Story:

Congress politician and lawyer Kapil Sibal Said, “Until I am alive, I will not allow building Ram Mandir in Ayodhya“.

Other Versions

(Hindi)

जब तक ज़िंदा हूँ राम मंदिर नहीं बनने दूंगा : कपिल सिब्बल

Fact Check:

Certain picture messages doing rounds widely on social media allege to show Kapil Sibal Opposing the Building of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. They appear to mention a statement of the Congress politician and lawyer in Hindi saying, “Until I am alive, I will not allow building Ram Mandir“. No, the claims are not true and explained here.

Origin of Story

The claims in question – the accompanying image – originated from an article published on Digital India TV website digitalindiatv.com on 15th March 2018. The article in Hindi carried the same title statement as in the story, “जब तक ज़िंदा हूँ राम मंदिर नहीं बनने दूंगा : कपिल सिब्बल“.

The article content mentioned about Supreme Court’s next hearing on Ayodhya dispute case and preparations of both parties involved. It also mentioned Congress politician and lawyer Kapil Sibal giving a major statement saying he was never a lawyer of Sunni Waqf Board. More importantly, the article content does not mention anything related to the claim in title. However, screenshots of the title and Kapil Sibal’s featured image circulated on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter – especially on pages supporting Modi – criticizing Kapil Sibal.

On the other hand, the Digital India TV website has published some articles in different sections and is without any updates later. More importantly, there are no other credible reports confirming Kapil Sibal made such a statement opposing the building of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Kapil Sibal Statements about Ram Mandir

Most certainly, the report in question is referring to an interview of Kapil Sibal on 6th December 2017 when he made few statements on Ayodhya dispute case. He said his faith is in God and Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be built only when Lord Ram wishes, not when PM Narendra Modi orders. He also said he was never a lawyer of Sunni Waqf Board unlike what Modi and Amit Shah said. Further, Kapil Sibal alleged BJP wants to exploit the Ram Mandir issue during 2019 General Elections. So, he suggested the case hearing in Supreme Court should take place after the Lok Sabha poll.

In the video below, you can see Kapil Sibal giving his statements. He also mentions Narendra Modi is worried about the temple and not about the country. Consequently, Kapil Sibal’s statements garnered criticism.

BJP and PM Narendra Modi have time and again criticized opposing party Congress and Kapil Sibal for playing double role. On the other hand, media garnered evidence contradicting Kapil Sibal’s statements. They showed documents suggesting Kapil Sibal appeared in the Supreme Court of India as an advocate for Sunni Waqf Board. There are also reports suggesting Congress asked Kapil Sibal to quit as Waqf Board lawyer in Babri Masjid Case. It was allegedly a politically sensible decision.

Coming back to the claim in question, Kapil Sibal did not say he will not allow building Ram Mandir in Ayodhya until he is alive. Perhaps, the claims originated as misinterpretation of his statements in an interview.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

The post Kapil Sibal Opposing Building Ram Mandir in Ayodhya: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

This is Punganur Cow – cost is 12 Crore rupees and it gives nearly 100 liters milk daily – Only Milk from this cow is used in Abhishek of Lord Venkateshwara at Tirupati Temple. Seeing it is considered sacred.
Share as much as possible so that many people can get its darshan.

Other Versions

(Hindi)
इस गाय की कीमत है 12 करोड़ रूपये और यह प्रतिदिन करीब 100 लीटर दूध देती है।
यह पुंगनुर गाय है। केवल इसी गाय के दूध से ही तिरुपति भगवान का अभिषेक होता है।इसको देखना बहुत ही शुभ माना गया है।
ज्यादा से ज्यादा #शेयर करे ताकि ओर भी दर्शन कर सके।

Fact Check:

Some video messages circulating on social media platforms allege to show a rare and costly Cow giving nearly 100 liters of milk daily. They claim only this Punganur Cow Milk is used for Abhishek of Lord Venkateshwara at Tirupati temple. No, the claims are not entirely true and explained here.

About Videos of Cow(s) in Circulation

The stories doing rounds on social media platforms like Facebook show videos of at least two different cows. One video shows a white cow being worshipped by a group of priests. The other video shows a brown cow with huge udders moving around in a ground. Firstly, the white cow is an Ongole breed from Andhra Pradesh and the brown one is a Gir Cow from Gujarat. Both the cows are not rare and are not as costly as mentioned in the messages. The brown Gir Cow with huge udder gives 12 to 25 liters of milk daily.

Facts about Punganur Cow Milk Use in Tirupati Temple

There are no credible reports suggesting only milk from the rare Punganur cow breed is used for Abhishek of Lord Venkateshwara in the famous temple at Tirupati. Unlike the claims, TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) established Sri Venkateswara Gosamrakshana Trust for protecting Cow, emphasizing its spiritual importance apart from its economic aspect. As you can see in an unofficial Facebook page, they maintain different breeds of Cow, including the Punganur.

TTD has its own Sri Venkateswara Dairy Farm maintaining the bovine population. TTD website tirumala.org mentions their dairy farm supplies milk and curd to all the TTD temples for rituals, prasadams, Abhishekams etc., and also to their service institutions. It’s unlikely milk from only one breed of cow (Punganur or others) will be used for abhishek for the deity in Tirupati temple.

In an April 2017 report, Sri Venkateswara Gosamrakshana Trust Director K Harinath Reddy said Punganur Cow breed is an important part of their conservation programme. The decline of Punganur cow is mainly because of its indiscriminate cross-breeding for its efficient reproductive characters. Punganur Cow is also not a recognized breed worldwide.

About Punganur Cow

Punganur Cow is in fact a special Dwarf breed originating from Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh (Tirupati temple). Named after a village called Punganur, they are usually white and light grey in color with a broad forehead and short horns. While average milk yield of Punganur Cows is around 3 to 5 liters per day, some produce more than that. However, Punganur Cow’s milk has a high fat content and is rich in medicinal properties. Cow milk normally has a fat content of 3-3.5 per cent, but Punganur breed’s milk contains 8 per cent fat. Like suggested in the messages, Punganur Cow numbers are certainly dwindling. Animal genetics and breeding scientists are engaged in efforts to save the unique Indian breed from extinction.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax with some valid information.

The post Rare Punganur Cow Milk Used in Abhishek at Tirupati Temple: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

An 8 year-old Coal Miner Boy in Utah or Colorado, USA in the early 1900’s

Other Versions

Photograph of a Coal Miner Boy in America from early 1900’s.

Fact Check:

A popular black and white photograph is in circulation online alleging to show an 8 year-old Coal Miner Boy in Utah or Colorado, USA from early 1900’s. It shows a little boy dressed as a coal miner, wearing the head gear and holding a pick axe. The claims as such are mixture of hoax and facts.

About the Alleged Photograph of Coal Miner Boy in USA

Flickr user Scott Cooper shared the photograph in question back in April 2011 with the caption ‘Miner Boy’. In description he in fact said it is a film scan of a copy negative from his historical archive of Utah and Colorado mining images.

Miner Boy

This is a film scan from a copy negative that is part of my historical archive of Utah and Colorado mining images.

The boy worked the mines. Children were cheap labor in the mines. He never worked that pick drill and the pipe wasn’t likely his either but the rest of his stuff was real. He spent ten hours a day in that get up with only the light from that tallow wick lamp. He cleaned and played the part of a canary (kids were easier to replace than good miners). He was probably Finnish or Swedish and indentured to the company for the purpose of paying his fathers debts to the company store. Thank God for UMWA. The unions fought hard and bloody battles to get these children out of the coal mines. This little guy worked (and likely died) in Utah or Colorado mines.

Photo Aspects in Contrast to Claims

There are some aspects of the photograph not in context with the accompanying claims. First, the boy does not look like an eight-year-old and is perhaps younger than that. Second, the pick axe he is holding is too big for him to work with in a coal mine. The boy also has a tobacco pipe in his mouth and more importantly, the background of the photograph looks like a photo studio.

So, unlike the claim what you see is most probably a novelty photograph of the little boy dressed as a coal miner. In those times, it is common practice to dress kids with props representing the father’s work and take photographs. Moreover, Mother Jones website motherjones.com featured the photograph of little boy in an article titled ‘Is Scholastic Selling Elementary School Kids on Coal?‘ Since then, the photograph keeps appearing on content related to child labor, educational material on coal and others.

Child Labor in US Coal Mines in Early 1900’s

On the other hand, it is a fact child labor did exist in large numbers in US Coal Mines during early 1900’s. Children were cheap labor in the mines and young boys were put to work in day and night hours. An article on Mother Jones website motherjones.com reports School teacher Lewis Hine left his job to work as a photographer for the National Child Labor Committee. He in fact investigated and documented child labor in the United States in early 1900’s.

Lewis Hine traveled the country, going to fields, factories, and mines. Sometimes, he also worked as an undercover to take pictures of kids – as young as four years old – put to work. As shown above, Lewis took thousands of photographs of American child laborers. Some of his compelling pictures helped in persuading legislators and the general public to support laws prohibiting child labor in later years.

Hoax or Fact:

Mixture of Hoax and Facts.

The post Photograph of Coal Miner Boy in USA from Early 1900s: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

The Last Prayers offered in the Demolished Babri Masjid …

After this the mosque will be handed over to Hindus.

Fact Check:

Some stories doing rounds on social media in Urdu and English allege to show a large group of Muslims offering Last Prayers in Demolished Babri Masjid. They also mention the mosque will be handed over to Hindus after the Muslim prayers. No, the claims are not true – the photograph does not show Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

Not Last Prayers in Babri Masjid

The photograph is in wide circulation on Twitter and Facebook with similar claims. It often appears in messages criticizing the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992. After thorough investigations, the Supreme Court of India gave a final judgment in the Ayodhya dispute on 9 November 2019. It ordered handing over the land to a trust to build the Hindu temple.  The court also ordered the government to give an alternate 5 acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board to build a mosque.

Coming back to the story in question, the photograph does not show Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Unlike the claims, the photograph actually shows Muslims offering Eid al-Adha prayers at the Ferozshah Kotla Mosque in New Delhi on 9th December 2008. Photographer Gurinder Osan took the wide angle photograph for Associated Press.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

The post Last Prayers Offered in Demolished Babri Masjid, Photograph: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

Israel PM Son Severs in Army, Unlike Indian Politician Sons who lead a luxurious life before joining politics.

Other Versions

In India, Children of Politicians Live A Luxurious Life And Later Join Politics.

But The Son Of Israel’s Prime Minister Serves In The Army To Defend His Country.

That’s The Difference.

Fact Check:

A picture message spread online claims to show Israel PM Son Serves in the Army, while children of politicians in India lead a luxurious life and later join politics. It also claims to show the difference on how the son of Israel’s Prime Minister is willing to defend his country. No, the claims are not entirely true and explained here.

Not Photograph of Israel PM Son Serving in Army

Despite the popularity of the picture messages, the person in it is not the son of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The young man saluting the Israel PM is in fact Gilad Shalit, a soldier of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who was captured by Hamas militants in 2006. The photograph is taken on 18th October 2011 when he was released as part of a prisoner exchange deal. Note, the story in question also appears on meme websites apart from social media and image sharing platforms. They also carry an image of Rahul Gandhi in the same photograph of soldier.

Related Story

There’s another, similar picture message in circulation showing the actual son of Israel’s prime minister from December 2014.

The photograph shows Israeli tradition, when Avner Netanyahu, the youngest son of Benjamin Netanyahu was joining Israel Defense Forces. He joined the military service in army accompanied by his parents. Notably, like The Jerusalem Post website jpost.com reports, Israeli Security Service Law 1949 makes it mandatory for all Israelis who turn 18 to join military service. There are some exemptions like in case of the ultra-Orthodox and Arab Israelis.

Avner Netanyahu served in the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps and finished his mandatory Israel Defense Force (IDF) service in November 2017. So, the messages in circulation – comparing two different scenarios in India and Israel – are inaccurate and misleading. Some of the politician sons in India do serve in the defense forces.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax with some valid information.

The post Israel PM Son Serves in the Army, Unlike in India: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

Ranu Mondal Demands Land for Church Too in the Disputed Ayodhya Land

Other Versions

Breaking.. रानू मंडल ने #अयोध्या मे चर्च के लिए जगह मांगी..

रानू मंडल ने अयोध्या के विवादित स्थल पर चर्च के लिए भी जमीन की मांग की

Fact Check:

Certain ‘breaking’ story doing rounds on social media claims singer and viral sensation Ranu Mondal Demands Land for Church also in Ayodhya land. The messages accompany one of her photographs suggesting she’s a believer of Christian faith. No, the claims are not true – they originated from a satire publication.

Ranu Mondal Did Not Demand Church in Ayodhya

On 9th November 2019, Supreme Court of India gave the historic judgment settling the Ayodhya dispute. It ordered handing over the land to a trust to build the Hindu temple and also ordered the government to give an alternate 5 acres of land to Sunni Waqf Board for building mosque. The claim in question appeared on an article on the fauxy website thefauxy.com published on 10th November 2019.

The article titled ‘Ranu Mandal Demands Land for Church Too in the Disputed Ayodhya Land‘ mentions the historic judgment of Supreme Court of India settling Ayodhya dispute involving Hindus and Muslims. It mentions another major community of India; Christians felt left out and requested Ranu Mondal to speak on their behalf. And so, the article says, Ranu Mondal decided to demand some land in Ayodhya for a Church as well. Some online outlets also picked up the story thinking it is real, which is how it became popular.

The fact of the matter is – The Fauxy is a satire web portal and the content of the website is a work of fiction. Same is mentioned in Disclaimer on their website. Earlier, after the deadly terrorist attack in Pulwama, killing more than 40 CRPF personnel of India, the fauxy website published the below satire article.

About Ranu Mondal

Ranu Mondal became a viral sensation on social media because of her melodious voice. She became famous singing Bollywood Hindi songs of her inspiration, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. She also sung few songs under music producer Himesh Reshammiya. However, Ranu Mondal was trolled on social media for expressing displeasure with a female fan tapping her shoulder from behind and seeking selfie with her in a grocery store. Some commented the singer turned proud after her celebrity status. The satire article surfaced after the incident.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

The post Ranu Mondal Demands Land for Church in Ayodhya: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

IT’S OFFICIAL: Disney announces Elsa will be a lesbian in Frozen 2

Other Versions

For the first time in forever, Disney will feature an openly lesbian protagonist. We are proud to announce that Elsa will be a lesbian in the much-awaited sequel, Frozen 2!

Fact Check:

Some messages spread wide on social media platforms claim Disney has announced Elsa will be a Lesbian in Frozen 2 movie. They mention Disney will feature the protagonist character as an open lesbian. Despite the popularity, the claims are not true and explained here.

Is Elsa a Lesbian in Frozen 2 Movie?

In 2016, there was a campaign on Twitter #GetElsaAGirlfriend for the sequel to the 2013 hit movie of Disney, Frozen. Since then, there’s speculation over Elsa’s sexuality in anticipation of its sequel “Frozen II.” The speculations became more after the first Teaser Trailer for “Frozen II” came out in February 2019. Some thought the character of Iduna, voiced by Evan Rachel Wood, was the new love interest of Elsa, the ice queen.

Satire

In between speculations mentioned above, NPC Daily website npcdaily.com published an article on 21st March 2019 saying Disney announces Elsa will be a lesbian in Frozen 2. The article carried an image of the alleged Tweet put out by Disney. Further, the article said – Disney takes another wild stride in the right direction for equality in the LGBTQ community! They also mentioned it as a great news for the community!

As a matter of fact, NPC Daily is a satirical website publishing fictional, sarcastic content. The About information of the website clearly mentions – NPC Daily is a satire site, providing political and cultural commentary with wanton sarcasm. The website published similar stories on gender like “Simba will be gay in Disney’s live action remake of Lion King” and “Woody will be ‘openly bisexual’ in Toy Story 4“. On the other hand, the image of the alleged official tweet of Disney is not real – the official handle of Disney is @Disney, not @Disnep like shown in the image.

On record, Disney has never addressed Elsa’s or any of the other character’s sexuality in the movie. The premise of the sequel story of Frozen movie is three years after the events of the first film. Elsa begins to hear strange sound from the North calling her. Together with her sister Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, they embark on a new journey to discover the origin of Elsa’s magical powers and save their kingdom. Frozen II hits theaters on 22nd November 2019.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

References:

Some people really want Elsa to come out in ‘Frozen II’

The post Disney Announces Elsa Will Be a Lesbian in Frozen 2 Movie: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

American Government Issued a Dollar Currency with Dr Ambedkar Photo

Other Versions

(Hindi)

1. जो काम भारत नहीं कर पाया वह काम अमेरिका ने कर दिखाया, अमेरिका की करेंसी पर बाबा साहब अंबेडकर का फोटो

2. अमेरिका ने डॉलर के नोट पर डॉ. अंबेडकर की फोटो छापी  है

Fact Check:

Various picture messages doing rounds on social media and image sharing platforms allege to show American Government Issued a 100 Dollar Currency Note with Dr. Ambedkar Photo. Accompanying messages also mention America managed to do what India could not. No, the viral claims are not true – the American 100 Dollar with Ambedkar photo is not real.

No American Dollar with Ambedkar Photo

Over the years, there have been requests from people and some organizations to the Indian government and the Reserve Bank of India to print the image of B.R. Ambedkar on currency notes. They said it would be a mark of respect for Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of Indian Constitution and leader of the downtrodden. However, as of this writing, it did not happen in India. The messages in circulation are perhaps suggesting same.

There are no credible reports suggesting American government has printed Ambedkar photo on their currency notes. Apart from some changes in design, since 1914 America has always printed Benjamin Franklin photograph on 100 dollar currency note. America never printed photographs of any other personality outside their country on 100 dollars currency note. As you can see the original 100 dollar bill, photograph of Ambedkar is added in place of Benjamin Franklin.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

The post American Govt. Issued Dollar Currency with Ambedkar Photo: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

Reserve Bank of India, RBI Launched 1000 Rupee Coin Recently

Other Versions

Recently, RBI has issued coins of Rs 1000 denomination.
Please share this information with everyone

Fact Check:

Some messages creating buzz on social media allege to show Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched 1000 Rupee Coin. They ask readers to share the ‘useful’ information with everyone. The claims as such are mixture of hoax and facts explained here.

About the 1000 Rupee Coin

The image(s) in circulation claim to show the 1000 rupees coin bearing National Emblem of India. As such RBI did not release any 1000 rupee coin for currency circulation and public use. In 2010, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi released a Rs 5-Commemorative coin when the Thanjavur temple celebrated 1,000 years of its existence. In 2012 again, the Tamil Nadu Government issued the Rs 1,000 coins in memory of the Brihadeeswara temple in Thanjavur. The video below specifically shows the 1000 rupee coin in a commemorative package.

Back in 1954, Indian government released Rs 1000 currency notes with the image of the Brihadeeswara temple. The government withdrew the high denomination notes in 1977 during crack down on black money. Likewise, in 2018 President of India Ram Nath Kovind released commemorative coins in denominations of rupees 10 and 1000 on Lord Jagannath’s Nabakalebar festival.

Commemorative Coins and Collection

From time to time, RBI issues such Commemorative coins – in limited edition. They are also called Sansmaran coins or Memoirs. Similarly, another popular story is about 100 rupees coin.

Indian Government Mint makes the Commemorative coins in unusual denominations like rupees 50, 75 and 150. However, they are costly because they are made from metals like Silver and Copper. They are also available online for sale. Nonetheless, they are not for public use as general currency and are not legal tender. Interested People and Numismatists buy them for the sake of collection.

Hoax or Fact:

Mixture of Hoax and Facts.

The post RBI Launched 1000 Rupee Coin in India Recently: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

Will Smith Diagnosed with Life Threatening Disease and Rushed to Hospital

Fact Check:

Some messages/videos in circulation online claim Will Smith was Diagnosed with a Life Threatening Disease and Rushed to Hospital. They became popular as the actor in fact went through his first Colonoscopy after turning 50. Nonetheless, the claims are not true and explained here.

Origin of Story: Will Smith Diagnosed With Life Threatening Disease

On 13th November 2019, YouTube channel Star News published a video about Will Smith with same title mentioning – Prayers Up!

The video shows some glimpses of the actor lying on a hospital bed along with some other photographs of Will Smith. Accompanying voice-over audio in fact reads out an article published on Amo Mama website news.amomama.com on 12th November 2019. The article carried a title “Will Smith’s Doctor Removes Pre-Cancerous Polyp during His First Colonoscopy since Turning 50“. However, it does not mention Will Smith was diagnosed with life threatening disease as such or that he was rushed to hospital.

First Colonoscopy of Actor Will Smith

In August 2019, Will Smith underwent his first Colonoscopy a month before he turned 51. It’s a routine procedure recommended in U.S. for adults at age 50 to begin screening for colorectal cancer. On 6th November 2019, the actor put up a 17-minute long Vlog on his YouTube channel showing some glimpses from the procedure and the results.

At first Will Smith thought of Vlogging the medical procedure and share it as a fun-filled video for fans. However, the actor was later shocked to hear about a Pre-Cancerous polyp from his Physician Dr. Ala Stanford. He had a Tubular Adenoma that carried precancerous tissues, the same kind of tissues that result in colon cancer 95% of the time. Doctors removed the precancerous polyp from his colon. Smith’s physician, Dr. Ala Stanford informs he should now plan on more frequent colonoscopies in the next 2-3 years instead of every 10 years.

Will Smith thanked his Physician for convincing him for the examination and also for the treatment. Later he mentioned his experience would educate others in being healthy and cautious. The doctor mentions screening and early detection of cancer saves lives.

So, the messages and videos claiming Will Smith was diagnosed with life threatening disease and rushed to hospital are not true. The actor went through his first Colonoscopy as part of regular check up and doctors removed a precancerous polyp from his colon.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax with some valid information.

References:

Will Smith shares video of 1st colonoscopy and what he learned afterward

The post Will Smith Diagnosed With Life Threatening Disease: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

From 1st December 2019, Vehicles Without FASTags Have to Pay Twice the Toll Fee.

Other Versions

FASTags will Become Mandatory for all Vehicles from December 1, 2019.

Analysis:

Vehicles without FASTags will have to Pay Twice the Toll Fee from 1st December 2019. FASTags will become mandatory for all vehicles, according to new plan of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and National Highway Authority of India.

About FASTags

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) operates FASTag as an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system. The technology involves affixing the FASTag device on the windscreen of vehicles enabling commuters to drive through toll plazas without stopping for toll payment. Toll plazas are equipped to debit the amount from accounts linked to RFID-based FASTags. The FASTag device is in fact a rechargeable Electronic Toll Collection card.

The ETC system started in 2014 as a pilot project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, gradually extending to all National Highways across India. FASTag is the flagship initiative of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and National Highway Authority of India. The purpose of it is to ensure smooth operation of vehicles and prevent traffic congestion on National Highways. It is also to encourage cashless payments, transparency and ensure no one is overcharged.

New FASTag Plan

According to the National Highways Fee Rules 2008, a FASTag lane in a toll plaza is reserved exclusively for the movement of FASTag users. If you are passing the lane without FASTag, you will be charged double the fee. On 18th November 2019, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways issued a press release for the Implementation of new FASTag Mandate. Accordingly, all the lanes of the toll plazas will be declared as “FASTag lanes” from December 1, 2019 and toll payments will be through the FASTag device.

The new mandate is in fact making it necessary for all vehicles to have FASTags. If a vehicle owner does not have a FASTag, he will be charged double the normal fee at the toll plazas on the National Highways. Note, there will be one hybrid lane in each direction to accept FASTag and other modes of payment. Officials however said this too will phase out eventually.

Where to Buy FASTags?

To buy FASTags, there are thousands of Point-of-Sale locations including NH fee plazas, RTOs, Common Service Centers, transport hubs, bank branches, selected petrol pumps, etc. NHAI has also partnered with some banks to retail the FASTag devices. You can learn more about them on National Highway Authority of India website nhai.gov.in. You can also find more information about FASTags on fastag.org website. To search for the nearest point-of-sale locations, you may download My FASTag App or Call 1033 National Highway Helpline number.

References:

Vehicles without FASTags will have to pay twice the toll fee from December 1st
FASTags must from December 1. Here’s how to buy, recharge electronic toll tags

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Story:

Unbelievable: Tree Penetrates a Car Overnight in France. No one knows how it happened.

Other Versions

1. This tree sprouted overnight through a car in France and no one knows how it happened

2. The car pierced by a tree shocked people in Nantes City of France

Fact Check:

Certain videos and pictures are doing rounds on social media platforms alleging to show an Unbelievable sight – a Tree Penetrates a Car Overnight in France. Accompanying messages say no one knows how the tree entered the car. They also mention shock of the people flocking to the scene, taking pictures and videos of the strange incident. What you see is real – but it is an Art Installation, not a strange or unbelievable incident.

Tree Penetrates Car in France is Art Installation

Firstly, the story in question reminds us of another old one claiming to show a Tree Ate a Bicycle after the Boy went to war in 1914.

The strange sight of a grown tree inside the car certainly surprised the online viewers and left them wondered how it happened. Videos and pictures from the scene went viral on various social media platforms. There’s a longer video from the scene in a Facebook post garnering millions of views. There are also some fabricated stories claiming a man parked his car and went to sleep and when he returned, he was shocked to find a tree in his car. They described it as a miracle!

Coming to the origin, what you see is in fact a piece of street art from Royal de Luxe, a French Marionette street theater company in Nantes city. Royal de Luxe creates many Marionettes on streets along with such art installations. On 18th November 2019, they posted a story about the Car and Tree on their Facebook page.

Earlier, Royal de Luxe Stabbed a Car with a Giant Fork for a store promotion and installed a Red Car Parked high over a building as a humor.

So, what you see in the videos and pictures is not any miracle of a tree penetrating through a car. It’s an art installation from a local street art company in Nantes, France.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

The post Unbelievable – Tree Penetrates a Car Overnight in France: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

Breaking News: Ambani Family Donate Rs 500 Crores for Construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
This is called Dedication to God.

Other Versions

Salute to the true hero of the country, Akshay Kumar who Donates Rs 10 Crore for the Construction of Shri Ram Temple.

(Hindi)

1. ब्रेकिंग न्यूज़ – अंबानी परिवार ने दिया राम मंदिर निर्माण हेतु 500 करोड़ रुपए !
इसे कहते हैं श्रद्धा.. जयश्रीराम

2. फिल्म जगत का पहला इंसान सच्चे देशभक्त अक्षय कुमार ने श्री राम मंदिर निर्माण हेतु 10 करोड़ रुपये दान किया
देश के सच्चे हीरो अक्षय कुमार को सलाम

Fact Check:

Some messages spread on social media allege to show Ambani Family Donates 500 Crore Rupees for Construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Others claim to show Bollywood hero Akshay Kumar Donate 10 Crore rupees for Ram Mandir. Accompanying picture(s) shows Mukesh Ambani meeting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Akshay Kumar meeting Indian PM Narendra Modi. No, both the claims in circulation are not true.

Did Ambani Family Donate 500 Crores for Ram Mandir Construction?

Firstly, the claims are doing rounds on social media without citing any source of information. Moreover, there are no credible reports about any such donation from Ambani family, an elite personality in India. Coming to the picture in circulation, it is in fact an old one from December 2017 when Yogi Adityanath campaigned for UP Investors’ Summit 2018. Apart from Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata also met him. Yogi Adityanath shared the photograph of Ambani on his Twitter account also.

Did Akshay Kumar Donate 10 Crore?

On the other hand, there are also stories about Akshay Kumar donating a huge amount for construction of Ram Mandir after the historic judgement in Ayodhya. The Bollywood hero is known for his social and charitable work. However, there are no credible reports of any such donation from him either. The accompanying picture is when Akshay Kumar met PM Narendra Modi in June 2017 to tell him about his upcoming movie Toilet Ek Prem Katha, which goes with the Government programme Swachh Bharat mission.

The story about Akshay Kumar’s 10 Crore donation appears to have originated from a Facebook post in Hindi also showing an image of the Cheque.

The ICICI Bank cheque carries the name of “Odisha Chief Minister’s Relief Fund” and is for 1 Crore only, unlike the claim. The date on cheque is 6th May 2019 – long before the Supreme Court judgment declared construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Moreover, the signature on the cheque does not match with Akshay Kumar’s original one available on Wikipedia.

So, it’s a fake cheque circulating online with another fabricated story of donation towards construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

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A Triple Decker City Bus in Berlin, Germany, 1926

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People using triple-decker buses in Berlin, Germany, 1926

Fact Check:

Some picture messages popular online purport to show photograph of a Triple Decker City Bus in Berlin, Germany back in 1926. The old, black & white photograph appears to show the bus standing on a road beside a group of people. Although the photograph appears genuine and the triple decker bus is widely believed to be real, it is not so.

About the ‘Triple Decker Bus in Berlin’

Most viewers online thought the photograph shows a classic triple decker bus carrying a board of Stettiner Bhf station in Berlin, Germany. However, it is a classic hoax from way back in 1926. On 1st April 1926, German magazine Echo Continental announced the development of a new triple-decker bus for the city of Berlin. They also showed the – tricky, mocked up photograph – as a ‘proof’ of the development.

German corporate newspaper/magazine Echo Continental was the trade publication of the Auto and Truck parts manufacturer Continental AG. They informed about popular sports and racing events in classic coverage, also using comic/cartoon figures and humorous stories. Echo Continental employed top illustrators of the day – reason why the photograph appears so real.

About Triple Decker Buses

Triple decker buses were never seriously considered because of issues like their high centre of gravity making them unstable and their risk of hitting trees and bridges. Nonetheless, some triple decker buses were developed in European countries like Italy. However, in almost all models the third level was a small compartment in the rear part of the bus.

On Screen

A triple decker bus was developed for 2004 movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Special effects department made the Knight Bus by cutting up two Routemaster buses and putting them back together with three decks.

Fake Pictures and Videos

On the other hand, there are many fake, Photoshopped images and also videos alleging to show triple decker buses. For instance, the video below – claiming to show a Triple Decker Bus in India – was in fact an added visual effect. The third layer of deck is a replication of the second one.

Coming back to the triple decker bus in Berlin – the edited photograph does not show a real one. The classic old April fools prank photograph still appears online after so many decades.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

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Heart-Stopping Video – Guy Rolls Down Hill in Tire Towards Car

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Going down a hill in an inner tube.
This could have gone so wrong but it went sooo right!

Fact Check:

A heart-stopping video popular online alleges to show a Guy Inside a Tire Tube Rolls Down Hill towards a Car. It shows a terrifying moment when the daredevil rolling down hill in an inflatable ring is almost Hit by a Passing Car. The video viral since August 2018 is not real – it is an advertisement for Volkswagen Polo.

About the Video Showing Guy Rolls Down Hill Inside Tube

The video starts showing the young man sitting inside a black inflatable tire tube as two friends push him down the hill. The tire and the man appear to roll down the hill, luckily escaping the hit of a car passing on road before plunging into the pool of water. After couple of seconds, the man appears to come out of the water – expressing joy over the ‘victorious’ feat. In the first place, the video reminds us of somewhat similar viral video from past. It showed Megawoosh – an unbelievable long-distance waterslide feat. It happened to be a viral advertisement for Microsoft’s Office Suite Project 2007.

Apart from many viewers on social media, Instagram user James Straker shared the extreme tire tube video on 13th August 2018. He said his buddy’s nephew was messing around with his mates and the dude inside tube is lucky to escape from the car hit.

Volkswagen Polo Advertisement

Yes, the video is again a viral advertisement for Volkswagen Polo Car. Creative Agency DDB Sydney in fact made the heart-stopping viral video to promote safety-packed Volkswagen Polo Car with City Emergency Brake. RIOT Content marketed the viral advertisement. In other words, the staged video is analogy to show the car breaks just on time to save the certain accident. Note, the end of the video advertisement below carries the tagline – Live less drama.

There’s another video from the marketing campaign showing a man shooting out from a thrilling water slide. Surprisingly, he falls right onto an inflatable tire in pool.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

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Photograph of Baba Ramdev with a Woman on Bed

Other Versions

रात भर शिष्या के साथ अलोम विलोम करने के

बाद” चरम सुख” का आनंद लेते बाबा कामदेव

Fact Check:

Some criticizing messages doing rounds on social media since few years allege to show a Photograph of Baba Ramdev with a Woman on Bed. They claim the Yogic guru maintains such a character with his woman disciples. No, the claims are not true – the photograph comes from a totally different context.

About the Photograph of Baba Ramdev with Woman on Bed

The photograph in question is doing rounds online since at least 2014, criticizing the character of Indian yogic guru Baba Ramdev. However, back on 26th November 2014 itself, Baba Ramdev clarified the matter with a post on his official Facebook page.

He explained the woman beside him is 27-year-old Priti, a Cancer patient struggling between life and death. Baba Ramdev said the woman belongs to the family of a founder-member of Patanjali Yogpeeth, adding he met her in Vedanta Hospital to bless her, teach some yoga techniques and gave her some Ayurvedic medicines. The photograph in fact shows Baba Ramdev beside the woman posing for a photograph. Baba Ramdev also shared couple of other pictures of the woman meeting him with her family. At last, he even condemned the people spreading false, disgusting stories about the cancer patient.

Similar Story – Baba Ramdev with Model Sofia Hayat

There are also couple of other pictures in wide circulation online – alleging to show the Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev with model Sofia Hayat.

The person in the pictures is not the yoga guru. He is Sunil Talwar, a look-alike of Baba Ramdev. The pictures are from working stills of a comedy film making from November 2011. Sunil Talwar has worked in some advertisements also.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

The post Photograph of Baba Ramdev with a Woman on Bed: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

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This is the guy who added his infected blood to Cadbury products. For the next few week do not eat any products from Cadbury, as a worker from the company has added his blood contaminated with HIV (AIDS). It was shown yesterday on BBC News.

Please forward this message to people who you care.

Other Versions

Cadbury के Products में employee ने HIV AIDS वाला संक्रमित खून मिला दिया है!

Fact Check:

Some messages doing rounds on WhatsApp and other social media platforms warn consumers saying Cadbury Products are Contaminated with HIV (AIDS) by a Worker. They say a guy added his HIV Infected Blood to Cadbury products and warn consumers not to eat any Cadbury products for the next few weeks. They also claim to show an image of the guy, adding BBC news reported the incident. There’s nothing to worry, the allegations are just hoaxes and no such incident took place.

Cadbury Products Not Contaminated with HIV

The photograph accompanying the warning messages appears to show a Cadbury guy arrested for the alleged crime. However, the image comes from a different context. It in fact shows Aminu Ogwuche, an alleged mastermind of the April 2014 Nyanya bomb blast. Likewise, the photograph shows INTERPOL handing over the criminal to Nigeria.

Similar messages in past warned consumers not to drink any product of Maaza – claiming a worker from the Company added his blood Contaminated with Ebola virus. There were also warnings of HIV blood in Pepsi, Pine Apple and Frooti.

Like the messages suggest, there’s no such warning or report from BBC news about Cadbury products contaminated with HIV. Moreover, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV does not survive long outside the human body:

You can’t get HIV from consuming food handled by someone with HIV. Even if the food contained small amounts of HIV-infected blood or semen, exposure to the air, heat from cooking, and stomach acid would destroy the virus.

In response to a query questioning the claim on Twitter in March 2018, Cadbury Dairy Milk confirmed the warning message is a hoax. The company also asked people not to spread the fear mongering messages.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

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The Incredible Vampire Hunting Kit from the 1800’s

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1. Vampire Hunting Kit from the Early 19th Century

2. Early 19th century French vampire hunting kit

Fact Check:

A picture message in wide circulation online purports to show an incredible Vampire Hunting Kit from France used in the early 1800s. It shows a wooden box containing holy Bible, Cross, some liquids, pistol, hammer and knife among others. Although it looks old, what you see in the photograph is not a real Vampire hunting kit from early 1800s.

Not Vampire Hunting Kit

The photograph in question appeared as Vampire Killing Kit on Deviant Art page The Rag N Bone Emporium – carrying tags Visual Art, Original Work and Artisan Crafts. The item was put for sale on Etsy at the time of its publication in 2013. Moreover, the artist shares many such Vampire Killing Kits on his Instagram page, along with others like a Mummified Yeti Hand. Hence, the ‘Vampire Killing Kit’ is a modern art based on the old idea of Vampires.

About Vampire Slaying Kits

Vampire hunting/slaying kits came to light in European regions after classic ‘Hammer’ horror movies of Vampire and Dracula became popular in 20th century. Businessmen then exploited the idea of selling such ‘antique’ Vampire killing kits. Further, they surfaced at auctions, pricing high and reaching tens of thousands of dollars for each. The wooden box used to contain pistols, wooden stakes, Bibles, crucifixes and rosaries, in addition to bottles of garlic powder, holy water and herbal potions. Some of them also made into Museum collections. However, investigations revealed most of the antique boxes and contents were modern, novelty items or stage, screen or magician’s props.

Royal Armouries museum in Leeds acquired one such vampire-killing kit in 2012. They knew it was probably cobbled together in the 1970s or 80s. British weaponry expert and curator of firearms at the Royal Armouries, Jonathan Ferguson described the vampire-killing kit as “inspired by the movies, not Victorian stories and folklore.”

For your information, Vampire became a popular figure of Gothic fiction with the publication of Polidori’s The Vampyre in 1819. On the other hand, Dracula is in fact an 1897 Gothic horror novel from Irish author Bram Stoker. It introduced the character of Count Dracula, subsequently establishing many conventions of vampire fantasy.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

References:

Does it Even Matter if These Vintage Vampire-Killing Kits Are Real?

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Warning: Sensitive content in this article. Viewer discretion advised.

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Shocking Video: Lungs Blackened After Decades of Smoking

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(Telugu)

మసి కాదు.. స్మోకింగ్ చేస్తున్న వ్యక్తి ఊపిరితీత్తులు!

Fact Check:

A shocking video in wide circulation online shows a pair of human Lungs blackened heavily after decades of smoking. So, we wanted to share the video along with the factual incident to spread awareness on dangers of Smoking.

About the Video of Surgeons Showing Blackened Lungs

The short video shows a small group of medics showing a pair of human lungs – in Charcoal-Black color. Healthy lungs, on the other hand, would be Pink in color. The tar-blackened lungs belong to a chain smoker addicted to smoking for the past three decades. What you see is in fact Tobacco residue clogging up the lungs of a 52-year-old dead man in China.

Doctors from Wuxi People’s Hospital in Jiangsu, China shared the video viral online after removing the lungs surgically. Note, the blackened lungs look larger than the normal deflated lung postmortem as the surgeons might have inflated them with air or fluid before harvesting for donation. Sharing the video, Lung transplant surgeon Dr. Chen questioned ‘Do you still have the courage to smoke?‘. He also mentioned the importance of quitting Smoking.

The patient was suffering from Pulmonary Emphysema – severely inflamed and expanded Lungs, losing their natural elasticity and causing shortness of breath. Reportedly, the patient smoke a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years. Doctors harvested his organs as the patient previously signed up to donate his organs after death. They were however useless.

Dr. Chen pointed many smokers in China have lungs looking like them. On the other hand, viewers dubbed the viral video as the ‘best anti-smoking ad ever’.

References:

Doctors Show Charcoal-Black Lungs Of A 52-Year-Old Dead Chain Smoker

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Woman Born with 32 Fingers and Toes Branded Witch in Odisha

Other Versions

Woman born with 12 fingers, 20 toes in India

Fact Check:

Picture messages doing rounds online purport to show a Woman Born with 32 Fingers and Toes Branded Witch in Odisha, India. Accompanying pictures show the woman having 12 fingers and 20 toes. Yes, the claims are true and explained here.

Woman Born with 32 Fingers & Toes

The woman in pictures is 63-year-old Nayak Kumari born with 20 toes and 12 fingers in Kadapada village of Ganjam district in Odisha, India. Unfortunately, people in her community call her witch and abuse her for being born with so many unnatural number of fingers. The woman’s family did not have the knowledge about her rare medical condition Polydactyly, i.e. supernumerary fingers and/or toes. Polydactyly is often treated by surgically removing the surplus fingers. Their financial status also did not allow conducting further tests or treatment.

Local people treated her congenital abnormality like a social stigma. They were often isolated, considered inauspicious and forced to stay indoors without proper feeding.

The old woman expresses her grief saying there’s no change in people’s thinking even after so many years. Nayak Kumari says people still isolate and harass her mentally. She also says the only people who come near her are those who want to count her fingers.

Similar Polydactylism Case of Guinness World Record

Akshat Saxena had 34 fingers and toes – seven on each hand and 10 on each foot – when he was born in India in March 2010. The premature baby from Panwari town of Budaun City in Uttar Pradesh, India made it into Guinness World Records for having most fingers and toes (Polydactylism) at birth. However, in June 2011, doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences amputated the excess fingers in a series of surgeries. Later, Akshat Saxena had the typical five fingers per limb.

Another Indian man from Himmatnagar in Gujarat, Devendra Suthar has 28 fingers – seven each on hands and toes. He is known as ‘maximum fingers man’ in his locality and was also mentioned in Guinness Book of World Records. Devendra Suthar works as a Carpenter and says he has to be careful at work not to slice his extra fingers off.

Hoax or Fact:

Fact.

References:

Woman born with 20 toes 12 fingers branded a witch forced to stay indoors

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