer Pawan Sachdeva on 27 March. He was was dressed in an all black attire and was the showstopper at the event.

However, the viral photo showing him in make-up is digitally altered to mock the AAP leader.

Read the detailed fact-check here.

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