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Video Goes Viral With False Claim Of Hindus Throwing Idols Amid COVID-19 Crisis
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, 18 May 2021 12:57 PM GMT
Editor : Bharat Nayak |
As the founding editor, Bharat had been heading the newsroom during the formation years of the organization and worked towards editorial policies, conceptualizing and designing campaign strategies and collaborations. He believes that through the use of digital media, one could engage the millennial's in rational conversations about pertinent social issues, provoking them to think and bring a behavioral change accordingly.
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.
Two old videos compiled as one is being shared with a claim that Indians are throwing idols as they are losing faith in God amid the surging cases of coronavirus. The Logical Indian Fact-Check team verifies the claim.
A video is going viral on social media in which a news presenter is saying that Indians are throwing idols on the streets as there is a sky-rocketing surge in coronavirus cases, and god is not able to save people. The presenter says, "Hindus have started destroying their idols, saying if their Gods cannot protect them, what good are they". The viral video clip shows a bulldozer collecting the idols thrown on the street, and another clip shows people throwing idols in the river.
The video is shared with the caption, "A lot of idols thrown on the streets of India. They claimed their idols could not save them from #COVID19".
The video is widely shared on Facebook.
The video is also shared on Twitter.
The video was also shared by a Pakistani media house, Asal Haqeeqat, claiming Indians are breaking statues due to coronavirus.
The video of also viral in Bengali.
Claim:
The viral video is of Indians throwing away idols amid the coronavirus crisis.
Fact Check:
Clip 1:
The Logical Indian broke the video into various keyframes using InVid tools and did a reverse image search with one of the screenshots. On doing a reverse image search, we found that a Twitter user tweeted the same video on August 11, 2019. Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in India on January 27, 2020, the viral video is old and unassociated with the coronavirus pandemic. The video was shared as a reply to a Tweet done by IAS officer Vijay Nehra. Nehra had tweeted, "Something amazing is happening in #Ahmedabad today. Ordinary citizens have decided to keep #Sabarmati river clean. Instead of immersing Dashama idols in the river, they have respectfully left them on the banks!! Thousands and Thousands of them. Unbelievable change."
ABP Asmita, The Hindu, and Sandesh also reported about the incident. According to the report, citizens left idols on the bank of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad in an effort to not dirty the water body. Following the Dashama fast, the citizens kept the idol on the river's shor after the local administration ran an awareness campaign to encourage the public not to throw the idols in the river after their puja rituals and hence prevent water pollution.
Clip 2:
The Logical Indian did a keyword search and found the same video was viral in 2020 with the same claim that Indians are throwing idols amid coronavirus cases. On May 21, 2020, AFP had debunked the claim.
A Facebook user Hvkprasad Prasad had shared the video. The video's caption says that the immersion ceremony during Ganesh Chaturthi took place at the NH 44 highway adjoining the Krishna River.
On searching for the NH 44 highway on Krishna river bridge on Google Earth, we found the nearby surroundings showed a water tanker and a piece of land, both of which were available in the viral video.
The image of the water tanker is visible in the video and also on Google Earth.
Water tanker as seen on Google Earth.
The image of the piece of land is visible in the video and also on Google Earth.
Officer Rama Rajeshwari of the Telangana Police confirmed to AFP that the video was taken at Beechupalli, located next to the Krishna River.
Hence, two videos were compiled to claim Indians are throwing idols amid the coronavirus crisis.
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: Old Video Goes Viral As Palestinians Faking Injuries To Portray Israel In A Bad Light
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