A statement allegedly issued by Manoj Tiwari has been gathering a lot of traction on social media. It is being circulated as a screenshot of a tweet carrying the BJP MP’s photo with a Hindi caption that reads, “Petrol would cost Rs. 200 today had the Modi government not been in power: Manoj Tiwari, BJP leader.” The cost of petrol and diesel has skyrocketed off late, with petrol touching the Rs.100 per liter mark in some parts of the country. The BJP government has come under severe criticism for the hike in fuel prices.

The Facebook post below racked up more than 360 shares and 3,000 reactions at the time of writing.

Dozens of people posted the claim on Facebook. A Twitter user also shared the alleged statement.

Satire mistaken as truth

Alt News performed a keyword search on Twitter using the viral text, and a tweet by the handle ‘Dainik Khaskar’ was the first search result. The bio of this user reads, “100% Fake News. Parody. Tweets are only for fun.” This indicates that the handle only shares humorous and sarcastic posts.

The viral tweet carries the time stamp – February 17, 11:41 AM – which is the same as the time stamp on the viral screenshot. A screenshot of Dainik Khaskar’s tweet was thus, made viral and many people believed it to be true. However, Manoj Tiwari has not issued any such statement on rising fuel prices.

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About the Author

A journalist and a dilettante person who always strives to learn new skills and meeting new people. Either sketching or working.