WebQoof Recap: From Violence in Northeast Delhi to Trump’s Visit
Here’s a weekly quick round-up of all the WhatsApp forwards and fake tweets that you fell for this week!
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From the violence that shook parts of Delhi’s northeast area, sparked by unrest over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, to US President Donald Trump’s two-day visit to India, here’s a quick round-up of all the WhatsApp forwards and fake tweets that did the rounds this week!
1. Delhi Mosque Vandalism Video Was Wrongly Labelled ‘Fake’ by Media
Amid the clashes that took place in northeast Delhi on Tuesday, 25 February, a video of a mosque being vandalised in the Ashok Nagar area started doing the rounds on social media.
The video showed men climbing on top of the mosque’s minaret, carrying a saffron flag and the Tricolour, and vandalising it amid cheers and shouting in the background.
To counter this narrative, some social media users started propagating that the video was from ‘Samastipur in Bihar’ and that it was old.
The Delhi Police too issued a “clarification” saying that no mosque was vandalised in Ashok Vihar (an initial confusion which was caused due to the similar name of two places, the other being Ashok Nagar), but did not mention anything about whether the incident ever happened or not.
The Quint visited the location and found that Badi Masjid, located in Gali (lane) number 5 of Ashok Nagar was burnt and vandalised. According to eyewitnesses and those living near the mosque, houses of locals were also looted and gutted.
You can read the full story here.
2. False Identities Attributed to the Gun-Wielding Shooter in Delhi’s Jaffrabad
The photograph of a gun wielding man in Delhi’s Jaffrabad is being circulated on social media with a claim that his real name is not ‘Shahrukh,’ as reported, but Anurag Mishra.
Some social media users also shared his photograph with the claim that he was the same man seen in BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s video. Mishra, who was present at a pro-CAA rally in Maujpur on Sunday, 23 February, had given a three-day ultimatum to Delhi Police, adding that if the roads are not cleared in the next three days, they will ‘take charge of the situation’.
However, the man who who fired shots in Jaffrabad is neither Anurag Mishra, nor he is the same man seen in Kapil Mishra’s video.
You can read the full story here.
Some social media users also alleged that the shooter was a part of the ‘pro-CAA protesters’ and the men behind him could be seen carrying ‘saffron flags’ during the violence.
You can read the full story here.
3. Old Video of Delhi’s Inderlok Passed Off as Situation ‘Right Now’
A video is circulating on social media with the claim that it shows the situation of Delhi’s Inderlok area “right now.” The video shows a huge amount of people gathering near a metro station with some raising placards in their hands.
While the viral video is from Delhi’s Inderlok area, it’s a two-month-old incident and took place on 20 December 2019.
Monica Bharadwaj, DCP North Delhi, told The Quint that the situation was peaceful on Wednesday, 26 February, and that the incident took place two months ago after Friday prayers and was in context to CAA.
We also spoke to a local shopkeeper who, too, corroborated that the situation has been peaceful and no such agitation took place in the area on Wednesday.
You can read the full story here.
4. FIT WebQoof: Mutton Livestock Infected With Virus? It’s Fake
A video showing fifty goats infected with what is being called an unknown virus in a market in Ajmer has gone viral. The claim along with the video reads: “An unknown virus has spread in the mutton livestock market in India, so avoid consuming goat mutton. Share this video & message with family & friends.”
FIT spoke to Dr Ajay Arora, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Ajmer who said in none of the markets selling mutton in Ajmer, has any such virus been found. He called the video fake.
One of the reasons of it going viral this time around could have to do with coronavirus outbreak, or the coronavirus dominating global headlines. However, there's no proof of livestock of Ajmer, or India for that matter, being infected.
You can read the full story here.
5. Taj Mahal Being Cleaned Just Before Trump’s Visit? No, It’s Fake
US President Donald Trump, who was recently on a two-day visit to India, arrived in Agra with his wife Melania on Monday, 24 February, to visit the Taj Mahal.
Right before Trump was to visit Taj Mahal, a video was shared on social media that claimed that the last-minute cleaning of the majestic monument was still “underway.”
However, the video in circulation does not show Agra’s Taj Mahal but a Taj Mahal-like structure in Bhopal’s People Mall.
We also found that the structure shown in the viral video has several visual differences with the Taj Mahal in Agra but is the same as the one seen in People’s Mall in Bhopal.
You can read the full story 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 webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
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