Fake News Website Claims Modi is World’s Second Most Corrupt PM

The post been shared close to 1,500 times, mostly by right-wing accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks second among the most corrupt Prime Ministers in the world

(Photo: Alt News)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks second among the most corrupt Prime Ministers in the world, according to a list circulating on social media. Public Voice, a Facebook page, declared PM Modi second, behind Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan in their list of most corrupt prime ministers. Vladimir Putin ranks third.

(Photo Courtesy: Alt News)

This list which is purportedly put together by an organisation, with a name similar to Fox News, is fast gaining attention on Facebook. Public Voice shared this list and also makes the allegation that PM Modi’s net worth is about 250,000 US dollars.

The post also refers to PM Modi’s alleged ties with the Sahara group. This post dated 13 March 2018 has been shared more than 1500 times.

According to an Alt News fact-check on www.foxnewspoint.com, it was discovered that the site has nothing to do with American news channel Fox News. This website has also released another list of ten most corrupt politicians in the world in March 2017, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks seventh.

(Photo: Alt News)

In yet another list from September 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s family ranks second among the ten most corrupt families in the world. Again, Nawaz Sharif’s family tops the list. Narendra Modi is spelled as ‘Narindar Modi’.

(Photo Courtesy: Alt News)

Earlier in 2017, social media was flooded with similar posts. A list had circulated on social media which claimed that the Congress party ranks fourth among the most corrupt political parties in the world. This list was from a website called bbcnewspoint.

However, clicking on the link now redirects to foxnewspoint which indicates that both these websites are being run by the same entity. It was shared by many right-wing accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

Another version of the list stated that BBC had declared Congress as the fourth most corrupt party in the world.

Interestingly, according to some others, BBC had declared the BJP as the most corrupt political party in the world!

As it turns out, there was no such survey conducted by BBC, but this detail was oblivious to those on all sides of the ideological divide who zestfully spread this fake news on social media.

These fake lists are being used as propaganda tools by supporters and sympathisers of various political parties.

SMHoaxSlayer had published an article rubbishing these lists as false. Social media users need to be circumspect with regard to such claims passing around on social media, as media organisations do not conduct surveys on such topics.

(The story was originally published on Alt News and has been republished with permission.)