Fact Check: Case Against PM Modi Over Rafale Deal To 'Indian Soldier' Freezing In Cold

The never-ending menace of fake news is back. How much ever we try to bust these fake news, eventually there is some more of it. Some time these fake information keep making rounds. While going from one WhatsApp group to another at times, these new gets spiced up and another angle is given to it. Most of the time these fake news comes with some propaganda attached to it, and many politically inclined groups or individuals use these fake news to spread a false narrative.

In the past few days too such incorrect pieces of information have made their way to social media. Here, The Logical Indian aims at busting a few of them.

Did Indian soldier freeze in the cold?

In the last few days, a photograph of an ‘Indian Army soldier’ has gone viral with the claims that the soldier is fighting the nature’s adversity in the line of duty. The picture was shared among many social media platforms. It shows a man standing with all his face, neck and shoulder covered with icicles, reports Alt News.

A Facebook page, हिंदुस्थानी सेना (Hindustani Sena) is among the many who shared the post. The Facebook page captioned the picture, “हमारे जवान -5 माईनस डिर्गी मे भी अपना फर्ज निभाते है , और हम आराम से सो जाते हैं , यह अपना वतन बचाते है ,जय हिन्द जय भारत (Our soldiers do their duty while standing in -5 degree Celsius, while we sleep. They save our nation.)

The post that is still available on their page has received 4,100 interactions along with 781 shares at the time this article was published. The Facebook page which is posting this picture has a massive following of close to 2 million.

The post was also put out on another Facebook page called Bharatiya Yoddha, with the same caption. It has received 6,400 reactions and 817 Comments and 4,941 Shares on the page. Similarly, the post was shared at various other pages, and many individuals also shared the post making it viral.

The truth of the picture is that it is not an Indian Army soldier’s picture. Instead, the picture is a screenshot from a surfing video. The picture is of a local surfer, Dan Schetter aka Surfer Dan who is surfing in America’s Lake Superior, which is one of the largest of the five Great Lakes of Northern America. The video of the surfing was posted by on Jerry Mills on December 2017.

The description accompanying another YouTube video says, “Meet our legendary local surfer, Dan Schetter, aka Surfer Dan, one of a small group of locals who surf Lake Superior even in the most extreme conditions. This day was really extreme as the wind chill was -30. I was out there capturing footage for my Jerrysim series.” The video, as per the description was filmed at Presque Isle Park in Marquette, MI, on the southern shore of Lake Superior, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The full video of the picture is here.

Did Bangladesh print fake Indian Currency?

A video has been going viral, in which it can be seen that in a small printing press Rs 50 and Rs 200 note are allegedly being minted. It also shows, an old man stacking the bundles of the notes.

The video has gone viral with many narratives. One of the most viral narratives is that it is a printing press in Bangladesh where the fake Indian currency is being made.

The video was shared widely on social media. Many tagged PM Modi, Sushma Swaraj and other senior BJP leaders on Twitter while sharing the post.

I added a video to a @YouTube playlist https://t.co/EPAbsE3RZe Fake notes factory in Bangladesh, unbelievable, circulate this

— POST A RESUME (@postaresume) February 16, 2018

Fake INDIAN notes factory in Bangladesh_unbelievable: https://t.co/o9qRIusyU9 via @YouTube

— Zakir Hussain (@ZakirHu60639468) February 17, 2018

Fake currencies mainly coming from Bangladesh, have come across a recent WA video of a man printing fake currency in a press in Bangladesh..
The video shows only latest currency notes of 20, 50, 200@WBPolice

— Five5starA (@Five5starA) February 9, 2018

The truth of the video is that while the stack of notes looks like Indian counterfeit currency, however, it is token game notes that are used in children’s games like Monopoly.

Here is a closer look to a Rs 50 notes, that shows that even though the notes quite resembles the currency it has ‘Children’s Bank of India’ written on it instead of ‘Reserve Bank of India, reports The Quint.

The Quint has also pointed out a few more things that show that the notes are not Indian counterfeit note.

Firstly, instead of ‘Reserve Bank of India’ on the note, ‘Children’s Bank of India’ and ‘Manoranjan Bank’ is written on the note. Secondly, there is no Rupee symbol (₹) and state emblem of India on the note. Lastly, the different-sized note number is missing.

Therefore, it can be said that the notes that are seen in the video are not counterfeit currency; however, it is a replication of the notes that are used in games. Notably, possessing or producing material, which resembles Indian currency notes is illegal and punishable by law.

Did the SC order to register a case against Modi?

It has been quite some time since the opposition has been targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale scam. Many questions have also surrounded the BJP party regarding the Rafale deal. Amidst the hue and cry about the deal, a message has been going viral on social media which claims that the Supreme Court has ordered to registered a case against PM Modi over Rafale.

The post that looks like Hindi news channel-ABP News flash which reads as, BREAKING NEWS: सुप्रीम कोर्ट का बड़ा फैसला , राफेल घोटाले में नरेंद्र मोदी पर केस दर्ज करने का आदेश (Big verdict by Supreme Court, orders registration of case against Narendra Modi on Rafale scam).

The screenshots the message have been posted on various social media platforms. The post was put out on a Facebook page called Bhakto Ka Baap Ravish Kumar. The post has been shared close to over 1,000 times so far through this page alone. The post also has shared a link to an article published on a website, True Report.

The article which is written in Hindi says, “Now the Rafale deal has reached the Supreme Court. The hearing was to begin on Tuesday, which was deferred as the petitioner in the case fell ill. The important thing is that the case is being heard by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. Apart from this, the petitioner has made Prime Minister Narendra Modi a party in this case.” (translation).

The post is not new and it has been making rounds since November 2018. Earlier, a Facebook group called Samajwadi Digital Force: Mission 2019 had published the article.

The truth of the story is that the news that the SC has ordered to register a case against PM Modi and the ABP news’s screenshot is fake. The screenshot of ABP News that has been used by True Report in its article is fake. The Alt News spoke to Pankaj Jha, Editor of ABP News, who confirmed that the screenshot is fake.

Creating or sharing fake news is never justified. We have a responsibility to verify everything that we post on the internet. To ensure that our national debate is healthy and well-informed, each and every one of us has a responsibility of treating what we read with a pinch of salt, a spoonful of doubt, and a flood of research.

To all the political parties and leaders, ruling or opposition, please don’t be a part of the problem. Be part of the solution. For a better future, for a better nation.

Also Read: Fact Check: No, Sonia Gandhi Is Not Richer Than The Queen Of England