Skip to main content

PeakMetrics / Fact Checks

Politics & government fact checks

Explore claims publishers have checked about politics & government. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.

12,743 published reviews in this topic

FACTLYPolitics & government

A photo of a meeting between Joe Biden and Modi in a room with a Mahabharatha wall painting

Publisher’s rating: FALSE

FACTLY examined a widely circulated image said to show US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seated in a room with a Mahabharatha chariot wall painting behind them. Its review concludes that the image was altered: the painting was added to a photograph, rather than appearing in the original scene. The review says a reverse image search led it to a post by Modi containing several photos. One was identical to the circulated image, but was a wider shot that also showed other delegates. FACTLY identifies the setting as the leaders’ meeting at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. Comparing the wider image with the viral crop, the review says the latter was made by cropping the original and adding the wall painting. As further reference to the meeting, the review notes that a video was uploaded to Modi’s official YouTube channel. The supplied excerpt does not describe a separate analysis of that video, so the stated basis for the finding is the comparison with the wider photograph. FACTLY’s conclusion is that the circulated image does not faithfully show the original photograph’s background.

FACTLYPolitics & government

A video clip of Rahul Gandhi giving an incoherent response in an interview

Publisher’s rating: MISLEADING

The claim concerns a short viral clip that appears to show Congress leader Rahul Gandhi giving a muddled answer to an interviewer asking whether he would continue regardless of the result. FACTLY’s review concludes that the clip is distorted: it was assembled from out-of-context portions of an Aaj Tak interview, rather than showing one continuous, incoherent response. The review labels the claim “Misleading.”

FACTLYPolitics & government

The Constitution of Japan was adopted in 1278 and Article 1 is ‘Buddham Sharanam Gacchami.’

Publisher’s rating: FALSE

The claim says Japan’s Constitution was adopted in 1278 and that its first article is the Buddhist phrase “Buddham Sharanam Gacchami.” FACTLY’s review describes a discrepancy in the year: its opening account says the post claimed 1287, while its fact section expressly addresses 1278. The review’s conclusion is that the Constitution dates to 1947 and Article 1 concerns the emperor’s role, not the phrase. To check the Constitution’s history, the review says it searched using relevant keywords. It reports that Japan had no modern written constitution in 1278, when the country was under the Kamakura Shogunate, described as a feudal military government. It says the Constitution was promulgated in 1946 and took effect on 3 May 1947, following World War II. The review also examines the phrase’s meaning and its alleged presence in the Constitution. It says the phrase means “I take refuge in Buddha” and was not explicitly included in Japan’s Constitution—or, according to the review, in any constitution. It contrasts that claim with Article 1’s text, which identifies the emperor as the symbol of the State and the unity of the people, with his position deriving from the people’s will. The review further notes that the Constitution’s first chapter, “The Emperor,” contains Articles 1–8.