{"id":23404,"date":"2018-12-02T19:21:16","date_gmt":"2018-12-02T13:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=23404"},"modified":"2018-12-02T19:21:16","modified_gmt":"2018-12-02T13:51:16","slug":"november-round-up-political-propaganda-peaks-ahead-of-state-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/november-round-up-political-propaganda-peaks-ahead-of-state-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"November round-up: Political propaganda peaks ahead of state elections"},"content":{"rendered":"

Election season is usually marked by a spike in disinformation. The month of November witnessed an onslaught on social media, from exaggerated development claims to polarisation tactics, to use of manipulated videos and unrelated photographs.<\/p>\n

DISINFORMATION PEAKS AHEAD OF POLLS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. Fake BBC opinion poll predicting BJP win in Rajasthan<\/strong><\/h3>\n

An ‘opinion poll’ was widely circulated on social media, according to which the BJP is set to win 135 seats and retain power in Rajasthan. The home page of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was shared along with these numbers by many social media users, attributing this purported opinion poll to the channel.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

These numbers are bogus<\/a>. No opinion poll has been conducted by the BBC.\u00a0Alt News spoke to a BBC spokesperson who informed that no such opinion poll has been published by the news organisation. Moreover, BBC does not commission pre-election surveys in India.<\/p>\n

2. Photoshopped image of MP CM Shivraj Chouhan consuming meat<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A photograph showing Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan eating meat was shared widely by numerous Facebook and Twitter users, along with the words “Have some shame Shivraj Chouhan, you eat meat while pretend to be a hardcore hindu in front of the public. Leaked photo of Shivraj -translated)\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The above image has been photoshopped<\/a>. In the original image, there is no meat in the plate. Alt News reverse searched the image on Google and found that the original photo had been published by The Tribune<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

3. False claim of Ashok Gehlot waving Pakistani flag at Congress rally<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A video of former Rajasthan CM and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot went viral on social media. In the video, Gehlot can be seen waving a green coloured flag. A Facebook user<\/a> posted this video with the claim that Gehlot is waving the national flag of Pakistan. Postcard News founder Mahesh Vikram Hegde had also posted this video on his Twitter timeline.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The green coloured flag seen in the video is NOT the flag of Pakistan<\/a>. It is a banner which is popular among the Muslims of the subcontinent, and is used as a religious and cultural symbol. Moreover, it looks nothing like the Pakistani flag.<\/p>\n

4. Old video of Congress worker shown as BJP candidate thrashed<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201c\u0930\u093e\u091c\u0938\u094d\u0925\u093e\u0928 \u092c\u093e\u0902\u0926\u0940\u0915\u0941\u0908 \u0926\u094c\u0938\u093e \u0938\u0947 \u092c\u0940\u091c\u0947\u092a\u0940 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0924\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0936\u0940 \u0930\u093e\u092e\u0915\u093f\u0936\u094b\u0930 \u0938\u0948\u0928\u0940 \u0915\u0940 \u091c\u094b\u0930\u0926\u093e\u0930 \u0915\u0941\u091f\u093e\u0908\u201d\u091c\u094b \u091c\u0928\u0924\u093e \u092a\u0930\u0947\u0936\u093e\u0928 \u0939\u094b\u0915\u0930 \u0915\u0941\u091f\u093e\u0908 \u0915\u0930\u0928\u0947 \u092a\u0930 \u0909\u0924\u0930 \u0906\u0908 \u0939\u0948 \u091c\u0930\u093e \u0938\u094b\u091a\u093f\u090f \u0935\u094b\u091f\u093f\u0902\u0917 \u0935\u093e\u0932\u0947 \u0926\u093f\u0928 \u0915\u094d\u092f\u093e \u0915\u0930\u0928\u0947 \u0935\u093e\u0932\u0940 \u0939\u0948\u0964 (BJP candidate Ramkishore Saini from Bandikui, Dausa was thrashed severely. If the upset public has resorted to violence, just think what will happen on election day -translated)\u201d\u00a0<\/em>A video purportedly of a BJP candidate, Ramkishore Saini being thrashed by a group was shared on social media and viewed thousands of times.\"\"<\/p>\n

The claim<\/a> was false.\u00a0India<\/a> Today<\/a><\/em>\u00a0had reported that the man thrashed in the video is not BJP candidate Ramkishore Saini but a late Congress worker, Vishwanath Saini from Bandikui in Dausa district of Rajasthan. Saini passed away recently in November 2018, whereas the video is of a scuffle that had taken place in 2015.<\/p>\n

5. Old video of Ex-BJP MLA shared as Congress MLA praising demonetisation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A video purportedly of a Congress MLA praising Modi government on demonetization and surgical strike had gone viral on social media along with the message \u201c\u0915\u093e\u0902\u0917\u094d\u0930\u0947\u0938\u0940 \u0935\u093f\u0927\u093e\u092f\u0915 \u0930\u093e\u0915\u0947\u0936 \u092e\u0947\u0918\u0935\u093e\u0932 \u092e\u094b\u0926\u0940 \u091c\u0940 \u0915\u0940 \u0924\u093e\u0930\u0940\u092b \u0915\u0930 \u0930\u0939\u093e \u0925\u093e \u0924\u094b \u0909\u0938\u0915\u093e \u092e\u093e\u0907\u0915 \u091b\u0940\u0928\u0928\u0947 \u0932\u0917\u0947 \u0915\u093e\u0902\u0917\u094d\u0930\u0947\u0938\u0940\u201d (Congress MLA Rakesh Meghwal was praising Modiji then Congressmen started snatching the microphone -translated).\u00a0<\/i>The video was shared in numerous groups on Facebook.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Alt News fact checked<\/a> this claim. A Google search of Rakesh Meghwal showed several news reports on the incident which had taken place in 2016. According to a\u00a0report<\/a>, Rakesh Meghwal is a former BJP MLA who was speaking at an event organized by the Bahujan Sangarsh Dal in Nagaur district. Speaking to the media, he said that he was invited as a community leader in the gathering. It also must be noted that he was associated with BJP when made the statement in November, 2016.<\/p>\n

MISINFORMATION BY POLITICAL LEADERS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. Sambit Patra ascribes fake quote to Jawaharlal Nehru<\/strong><\/h3>\n

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, in more than one television programme, referred to a statement which has been attributed to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru is widely believed to have said, “I am English by education, Muslim by culture and Hindu by accident of birth”.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

#Hallabol<\/a>, @sambitswaraj<\/a>: \u0930\u093e\u0939\u0941\u0932\u091c\u0940 \u0928\u0947 \u0905\u092a\u0928\u0940 \u0928\u093e\u0928\u0940\u092e\u093e\u0902 \u0915\u093e \u0917\u094b\u0924\u094d\u0930 \u0932\u0947 \u0932\u093f\u092f\u093e, \u092c\u0947\u0939\u0924\u0930 \u0939\u0948 \u0905\u092a\u0928\u0940 \u092e\u093e\u0902 \u0915\u093e \u0917\u094b\u0924\u094d\u0930 \u0932\u0947 \u0932\u0947\u0924\u0947! \u092f\u0947 \u0924\u094b \u0939\u093f\u0902\u0926\u0942 \u0927\u0930\u094d\u092e \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0917\u094b\u0924\u094d\u0930 \u0918\u094b\u091f\u093e\u0932\u093e \u0939\u0948
\nLive: Live: https:\/\/t.co\/fOz5QPkk43<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/23w49NloVZ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u0906\u091c \u0924\u0915 (@aajtak) November 27, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Alt News has established<\/a> how it was not Jawaharlal Nehru, but a leader of the Hindu Mahasabha who had first referred to these words. N B Khare, Hindu Mahasabha leader and staunch critic of Nehru had claimed that the latter had described himself thus in his autobiography. However, Jawaharlal Nehru’s autobiography has no reference to this statement.<\/p>\n

2. Amit Malviya tweets mischievously clipped video of Manmohan Singh<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In-charge of BJP\u2019s national Information & Technology Amit Malviya tweeted a video of Dr Manmohan Singh on November 27 where the former PM can be heard saying,\u00a0\u201cThe Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were very good.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0This clip where Singh seems to appreciate the BJP state governments was captioned as,\u00a0\u201cPrime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh contradicted Rahul Gandhi, says governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh were \u2018very good\u2019\u2026 Waters down everything Congress President has been saying over the last few days!\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh contradicts Rahul Gandhi, says governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh were \u2018very good\u2019… Waters down everything Congress President has been saying over the last few days! pic.twitter.com\/cLqCL0al7q<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) November 27, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As it turns out, Malviya shared a mischievously clipped<\/a> video of the former PM\u2019s speech made on November 26. Dr. Singh was a panelist in a discussion organised for the book release function of former Union Minister Manish Tewari\u2019s new book \u2018Fables of Fractured Times\u2019.\u00a0The former PM\u2019s exact words were,\u00a0\u201cMy relationships with the\u00a0government\u00a0of Madhya Pradesh, the government of Chhattisgarh were very good. We never discriminated against BJP-ruled states.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Randeep Surjewala targets Vasundhara Raje based on incomplete video<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a programme on the Hindi news channel\u00a0Aaj Tak<\/em>, claimed that Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje has urged BJP workers to divert the attention of the people so that they do not ask about issues like roads, water and electricity.<\/p>\n

\n

\u0935\u0938\u0941\u0902\u0927\u0930\u093e\u091c\u0940 \u0915\u0940 \u0928\u0947 \u0905\u092a\u0928\u0947 \u0915\u093e\u0930\u094d\u092f\u0915\u0930\u094d\u0924\u093e\u0913\u0902 \u0915\u094b \u0915\u0939\u093e \u0915\u093f \u0938\u092c\u0915\u094b \u0907\u0924\u0928\u093e \u0909\u0932\u091d\u093e \u0926\u094b \u0915\u0940 \u0915\u094b\u0908 \u092f\u0939 \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0915\u0939\u0947 \u0915\u0940 \u0938\u0921\u093c\u0915\u0947 \u0915\u094d\u092f\u094b\u0902 \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u092c\u0928\u0940,\u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0915\u094d\u092f\u094b\u0902 \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0939\u0948,\u0928\u094c\u0915\u0930\u0940 \u0915\u094d\u092f\u094b\u0902 \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0939\u0948,\u0932\u094b\u0917 \u092a\u093f\u091f \u0915\u094d\u092f\u094b\u0902 \u0930\u0939\u0947\u0902 \u0939\u0948\u0902,\u0915\u093f\u0938\u093e\u0928 \u0932\u093e\u091a\u093e\u0930-\u0915\u094d\u092f\u094b\u0902 \u0939\u0948,-\u0907\u0924\u0928\u093e \u0909\u0932\u091d\u093e \u0915\u0930 \u0938\u092c\u0915\u094b \u092d\u094d\u0930\u092e\u093f\u0924 \u0915\u0930 \u0932\u0947\u0902\u0917\u0947\u0964\u091c\u092c \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0926\u0947\u0936 \u0915\u0940 CM \u092f\u0947 \u0915\u0939 \u0930\u0939\u0940 \u0939\u0948,\u0924\u094b \u0909\u0928\u094d\u0939\u0947\u0902 \u0939\u093e\u0930 \u0938\u094d\u0935\u0940\u0915\u093e\u0930 \u0939\u0948! pic.twitter.com\/0eFQeAJ3zD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) November 29, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The video referred to by Surjewala, according to which the Rajasthan CM is ostensibly exhorting her workers to distract the electorate, is a truncated version<\/a> of a larger video. Vasundhara Raje has indeed said these words but\u00a0with reference to the Congress party<\/em><\/strong>. Raje had alleged that the Congress party has always sought to hoodwink the people by raking up non-issues.<\/p>\n

4. Yogi Adityanath targets Congress with fabricated ‘Biryani for terrorists’ claim<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath took a jibe at the erstwhile Congress led UPA regime for going too soft on the terrorist convicted in the 26\/11 Mumbai terror attack. At an election rally in Makrana, Adityanath said,\u00a0\u201cCongress has always played divisive politics. It is the result of the division and divisive politics that terrorism was on the rise in the country. Today you can see that the terrorists which were fed Biryani by Congress are now fed bullets by us\u201d.<\/i><\/p>\n