Fact Check: Viral video showing Modi’s effigy tied to a tractor makes a false claim about location
Viral video showing Modi’s effigy tied to a tractor makes a false claim about location
Claim :
Claim: A video in circulation on social media claims to show an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi attached to a tractor in the United States, in connection with the ongoing farmers' protest in India.Fact :
The viral video, purportedly from the current farmers' protest in India, is actually from Aurora, Oregon, United States. Furthermore, the audio in the viral clip has been manipulated.
Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh are currently en route to the national capital, demanding guaranteed prices for their crops and the implementation of a legally assured Minimum Support Price (MSP) by the central government.
Amidst this, a video circulating on social media claims to show an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi attached to a tractor in the United States, as part of the ongoing farmers' protest in India.
The video was posted by an X user with a caption, which when translated reads, "These are farmers?? The agitators are proudly presenting the photo of Khalistani Bhindranwale and making an effigy of the country's Prime Minister Modi ji and dragging him around. The government should now treat these Khalistanis in the same way as it was done before."
Click here to view the claim on youtube
Fact Check:
The claim is false.
After analyzing the audio from the viral video, we discovered that the footage originated from a 2020 NDTV news report. The viral video, which has been circulating with misleading information, combines visuals from an unrelated event with audio extracted from the NDTV report. Specifically, the audio of a conversation between a reporter and an elderly farmer has been digitally added to the viral footage.
It is crucial to note that the video and audio are distinct elements. The original audio, as per our search, is from a December 2020 NDTV news report. In this report, an NDTV reporter questions a protester about their journey to Delhi in the cold, and the protester responds, "He is snatching our bread (roti), he will take our land, we will punch Modi."
Furthermore, we found posts by social media users dating back to 2020, indicating that the elderly man's comments about PM Modi had previously gone viral. Numerous users shared clips of his interview, as seen in posts found here, here and here. Additionally, a report by Avee News Punjabi identified the elderly man as Satnam Singh.
We observed the telephone number displayed on the signboard, and through our search, we found the eatery as 'Sizzling Tandoori Hut’. We were able to geo-locate the establishment to Aurora, Oregon, United States. Notably, the viral video showcases identical shop boards and features the same blue mini tractor positioned at the entrance of this identified restaurant. It suggests that the video in question is from Aurora, Oregon, United States.
Click here to view on google maps.
Hence, the claim is false. The viral video, purportedly from the ongoing farmers' protest in India, is actually from Aurora, Oregon, United States. Furthermore, the audio in the viral clip has been manipulated
