WebQoof Recap: Of 'Fake News' Around Lok Sabha Polls & Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Here are some pieces of misinformation that went viral this week.

WebQoof Recap: Here are the viral pieces of misinformation that we debunked this week. 

(Source: Kamran Akhter/The Quint) 

From misinformation around the viral video of two women playing Holi inside a metro, shared as a deep fake to election misinformation and the Baltimore Bridge collapse, here are the viral pieces of misinformation that went viral this week.

1. Is This Video of Two Women Playing With Colours Inside Metro a Deepfake? No!

A video showing two women dancing and playfully applying colours to each other inside a metro is being shared on social media platforms.

• Some individuals, including the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), are alleging that the video was created using deepfake technology.

• This was shared by several news media organisations such as The Indian Express, Times Now, and ETV Bharat.

Several signs pointed out that the video was a real incident and not a deep fake. 

(Source: The Quint) 

The video is not a deepfake. The viral video was created by an Instagram user 'Preeti Morya'.

• We noticed several signs which pointed towards the possibility of the clip being authentic. This included several instances of people recording the incident on their mobile phones and their shadows on the metro floor.

• The creator confirmed to another media organisation that the video was real and filmed inside the Delhi metro.

Read the full story here.

2. No, This Clip Does Not Show Cash Being Found in TDP Leader Nara Lokesh's Convoy

A small video clip, featuring a convoy of vehicles and a photograph of Nara Lokesh, the national general secretary of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is being shared on social media.

• The video is accompanied by a Telugu text that claims Lokesh was with stacks of cash in preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

An archive of this post can be seen here.

(Source: Instagram/Altered by The Quint)

The claim is misleading as the video is altered.

• Although Nara Lokesh's convoy was stopped for inspection, it is reported that he fully cooperated and the Tadepalli police did not discover any violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The local police also confirmed to The Quint that the claim was false.

• News reports noted that no "prohibited material," such as freebies or precious metals were found, so the "convoy moved with clearance from the authorities.

• Even Lokesh dismissed these claims by clarififying on his X account in a post where he mentioned that his convoy as part of the "implementation of the MCC."

Read our fact-check here.

3. Old, Unrelated Clip Shared as Visuals From Key Bridge Collapse in Baltimore, US

After the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in United States' Baltimore, a video is going viral claiming that it shows visuals from the tragic incident.

• Those sharing the video wrote, "Alternate angle on Francis Scott key bridge shows a large explosion."

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

The claim is false.

• The video is not recent and has no connection to the bridge collapse in Baltimore. It has been available online since at least October 2022 and shows an explosion on a bridge in Crimea.

Read the fact-check here.

4. No, BJP Andhra Pradesh President Daggubati Purandeswari Has Not Resigned

After the anouncement of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate list for the general elections, posts claiming that the party's Andhra Pradesh state president Daggubati Purandeswari has resigned from her position have gone viral on social media.

The archives can be found here and here.

(Source: Facebook/Altered by The Quint)

The claim is false. BJP Andhra Pradesh's X (formerly Twitter) account clarified that the letter was "fake" and the news of Purandeswari's resignation is "fake news."

Read our fact-check here.

5. Fact-Check: RSS’ Namesake Extends Support to Congress For Lok Sabha Elections

A video of a press conference showing a few men sitting in front of a banner with the text "Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh Press Conference" is being shared on social media platforms.

• In the press conference, those hosting can be heard speaking in favour of the Congress party and extend their support to them in the upcoming general elections.

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: X/Screenshot) 

While this press conference was held by an organisation called Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), it is not the RSS led by Dr Mohan Bhagwat.

• Another organisation by the name RSS was started in Nagpur by a social activist and former corporator Janardan Moon. He attempted to register his organisation under the RSS name, claiming that the other RSS is not a registered organisation.

Read our story 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 [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)