Claim: A photo of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being shared on social media claiming that she accompanied PM Modi while he was filing his nomination for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Fact: BOOM found that the viral photo is from 2022, when Modi and other senior BJP leaders accompanied Murmu for the nomination process as NDA's presidential candidate. Also, as of May 8, 2024, PM Modi is yet to file his nomination. Tools used: We ran a Go

BOOM found that the notice is fake and the organisation 'Association of Sunni Muslims' does not exist in Dubai.

Claim: A video purporting to show Congress workers in Karnataka burning an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and instead setting their lungis on fire is viral online. Fact: BOOM found that the claims are false, the video is from 2012 and shows members of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) burning an effigy of Mahatma Gandhi University's then Vice Chancellor. The video is being falsely linked to 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Tools used: We ran a reverse image search of some keyframes from the viral

BOOM found that Ranaut was responding to a remark made by Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh in the original video.

BOOM found that the photo is from 2022, when Modi and other senior BJP leaders accompanied Murmu to file her candidature for the presidential post.

As the country voted in the second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, social media users complained about the confusion over the voting process. We explain the process in 5 simple steps: First polling officer will check your name in the voter list and check your ID proof. Second polling officer will ink your finger and take your signature on a register. Third polling officer will check the ink on your finger and turn on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Record your vote by pressing the bal

Varahe Analytics, a political consultancy hired by the BJP is using young influencers to run a network of proxy pages.

BOOM debunked 20 pieces of misinformation, most of which revolved around videos of EVMs, claims of scraping reservations and communal claims.

Claim: An ad apparently for CEAT tyres with an anti-Modi tagline asking people to oust the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the centre is viral. Fact: BOOM found that the viral ad is an edited version and the original ad by CEAT tyres dates back to June 2017. It is unrelated to the ongoing Lok Sabha polls and does not carry any anti-Modi tagline as suggested in the viral claim. Tools used: Taking a clue from the ' Paise Bachane Hai ? (Want to save money?)' tagline, we

BOOM found the original speech where Mallikarjun Kharge attributed the statement to PM Modi and called him out for spreading misinformation about the Congress manifesto.

In a conversation with BOOM, Shyam Rangeela emphasised that his foray into politics is not merely symbolic but also a serious endeavour.

In a conversation with Decode, Shyam Rangeela emphasised that his foray into politics is not merely symbolic but also a serious endeavour.

BOOM found that the video is from 2012 and shows members of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) burning an effigy of Mahatma Gandhi University's Vice Chancellor.

Superintendent of Police, Ranaghat Police District, told BOOM that both the assailant and victim are Hindus and that there is no communal angle to the assault.

BOOM found that the women being rescued from an ISIS camp in Syria in the video were not Indians.

BOOM found that the video shows the actor attending the India Day Parade in New York as the Grand Marshal in 2022.

The explosion was caused due to a refuelling malfunction of the central air conditioning unit at the jewellery store, but social media posts falsely called it a bomb blast and terrorist attack.

Claim: A video of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra talking about late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is viral, claiming that she said that voters in Amethi criticised him for not building a road in his parliamentary constituency. Facts: BOOM found that in the original speech, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was giving an example of how voters used to hold leaders accountable in the past and made a comparison to present day and alleged that leaders provoke people in the name of religion and ask for votes

BOOM found that the viral video is from Bangladesh dating back to 2021 and is not linked to ongoing general election in India

BOOM found that the video shows a 2017 ad by CEAT tyres and has been edited to add an anti-Modi spin.

Claim: A video of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath apparently questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the ' mangalsutras ' (a sacred thread worn by married Hindu women) of the widows of the security personnel who died in the Pulwama terror attack is viral. Fact: BOOM found that the video is altered by cutting and pasting different portions of Yogi Adityanth's speech to make the false claim. In the original speech, Adityanath was in fact quoting Dimple Yadav, Samajwadi Party le

BOOM found that the viral video misidentifies the elderly woman as Subhashini Ali.

Rohith Vemula's suicide in 2016 triggered a political firestorm and ignited nationwide students protests.

Claim: A photo purporting to show a press release by the Congress party officially declaring the names of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the party's Lok Sabha candidates for Raebareli and Amethi is viral. Fact: BOOM found that no such press release was put out by the party on April 30, 2024, declaring the candidates for these two seats. We reviewed the Congress Party's official X handle and found one press release released on May 3, 2024. It mentioned that Rahul Gandhi will be contest

In the original video, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra further adds saying that voters back then were more aware and they would even question the prime minister as compared to today.

Claim: A WhatsApp forward claiming to raise awareness among voters by explaining concepts such as 'challenge vote' and 'tender vote', is viral on several social media platforms. Fact: BOOM found that two out of three claims in the viral WhatsApp forward are false. We had previously fact-checked the same message in 2019 when it was being shared on WhatsApp with false claims. We had then reached out to V Citizens Action Network (VCAN), a civil society organisation partnered with the Election Commi

As ethnic tensions broke out on 3rd May, 2023, the state government of Manipur ordered a complete blanket ban on the Internet. But people found ways to get around it.

BOOM found that the photo has been created using generative-AI and is not real.

Experts told BOOM that gag orders go against public interest, are usually accused-centric and are used to create a chilling effect.

BOOM found that contrary to the viral claim, Uddhav Thackeray was being urged to speak for a longer time at the event.

A Lieutenant in the Fresno Police Department rubbished the online rumours of Goldy Brar being the victim of the recent shooting, in a statement to IANS.

BOOM found that the video shows violence that took place during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in April 2023.

BOOM found that the video has been doctored by cutting and pasting different portions of his speech but is not a deepfake.

In the longer version of the video Chowdhury was asking votes for the Congress candidate of Jangipur Mortaza Hossain Bakul in West Bengal.

BOOM found that the Congress party has not officially released any press release announcing its candidates for Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha constituencies.

Claim: A video of Home Minister Amit Shah is being shared on social media claiming that it shows him promising to end reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) communities if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is voted back to power. Fact: BOOM found that an old video has been edited and in the original video which dates back to 2023, Amit Shah is seen talking about ending Muslim reservation in Telangana if BJP is voted to power in the state.

Decode found out that many of these betting websites are not only still operating in India but are also openly advertising their platforms on social media using influencers and paid promotion.

Claim: A viral screenshot claims to show India Today's Mood of the Nation survey predicted 17 Lok Sabha seats for the Samajwadi Party. Fact: BOOM found that it's an edited screenshot and the original one actually shows the survey predicting seven seats for the Akhilesh Yadav led SP. Tools used: We checked the the original live stream on India Today's YouTube channel uploaded on March 20, 2024. Read the full fact-check here .

Claim: A quote purporting to show Jamyang Tsering Namgyal asked the people of Ladakh to forgive him for joining the Bharatiya Janata Party and supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi is viral online. Fact: The viral quote is fake and has been misattributed to the Member of Parliament. The fake quote is viral after Jamyang Namgyal expressed his discontent as he was dropped and Tashi Gyalson was named as the BJP candidate from Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency. Tools used: We found that the official X

Claim: A video showing a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker from Chennai being thrashed is viral online as recent and is being connected to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Fact: BOOM found that the video dates back to July 2023 and shows the District Secretary of BJP's IT and Social Media Cell in Chennai being beaten up by members of his own party. Tools used: We watched the viral video closely and noticed that it carried the date '31/07/2023'. We ran a search for the incident using Tamil keyw

Claim: A video of Rahul Gandhi is viral online claiming that the Congress leader spoke of a census specifically for minorities. Fact: BOOM found that the viral video has been doctored to make the false claim. Rahul Gandhi in his speech stated that the Congress party would implement a Socio-Economic and Caste Census, following which backward classes, Dalits, Adivasis, economically backward general castes, and minorities would be able to ascertain their respective contribution in the country. Tool

Claim: A video of Congress leader and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath is viral online claiming that he promised a mosque and the reinstatement of Article 370 to Muslims in a meeting. Fact: BOOM found that the video is a deepfake. The audio in the clip, claiming to be that of Kamal Nath, is an audio voice clone and not his own voice. Tools used: We found that the original video was uploaded on YouTube on November 14, 2018 when Kamal Nath met with Muslim voters. BOOM ran the vid

Claim: A video purportedly showing Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami distributing cash in exchange for votes is viral online as recent. Fact: BOOM found that the video dates back to 2022 and was taken during the Uttarakhand assembly elections when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and Dhami of buying votes. Tools used: We looked at the viral video closely and found that the envelope with the money carried the name of Shiv Arora, who was said to be a BJP ca

Claim: A video of Rahul Gandhi is being shared on social media with a claim that the Congress leader promised to credit an annual sum of Rs 1 lakh to accounts of youngsters who spent time browsing social media platforms. Fact: BOOM found that the video has been cropped and Gandhi was referring to the Congress party's 'Right to Apprenticeship' programme where unemployed graduates and diploma holders of India would get the opportunity to work as apprentices in private and public sector companies f

Claim: A video of actor Aamir Khan purportedly criticising an old 2013 statement made by then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of depositing Rs 15 lakh in every Indian's bank account is viral online. Fact: BOOM found that the claim is false, the video uses an AI voice clone of Aamir Khan; the original video is from 2014 and has been overlaid with a fake audio to depict Khan's criticism of the central government. Tools used: We noticed that the background score of the video was from the

Claim: A viral video shows actor Ranveer Singh criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising unemployment and soaring inflation. Fact: BOOM found that the video is a deepfake. It is digitally altered with a synthetic voice clone and in the original video, which was an interview given to Asian News International (ANI), the actor praised the prime minister and said the latter was celebrating India's cultural heritage. Tools used: BOOM analysed the video using Itisaar, a deepfake detection t

Claim: Amit Malviya, Bharatiya Janata Party's IT cell head claimed that a video of party candidate Dinesh Lal Yadav alias Nirahua making remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath being childless, was a deepfake. In the video, Yadav the BJP candidate from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, claimed Modi and Adityanath have preferred to be childless to stop unemployment. It was posted by Indian Youth Congress President Srinivas BV on X and the same was rubbis

Claim: An old photo of the former Indian mens cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is being circulated online with a claim that it shows him urging people to vote for the Congress. Fact: BOOM found that the picture dates back to 2020, when Dhoni and his other team members celebrated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) reaching six million followers on erstwhile Twitter (now X). Tools used: BOOM performed a reverse image search on the photo that led to several news reports carrying the same photo. The

Claim: Several social media users claimed that Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra said 'sex' was the source of her energy. Fact: BOOM found that a careful hearing of the full video shows that Moitra spoke about how 'eggs' were the source of her energy, not sex. Tools used: BOOM noticed a watermark in the viral video that led us to the original video uploaded on YouTube. Also, we reached out to Mahua Moitra who shared a clearer version of the video without the background noise and music

Experts fear the term 'deepfake' will be weaponised to dismiss real media as fake and be used a premise to create overreaching laws that infringe on individualrights.