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Politics & government fact checks
Explore claims publishers have checked about politics & government. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.
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Search by text or image12,754 published reviews in this topic
Claim: BJP Tamil Nadu leader Murugan not promised to withdraw farmers bill
Publisher’s rating: Altered
The claim concerns a social-media news card attributed to Puthiya Thalaimurai (New Generation), which said that BJP Tamil Nadu leader L. Murugan had promised to repeal the agricultural laws if the BJP came to power. Fact Crescendo’s review identifies the card as the specific item it investigated and notes that the wording left unclear whether “BJP coming to power” meant in the state or at the Centre. [S1] The review reports that it contacted Puthiya Thalaimurai’s editorial team about the card dated 3 January 2021; the editors said they had not published such a report. [S1] The review then describes checking Puthiya Thalaimurai’s official Facebook page for a post about Murugan dated 3 January 2020, where it says the original news card was found. The review concludes that someone had taken a different Puthiya Thalaimurai card about Murugan, added their own statement, and circulated the edited version. This supports the conclusion that the card presenting the repeal promise as a Puthiya Thalaimurai report was altered; the excerpt does not establish that Murugan made that promise elsewhere. [S1]
किसान नेता रेल मंत्री पीयूष गोयल जी के साथ सेल्फी लेते हुए
Publisher’s rating: False
Papa não se manifestou sobre legalização do aborto na Argentina
Publisher’s rating: Falso
प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी के साथ तस्वीर में अन्ना हज़ारे मौजूद है
Publisher’s rating: False
Claim: Fake news card being circulated on PMK founder Ramadoss
Publisher’s rating: False
The claim concerns a social-media card attributed to PMK founder Ramadoss, alleging that he regretted political choices including changing alliances, joining with the AIADMK, and making “box politics.” Fact Crescendo reports that the card was shared on Facebook on December 31, 2020, and says the circulating version used images of Ramadoss and Anbumani Ramadoss alongside those allegations. The review describes the card as resembling a Sun News graphic, but says its five numbered points had been added separately and the original background design removed. [S1: “பா.ம.க நிறுவனர் ராமதாஸ், அன்புமணி ராமதாஸ் ஆகியோர் புகைப்படங்களுடன் சன் நியூஸ் வெளியிட்ட நியூஸ் கார்டு ஒன்று பகிரப்பட்டுள்ளது.”; “பின்னணி டிசைன் அகற்றப்பட்டிருப்பதை காண முடிகிறது.”] To check the card, the review compared it with Sun News Tamil cards published on December 31, 2020. It reports finding a genuine card with the same leaders’ photographs, but with five different remarks: Ramadoss spoke about his hopes for political change, the absence of a PMK legislator, and the party leadership’s role in Anbumani’s election defeat. This comparison supports the finding that the viral card was edited to replace the original wording, rather than being an authentic Sun News card containing the circulated allegations. [S1: “சன் நியூஸ் தமிழ் ஃபேஸ்புக் பக்கத்தில் 31 டிசம்பர் 2020 அன்று வெளியான நியூஸ் கார்டுகளை ஆய்வு செய்தோம்.”; “அரசியல் மாற்றம் என்ற என்னுடைய நீண்ட நாள் கனவு, கனவாகவே போகுமா?”; “கடந்த தேர்தலில் நிர்வாகிகள் சரியாக வேலை செய்யாததே அன்புமணி தோல்வியுற காரணம்”] The review also says it found no news report supporting the circulated version’s claims about Ramadoss discussing alliance changes or corruption allegations at the December 31 meeting. It reports separately that a Sun News online employee and a senior PMK official who said he attended the meeting confirmed the card was fake and that Ramadoss had not made those remarks. These checks reinforce the card comparison: the source identifies a real card with different text and reports two people denying the attributed statements. [S1: “இது குறித்து சன் நியூஸ் ஆன்லைன் பிரிவு ஊழியர் மனோஜை தொடர்பு கொண்டு கேட்ட போது, அவரும் இது போலியானது என்று உறுதி செய்தார்.”; “அந்த கூட்டத்தில் நானும் பங்கேற்றேன். இது பொய்யான தகவல், டாக்டர் ராமதாஸ் அப்படி பேசவில்லை என்று அவரும் உறுதி செய்தார்.”]
Niemand, nicht einmal die Wissenschaft, kann der Politik sagen, mit welchen Massnahmen die Probleme innert drei, vier Wochen gelöst wären.
Publisher’s rating: Mit dieser Aussage führt Parmelin aus, dass niemand den idealen Lösungsweg in der Schublade hat. Das mag stimmen. Doch wiederum präsentierte die wissenschaftliche Taskforce des Bundes Mitte November einen ziemlich genauen Fahrplan mit Etappenzielen bis im Januar 2021. «Mit diesen wissenschaftlich fundierten Etappenzielen will die Taskforce der Bevölkerung ein realistisches Ziel vor Augen halten», sagte Marcel Tanner, Epidemiologe und Mitglied der Taskforce, im November gegenüber SRF. Tanner fügte auch an, dass Massnahmenverschärfungen nötig seien, wenn die Zahlen nur langsam stagnieren oder sich die Lage erneut verschlechtert.
Brigadir Jenderal Hendra Kurniawan adalah anak kandung Presiden Cina Xi Jinping
Publisher’s rating: Keliru
Große Demonstrationen sind in Frankreich keine Seltenheit. Nach den Gelbwesten-Protesten in den Jahren 2018 und 2019 fanden auch 2020 einige Proteste, etwa gegen das geplante Sicherheitsgesetz, statt. Nun wird in einem Facebook-Posting das Foto einer Menschenmenge geteilt, das angeblich am 18. Dezember 2020 in Paris aufgenommen worden sein soll. (hier archiviert). Auf dem Bild sind zahlreiche Menschen zu sehen, die auf einer großen Straße marschieren, Fackeln sind gezündet und Rauch steigt über den Köpfen der Menschen auf. «Den Franzosen reicht’s», steht neben dem Foto geschrieben.
Publisher’s rating: Das Foto entstand bereits am 15. Juli 2018. Der Anlass war ein freudiger: Die Menschen feierten den Sieg Frankreichs gegen Kroatien in der Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft.
The Facebook post presented a photograph of a crowd with flares and smoke as evidence of French protest activity, saying it had been taken in Paris on 18 December 2020. The review investigated the image itself, rather than relying on the post’s caption or on the fact that protests had taken place in France that year. It identifies the scene as a World Cup celebration in Paris, not the claimed December demonstration. The review locates the photographer’s viewpoint at the top of the Arc de Triomphe and identifies the avenue below as the Champs-Élysées. It names the photographer as Ludovic Marin, an AFP photographer. This places the image in a specific Paris location and attributes it to a named news photographer. For the image’s provenance, the review reports that AFP posted the photograph on Twitter on 15 July 2018 with the words “Paris ist eine Party,” and that Marin reposted it the following day. It also notes that the image appeared in media reports about the celebrations and that news agencies first published it alongside other images from the scene on 15 July. These reported publication traces connect the circulating photo to the 2018 World Cup celebrations, rather than to the event alleged in the Facebook post.
Claim: This is not childhood picture of Vajpayee
Publisher’s rating: False
Fact Crescendo examined a photograph shared on social media as a childhood picture of former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with his mother. The review says the post circulated with a birthday message referring to Vajpayee and was shared by multiple users. Its investigators searched for other childhood photographs of Vajpayee and found images with his father and family, but no matching photograph of him being held as a baby.
Old photo of PM Narendra Modi with Anna Hazare
Publisher’s rating: FALSE
The claim concerned a photo shared as an old image of Narendra Modi with Anna Hazare. The post also linked the alleged relationship to Hazare’s silence during protests. FACTLY’s review says the man beside Modi is not Hazare but Laxmanrao Inamdar, also known as “Vakil Saheb,” a senior RSS leader who influenced Modi. The review therefore rejects the identification on which the post’s explanation depends. For its check, FACTLY says it ran the photo through Google Reverse Image Search and found the same image published by news agencies. It reports that India Today and The Economic Times identified the man with Modi as Inamdar. It also says a colour version of the same photo appeared in a BBC Hindi article about Inamdar. These are the specific image-identification leads described in the excerpt; it does not provide further details about when or where the photograph was taken. The review distinguishes the photo claim from separate reporting about Hazare: it notes reports that he had threatened a hunger strike if farmer-related demands were not met by the end of January. That reported development does not establish that the man in the photo is Hazare. The decisive finding presented in this review is that the person pictured with Modi is Inamdar, not Anna Hazare.
Claim: They are not farmers who protested in front of Modi
Publisher’s rating: False
In sozialen Medien kursieren weiterhin falsche Informationen über die im November beschlossene Änderung des Infektionsschutzgesetzes. «Die Bundesregierung hat das historische Corona-Ermächtigungsgesetz durch den Bundestag gepeitscht und somit selbigen entmachtet», heißt es etwa in einem Instagram-Beitrag (hier archiviert). «Freiheitsrechte einschränken mit dem Verweis auf Corona geht für Merkel und Co in Zukunft noch viel leichter.»
Publisher’s rating: Die Änderung des Infektionsschutzgesetzes hat den Bundestag nicht entmachtet. Beschlossen wurden stattdessen präzisere Möglichkeiten zur Begründung und damit Kontrolle von Corona-Maßnahmen. Oppositionsparteien nahmen ihr Recht auf Kritik an der Gesetzesänderung wahr.
The claim concerns an Instagram post describing the November 2020 amendment to Germany’s Infection Protection Act as an “Enabling Act” that had supposedly stripped the Bundestag of power and would make it easier for the government to restrict freedoms. The review examined that specific post and the amendment it referred to. It reports that the Bundestag and Bundesrat changed the law on November 18, 2020, following criticism that restrictions on fundamental rights had not been adequately justified.
Claim: Edited video of MK Stalin speech being shared viral
Publisher’s rating: False
The review examined a circulating clip that appeared to show DMK leader MK Stalin saying that ₹2,500 plus ₹1,500 should be given as ₹5,000. The clip was shared to ridicule him as unable to do basic arithmetic. The review places the video in the run-up to the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, when supporters of the main parties were sharing political rumors online. To check the clip, the review compared it with a longer video that it says the DMK had posted on its official Facebook account. In the full recording, Stalin was discussing his earlier request that the AIADMK government provide ₹5,000 as COVID-19 relief. He said the government had provided ₹1,000 earlier and announced ₹2,500 as a Pongal gift; he argued that adding ₹1,500 to that gift would bring the total relief to ₹5,000. The review’s account therefore distinguishes the relief total he was discussing from a claim that ₹2,500 plus ₹1,500 equals ₹5,000. The review concludes that portions of the speech had been removed, changing the apparent meaning of the excerpt. It also says Maalai Murasu had published the story without checking it and later removed it, and that AIADMK accounts and other users shared the edited clip. The supplied text describes the comparison and identifies the full video’s source, but does not provide independent technical analysis of the video file.
Judul artikel yang menyebut Menteri Sosial Tri Rismaharini akan menghapus semua Bantuan Langsung Tunai (BLT)
Publisher’s rating: Sesat
Photo of the farmer who died while protesting against the Centre’s new farm laws
Publisher’s rating: FALSE
The claim concerns a photo circulated as showing a farmer who died while protesting in Delhi against the Indian government’s new farm laws. FACTLY says it checked the image using reverse image search. It found similar versions posted on social media in 2018 and 2019—before the protests at issue—and concluded the photo was not of someone from those protests. This earlier online appearance is the key evidence against the photo’s claimed identification.
ఈ వీడియోలో కాంగ్రెస్ ఎమ్మెల్యే అనిల్ ఉపాధ్యాయ చెప్పినది నిజం, వీడియోను పూర్తిగా చూడండి, మరియు దేశానికి తెలిసే విధంగా షేర్ చేయండి
Publisher’s rating: FALSE
The claim concerned a video shared on Facebook on December 6, 2020. Its accompanying text said that Congress MLA Anil Upadhyay was speaking in the video and urged viewers to watch and share it. Vishvas News reported that the person shown was not the MLA: it identified him as Sudhir Pandey, a contractor. The review describes the video’s subject as expressing support for the farmers’ bill. (S1: “దావా : ఫేస్బుక్ యూజర్ Kirit Patel 2020 డిసెంబర్ 6వ తేదీన ఒక వీడియోను అప్లోడ్ చేశారు : ‘ఈ వీడియోలో కాంగ్రెస్ ఎమ్మెల్యే అనిల్ ఉపాధ్యాయ చెప్పినది నిజం, వీడియోను పూర్తిగా చూడండి, మరియు దేశానికి తెలిసే విధంగా షేర్ చేయండి.’”; S1: “వీడియోలో కనిపిస్తున్న వ్యక్తి కాంగ్రెస్ ఎమ్మెల్యే కాదు, వృత్తిరీత్యా కాంట్రాక్టర్ అయిన సుధీర్ పాండే అని తేలింది.”) The review says it examined the footage, noticed a Khabar India logo and watermark, and used InVID screenshots and Google reverse-image search, including the keyword “Khabar India,” to locate a fuller version on that outlet’s YouTube channel. It reports that the original video was uploaded on November 28, 2020. (S1: “వీడియోను జాగ్రత్తగా గమనించినప్పుడు, ఖబర్ ఇండియా లోగో మరియు ఖబర్ ఇండియా న్యూస్ యొక్క వాటర్ మార్క్ చూడవచ్చు.”; S1: “విశ్వాస్ న్యూస్ ఇన్విడ్ టూల్ ద్వారా పొందిన స్క్రీన్గ్రాబ్లను గూగుల్ రివర్స్ ఇమేజ్ సెర్చ్ టూల్లో సెర్చ్ చేసింది.”; S1: “ఈ వీడియోను నవంబర్ 28, 2020 న అప్లోడ్ చేశారు.”) According to the review, Khabar India’s office said the person in the viral video was Sudhir Pandey, a contractor, not an MLA. The review also says it contacted Pandey, who identified himself as the person shown, said he lived in Delhi, had no current party affiliation, and supported the BJP. These reported identifications directly address the claim about who was speaking; they do not establish that the quoted political statement itself was true. (S1: “వైరల్ వీడియోలో కనిపించే వ్యక్తి ఎమ్మెల్యే కాదని, వృత్తిపరంగా కాంట్రాక్టర్ అయిన సుధీర్ పాండే అని వారు చెప్పారు.”; S1: “‘ఆ వీడియోలో కనిపిస్తున్నది నేనే. నా పేరు సుధీర్ కుమార్ పాండే. నేను ఢిల్లీలో నివసిస్తున్నాను, ప్రస్తుతం నాకు ఏ పార్టీతో సంబంధం లేదు. అయితే, నేను బిజెపికి మద్దతుదారుడిని.’ అని సుధీర్ పాండే చెప్పారు.”)
Photo of Surat Singh Khalsa on hunger strike in protest of new farm laws passed by the Government of India
Publisher’s rating: FALSE
The claim concerns a photo circulated during protests against India’s new farm laws, said to show civil activist Surat Singh Khalsa on hunger strike in support of the farmers. FACTLY reports that the image was old and depicted a different fast: “This photo was shot during Surat Singh Khalsa’s hunger strike for the release of political Sikh prisoners in 2015.” It says the image “has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest.” The review describes using reverse image search to trace the circulated picture. It found a similar photo in a Sikh 24 article, which identified Khalsa as fasting for the release of political Sikh prisoners who had completed their life sentences. FACTLY also notes similar images in a Sikh Relief News article. These findings place the image in the context of Khalsa’s earlier prisoner-release campaign, not a fast against the farm laws. The review distinguishes the photo’s provenance from Khalsa’s later support for farmers. It says he expressed support through his Facebook page, but reports no announcement that he had begun a hunger strike for the farmers. Thus, the evidence supports that the photo was miscaptioned: it shows Khalsa’s 2015 fast, while the claim links it to the later farmers’ protests.