Virus less contagious than fake news

New Delhi: Fake news surrounding Covid 19 are spreading at faster rate than the disease. A spike in spread of fake news was noted after a few Tablighi Jamaat workers were diagnosed positive with the disease. Campaigns include images and videos that purportedly show spitting in fruits, manhandling police officers and applying saliva to spread virus, among others. Fake news are catching up even after proving false.

Vendor spitting on fruits; video of 16 February

Propaganda: Video shows a vendor spitting on fruits spread in social media on  3rd April.

Truth: Video shows Sheru, a vendor of Raisan district in Madhya Pradesh. An investigation by 'The Quint' revealed that the video was shot on 16th February. Sheru claimed that he was picking out rotten fruits. Sheru was booked after the video surfaced. The district superintendent also verified the date of video.

'Muslims sneezing together'

Propaganda: Another video spread to claim that Muslims are sneezing together to spread virus. The video is claimed to be of Tablighi Jamaat headquarters.

Truth: Video show rituals performed by Sufis in Durgahs and other religious places. 'The logical Indian' website proved that the video shows the ritual performed in religious places.

Spitting on police officers

Propaganda: A video was widely circulated claiming that the Tablighi Jamaat workers spitted on police officers while they were being escorted out of the headquarters.

Truth: Tablighi activists were shifted to hospitals in buses of Delhi government. The video actually shows Mohammad Suhail of Pune, an under trial prisoner, attacking police officers after being refused the food brought from his home.

Muslim police officer attacking Hindu saint

Propoganda: Senior leaders of Viswa Hindu Parishad and ABVP had shared a video in social media, claiming that Reva SP Abid Khan, attacked a Hindu saint.

Truth: IG had posted in social media that the police officer in the video shows police inspector Rajkumar Mishra. The senior officer also made it clear that lockdown measures were implemented after many women also joined the pooja activities.

Employee spitting on food package: An old video circulated across the world

Propaganda: The old video running 45 seconds was published by Mahesh Vikram Hegde, founder of Post Card news, the veritable centre of fake news.

Truth: Origin of the video is yet to be ascertained. It had taken viral rounds in social media in UAE, Singapore and Malaysia. However the video was again circulated in India as part of hate campaign.

Muslims licking vessels; video of May 2018

Propaganda: Images claiming that Muslims licking vessels to spread coronavirus are spread in social media. The same images are also circulated claiming to be of Muslims from Italy and Iran lodged in mosques of Patna. The image is also claimed to be of Muslims found hiding in mosques in Tamil Nadu.

Truth: An investigation carried out by Altnews revealed that the video is of 31st May 2018. The image shows Davoodi Borah community members, who believe no single grain should be wasted, finishing off the food. The video was purported to be of Tablighi Jamaat headquarters.