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Netizens Falsely Claim RSS Built COVID Care Facility In Indore
Writer: Yusha Rahman
Yusha, an engineer turned journalist with a core interest in sensible journalism. Since the time she worked in an MNC, she saw how fake news was rife to malign images of communities, leaders, etc. This encouraged her to give up her career in MNC and passionately work towards curbing fake news and propaganda.
India, 1 May 2021 11:26 AM GMT
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Creatives : Yusha Rahman
Yusha, an engineer turned journalist with a core interest in sensible journalism. Since the time she worked in an MNC, she saw how fake news was rife to malign images of communities, leaders, etc. This encouraged her to give up her career in MNC and passionately work towards curbing fake news and propaganda.
Social media users are sharing images to claim that the COVID care facility in Indore was built by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The Logical Indian Fact-Check team debunked the claim.
Netizens are sharing an image of an aerial view of a large complex with a claim that the image is of a 6,000-bed Covid care centre built by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Indore. The image has texts overlayed on it that says, "2nd largest COVID care center in India, RSS has built 6000 bed covid care centre and 4 oxygen plants in 45 acres of land in Indore."
Similarly, many social media users are sharing an image of a COVID facility in Indore, Ma Ahilya Covid Care Centre, claiming that the COVID facility is built by RSS and is the 2nd largest COVID care centre. People are sharing the image with text superimposition which reads, "2nd largest COVID care center in India, RSS has built 6000 bed covid care centre and 4 oxygen plants in 45 acres of land in Indore."
The post is widely being shared on Facebook and Twitter.
Claim:
The images circulated are of a COVID care centre built by RSS in Indore.
Fact Check:
Image 1:
The Logical Indian found that the above image is of Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar.
The Logical Indian did a reverse image search and found a similar picture was published by Qatar Tribune on July 24, 2019. According to the website, the image is of Al Bayt stadium, a football stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.
A similar image is also published by Getty Images with a caption, "DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 19: A general view Al Bayt Stadium on December 19, 2019, at Al Khor City, Qatar."
We also compared the viral image with the original image and found them to be the same.
Image 2:
The Logical Indian searched with the keyword, 'Ma Ahilya Covid Care Centre' and found a video published by NDTV on April 22, 2021. According to the description, the largest Covid centre of Madhya Pradesh was set up by the district administration of Indore. The description says, "The Indore district administration has set Madhya Pradesh's largest Covid center. The facility will have 600 beds in the initial phase and the capacity can be raised to 6,000 beds. There are 47 oxygen concentrator machines in the facility and 120 more will be added."
News 18 Hindi reported on April 22 that Radha Soami Satsang Beas ground has been converted to Ma Ahilya COVID care centre in Indore, to tackle the coronavirus surge in the city. According to the report, the centre has a capacity of 6000 beds but its phase 1 was started with 600 beds. The management of the COVID care centre will be done by the four major hospitals of the city.
According to ANI, Cabinet Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Tulsi Silawat during his visit to the centre said that money for the COVID care centre was donated by many businessmen and industrialists. He also said that RSS workers are volunteering in the centre. The report quoted Silawat, who said, "On behalf of the Chief Minister, I would like to thank Radha Soami Satsang Beas. In the first phase, 600 beds are made available. The RSS workers are also volunteering. Many industrialists and businessmen from Indore have donated money and instruments for this care centre. I am thankful to them. This is the largest COVID care centre in the state. I also thank BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindiya for donating 10,000 Remdesivir injections to Madhya Pradesh."
On searching the website of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, we were not able to find any relation of the organisation with RSS. The website mentions that it is a non-profit organisation with no affiliation to any political or commercial organisation.
Further, India Today contacted a spokesperson of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, who confirmed that there is no relation between them and RSS. He told, "Sometime back, one of our campuses in Delhi was converted into a Covid centre. After that, the Madhya Pradesh government approached us and told us that they are planning to start a Covid centre in Indore for patients who don't require oxygen or hospitalisation primarily, for people who do not have home isolation facility. We gave them permission to use our community satsang complex."
The Quint contacted Dr Nishant Khare, member of Madhya Pradesh's COVID-19 advisory task force, who said that around 75 workers from the RSS are working as volunteers at the COVID centre. He said, "If there is maximum contribution to the COVID care centre from one body, then it is the Radha Soami Satsang Beas. The ownership of the centre is with the Government of Madhya Pradesh. 75 workers of the RSS are also contributing to the centre. Financial assistance is being provided by the citizens, organisations and industrialists as per their personal capacity."
The Logical Indian spoke to Vendant Shukla from RSS Indore, who said, "The major contribution for the COVID centre is by Radha Soami Satsang Beas but many workers from RSS are volunteering at the COVID care centre."
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.
Also Read: Fact Check: Video Shared Online To Claim No Crowd At Haridwar's Kumbh Mela
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