Archive

Fact Check: Did the Election Commission announce the Dates for Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections in 2022?

The Election Commission confirmed to Fact Crescendo that the viral post is False. They have not announced the official dates of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections next year. Political campaigning is intensifying in Uttar Pradesh regarding the upcoming assembly elections in 2022.  The present chief minister’s tenure will end next year on 14 March […]

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Unrelated image falsely shared as PM Modi touching the feet of IAS Aarti Dogra

IAS Aarti Dogra confirmed to Fact Crescendo that the woman in the image is not her. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Banaras . In this ceremony, he touched the feet of a woman. An image showing this incident is circulating on social media claiming that this picture shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched the feet […]

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Scripted Video showing Group of Boys Taking Advantage of Girls by Spiking Their Food Shared with a Communal Claim

The viral video is scripted and created for “awareness, entertainment and educational” purpose which has been falsely shared with false communal claims. A video showing few boys spiking the birthday cake of a girl and taking her inside the house when she is semi-conscious. Social media users claim that in the video, the group of […]

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FACT CHECK: Outdated message claims Celebrity Chef has proven that McDonald’s Burgers are toxic

A passage being shared widely on Social Media platforms claims that McDonald’s burgers are unfit for human consumption. The message attributes the statement who Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver who has reportedly proved that the food they sell is not fit to be ingested as it is highly toxic due to the use of bacteria-killing ammonium […]

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Image from Bangladesh shared as crowd-offering namaaz on the streets of India.

The image is not from India. It shows religious prayers offered during the religious congregation of Bishwa Ijtema in Bangladesh in 2020 An image showing a large crowd offering namaaz on a busy street blocking traffic is widely circulating on social media. Several social media users including Pakistani-Canadian columnist Tarek Fatah have shared this image. […]

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Video of CAB protest in 2019 shared as ‘Krishna devotees in Mathura Gathered to Storm Idgah Mosque’…

Local media owner confirmed to Fact Crescendo that the viral video dates back to 2019 when massive crowds took to streets for protesting against CAB. On 6th December 1992, raging crowd of volunteers called Karsevaks stormed and demolished what used to be called Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. This led to violent communal riots […]

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Video of brutal assault in Faridabad due to personal rivalry shared with a communal spin…

DSP Faridabad confirmed to Fact Crescendo that both the victim and accused are Hindus. This video does not show atrocities against the minority in India. A horrifying video showing two men mercilessly attacking another man with a sledgehammer on a road in Faridabad, Haryana in broad daylight is widely circulating on social media. Some users […]

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FACT CHECK: Assam’s CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is NOT giving his opinion on Islam is this interview

Comedian Nitin Gupta confirmed to Fact Crescendo that the video belongs to one of his interview to OpIndia A video showing a speaker explaining about Bollywood filmmakers and Islam is widely circulating on social media. He explains his views on how slowing the Bollywood is promoting Islam, how girls are converted to Islam, temples are […]

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Video of manufacturing process of plastic granules shared as production of plastic rice.

FSSAI has refuted the claims of plastic rice. The videos originally shows the plastic granulation process in Korea based company named Hanwha Total Petrochemical Co. Ltd. A video allegedly showing a rice mill where plastic sheets converted to create artificial plastic rice is circulating on social media. The users sharing the video claim that the […]

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Fact Check: No, Phantom Comics Did Not Prophesize about ‘China Virus’ in 1957…

The original comic shows Phantom asking people to protect themselves from the ‘sleep death’ and not ‘China virus’. Several conspiracy theories regarding the Covid-19 pandemic had cropped up since the outbreak of the virus. As a new variant of this Covid-19 virus named as ‘Omicron’ becomes a global concern, new conspiracy theories have started surfacing […]

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No Movie Named ‘The Omicron Variant’ Was Released in 1963; Altered Photo of Another Movie’s Poster Shared With Misleading Claim…

The original poster of the film named “Phase IV” released in 1974 was digitally edited to create the viral poster. Becky Cheatle, who photoshopped the original poster, has clarified the same on Twitter. On November 26, World Health Organization (WHO) designated the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 as a ‘variant of concern’ and named it Omicron. According […]

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Digitally Edited image shared as Swami Vivekananda playing cricket in Eden Gardens

The image is morphed and the original image shows Yorkshire cricketer Hedley Verity in circa 1940. Swami Vivekananda’s birthday is celebrated as the National Youth day in India. He was a Hindu monk and a Philosopher who was an ardent disciple of Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He is fondly remembered for his historic speech at the […]

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Image of Incheon International Airport Shared On Social Media As Jewar International Airport…

The image shows the Incheon International Airport at Seoul in South Korea. The Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh has not been constructed yet. PM Modi laid the foundation stone one day ago. On 25 November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Noida International Airport, near Jewar in Uttar Pradesh’s […]

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Simulation video falsely shared as a real train system in Israel.

The video is a simulated one used in video games. The video does not show a real train on the pyramid bridge in Israel. Israel is popular for their technological prowess and over the years, many countries have tried to learn and emulate their advanced techniques in various fields.  A video of an ‘amazing example’ […]

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2-Year-Old Video of March By Borussia Mönchengladbach Fans Shared As Protests in Austria Against Recently Imposed Lockdown…

The video shows the supporters of the German football team Borussia Mönchengladbach marching on a street in Graz, Austria in 2019. It has no relation with the ongoing anti lockdown protest in Austria. Massive protests broke out in Austria after the country imposed a nationwide lockdown and mandated vaccines for its entire adult population. In […]

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UAE based company is not manufacturing or packaging the Aravana Payasam served at the Sabarimala temple in Kerala

Public Information Officer at Travancore Devaswom Board and the company Al Zahaa confirmed to Fact Crescendo that the viral claim is False. The image does not show the original Aravana Payasam served at the Sabarimala temple. An image allegedly showing the “Aravana Prasadam” given to devotees at the Sabarimala temple in Kerala is widely circulating […]

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Viral Video Alleged to be of Police Celebration after Recent Encounter with Naxalites in Gadchiroli is Old…

Gadchiroli SP clarified to Fact Crescendo that the viral video is old and is not related to the recent encounter On 13 November, Maharashtra Police encountered 26 naxals who were killed including the top militant Maoist leader Milind Temtumbde. Amidst this, a video of a celebration is going viral on social media claiming to show […]

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FACT CHECK: Has Japan banned the use and shut down the production of microwaves? Find out the Truth

A viral message listing the harmful effects of Microwave oven is going viral on messaging platforms. The message claims that because of its harmful effects, the use and production of  Microwaves has been banned in Japan. Fact Crescendo received the same message on its 24×7 Factline number 904 905 3770 with a request to verify […]

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FACT CHECK: Afghan National Volleyball Player Mahjabeen Hakimi Was Not Beheaded by Taliban; Here’s the Truth…

Mainstream media and social media users across the world claimed that an Afghan National Volleyball Player Mahjabeen Hakimi was beheaded by the Taliban. However, Fact Crescendo found that these reports were false and Mahjabeen’s was not beheaded by Taliban. In fact, she was found dead under mysterious circumstances even before the fall of Ashraf Ghani […]

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FACT CHECK: Amul has not announced any contest with Cash Prize to commemorate its 75th Anniversary Celebrations

Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) or Amul, a dairy cooperative based in Anand, Gujarat is India’s largest food product organization. Even as the organization celebrates its 75th Anniversary in 2021, a number of links are going viral on messaging platforms claiming that Amul is giving out cash to winners of a contest. The […]

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FACT CHECK: Old and Unrelated Image Goes Viral as Car Wreck of Controversial Swedish Artist Lars Vilks…

Controversial Swedish artist Lars Vilks was killed in a car crash on October 4, 2021, after two murder attempts by fanatics following his drawing of the Prophet Mohammed with a dog. Shortly after the death of the provocateur artist at Sweden, some pictures have emerged on Social media platforms claiming it is from the same […]

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Image of a man attempting suicide in 2018 viral as Taliban’s atrocities in present day Afghanistan

Social media has witnessed several misinformation related to the unrest in Afghanistan since August. Amidst this an image showing a man hanging from a pole with a crying child standing by his side is circulating on social media. The social media users claim that the image shows a recent incident from Afghanistan showing the atrocities […]

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FAKE NEWS: Photoshopped Ad Going Viral Targeting Arvind Kejriwal On Gandhi Jayanti

An image supposedly showing a print advertisement issued by the Delhi government in a newspaper on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s Jayanti has become a trending topic on social media.  On the basis of this viral photo, Netizens are ridiculing Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for “self-promoting” by using a bigger picture of himself while cornering […]

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FACT CHECK: Unrelated Image of an Indo-Russian Bilateral Meeting Goes Viral As Multi-National Intelligence Agencies Meeting in New Delhi…

A photo of a meeting is being shared on social media with captions claiming that shows intelligence agencies from 5 nations including India’s RAW, Israel’s Mossad, America’s CIA, Russia’s KGB and England’s MI6 met at Delhi recently.   The photo went viral on social media, leaving many users believing that there was a meeting in New Delhi […]

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FACT CHECK: Old video passed off as footage of Panjshir Ambush between Northern Alliance and Taliban

The Panjshir province in Afghanistan has been the only province in the country that was not seized earlier by the Taliban. News reports state that the resistance force have inflicted heavy casualties on the Taliban.   Amidst this, a video showing heavy warfare is circulating on social media claiming that it shows the Taliban and Northern Alliance Resistance’s […]

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Video from 2014 passed off as footage of the ambush between the Northern Alliance and Taliban in Panjshir

The Panjshir province in Afghanistan has been the only province in the country that was not seized earlier by the Taliban. News reports state that the resistance force have inflicted heavy casualties on the Taliban.  Amidst this, a video showing heavy firing is circulating on social media claiming to show the Taliban facing heavy resistance […]

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Image showing a “pool of blood” has no relation with the recent blasts at the Kabul airport

Social media is flooded with misinformation related to the ongoing unrest in Afghanistan post the Taliban take over. Amidst this a terrifying news of a twin blast that took place near Kabul airport claiming lives of at least 170 people including 13 US troop on 26 August 2021 was reported. The Islamic State (IS) -Khorasan, the Afghan unit […]

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Controversial graphic image of the Hindu God Krishna has NOT been created by Myntra

Social media is flooded with the trend ,’Boycott Myntra’ which is requests users to boycott the shopping app and refrain from  buying any product from the website. Amidst this, a graphic image depicting Draupadi’s vastraharan scene from Mahabharata is going viral on social media. The image further shows Lord Krishna using a smartphone and shopping for ‘extra-long sarees’ on […]

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FACT CHECK: Fake message claims NGO with support from Infosys is offering scholarships to meritorious students

A text message claiming that an NGO, supported by Infosys Foundation is offering financial help to meritorious students from weak financial background is being shared widely on messaging platforms like WhatsApp. The message is: “Hi All, A small help required. Will you please post this message in the known groups so that it gets circulated…. […]

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This is NOT Abdul Ghani Baradar storming into the Presidential Palace of Afghanistan after the seize

Social media has been flooded with misinformation related to the recent Taliban seize over Afghanistan. Several unrelated images and videos are circulating with misleading claims. Amidst this, an image of a group of men entering the Presidential Palace is circulating on social media claiming to show Abdul Ghani Baradar storming into the Presidential Palace of […]

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FACT CHECK: Video does NOT show Ashraf Ghani fleeing after the Taliban seized Kabul

Soon after the Taliban seized the capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul, social media was flooded with misinformation related to this incident. One such video showing the former President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani boarding a flight and waving goodbye to others. The claim made along with this video is that President Ashraf Ghani fled  Afghanistan leaving […]

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Video of a Wedding Dance in Pakistan viral as Taliban Celebrating after Seizing Power In Afghanistan

After the Taliban seized Kabul, various social media posts in connection with Taliban and the present situation in Afghanistan have flooded social media. One such video doing the rounds is of some armed men dancing together during some kind of celebration. It has been claimed that the men in the video are Talibani militants who […]

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FACT CHECK: Old video from Syria shared as woman shot to death by the Taliban recently at Afghanistan

As India celebrated its 75th Independence Day on Sunday, Taliban forces entered the Afghan capital Kabul forcing the incumbent President Ashraf Ghani to flee.  In the aftermath of the fall of Kabul, social media witnessed a flurry of disturbing that went viral in no time. Some of those videos, however, have been debunked as old […]

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FACT CHECK: Viral Screenshot of article stating CNN praised the Taliban for wearing masks is from a satirical website

With the Taliban taking control of Kabul, Afghanistan, a lot of posts are being made on social media in connection to the happenings there. One such post that is going viral is a screenshot of an article with the headline “CNN Praises Taliban For Wearing Masks During Attack.” The screenshot also has an image of […]

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FACT CHECK: Viral Image of Banner with a Picture of PM Modi Congratulating Toppers at a Kerala College is Morphed…

A picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a banner congratulating the toppers of the Government Engineering College in Thiruvananthapuram is going viral in different languages on social media. The photo of the banner has been shared by multiple users with captions like “Height of Narcissism” on platforms like Twitter.  Here is one such post uploaded […]

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A 2014 video of a performance by Japanese students is going viral as the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020

Fact Checkers witnessed a lot of misinformation related to the Tokyo Olympics 2020. In the beginning of the event, we found an unrelated video in circulation claiming to be the opening ceremony of the event. Amidst this, we found another video showing a synchronized walking performance going viral on social media claiming to be the […]

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Fact Check- Digitally Altered image shared to show anti sharia board found at the Indo- Pak border

Amid rising clamour for implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, an image of a signboard is going viral on social media.  The Delhi High Court has backed the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in the country. A Uniform Civil Code involves having a common set of laws governing marriage, divorce, succession and adoption for all Indians, instead […]

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The French police has NOT joined the protest against Macron’s new covid-19 measures

French President Emmanuel Macron’s latest measures to push people to get vaccinated and to curb new Covid infections, announced recently, have generated an angry response from both the far-left and far-right groups in the EU country, with more than 1 lakh protesting nationwide on 17th July 2021. French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to make vaccination compulsory […]

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This Digitally altered video shows Greta Thunberg denying the existence of climate change

A video going viral on social media claims that Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has accepted that climate change does not exist. In the viral video the Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg can be heard saying, “Since the climate crisis doesn’t exist, how can we expect people to want climate action?”  In the viral video, […]

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Dr. Fauci has NOT been sacked by the US Government nor have they admitted that COVID-19 is a man-made virus

A video is going viral on social media claiming that the U.S. government has sacked Dr. Fauci. The post further goes on to claim that the U.S government has finally admitted that the COVID-19 virus is man-made. Dr. Fauci is the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Chief Medical Advisor […]

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EXPLAINER: Has Live Coronavirus Been Found in Sabarmati River of Gujarat?

Findings of research conducted by IIT Gandhinagar made headlines recently and caused huge panic everywhere.  Citing this research, news media websites reported that scientists found “traces of Coronavirus” in the Sabarmati River in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat.  This led to viral messages and posts claiming “coronavirus was found in drinking water” on social […]

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Fake message claims that Singapore found that thrombosis is a major cause of Covid deaths

A viral message circulating on social media with regards to COVID-19 claims that Singapore doctors have found that WHO has hatched a conspiracy to mislead people about the disease and its treatment. The message further claims that Singapore’s health ministry has finally found a treatment procedure for the virus. The viral message further goes on to claim […]

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Facebook’s inside feed on 25 friend algorithm is a myth

Image Credit- The Wall Street Journal Social media has become our best friend in this difficult and lonely time during nationwide lockdowns. We are constantly glued to social media, updating our daily routine, sharing news related to COVID-19 etc. Amidst this, a viral post on social media claims that it shows users how to reset […]

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FACT CHECK: The Viral Video of a Woman Getting Sexually Assaulted Is Not Related to The Suicide Case of Naga Girl in Jodhpur (WARNING: Physical torture)

A video going viral across social media platforms has led to an outrage amongst netizens. The video showing sexual assault on a woman by a group of men and another woman shook the northeast on May 26, 2021, the day it went viral. A lot of social media users claimed that the victim is from […]

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2015 video from Sweden viral as Israeli police strangling a Palestinian child to death

Amid the escalating violent conflict between Israel and Palestine, a video is circulating on social media platforms claiming that it shows Israeli police personnel strangling a Palestinian child to death. Further the post claims that the incident had taken place during the Palestinians protest against moving the US embassy to Jerusalem. Additionally, the post adds that the […]

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FACT CHECK: Assam’s Time 8 was not the worldwide most viewed page on Facebook during recent elections

An infographic going viral on Facebook and other social media platforms in Assam claims that a Facebook page named Time 8 was globally the most viewed page on Facebook during the recently concluded Assembly Elections in Assam. The text is in Assamese. It has been uploaded by multiple profiles on Facebook.  Original Link- Facebook | […]

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Coronavirus Conspiracy: No Connection between GlaxoSmithKline and Wuhan Lab

A viral message propagates a false conspiracy theory suggesting a nexus between Wuhan lab and major global pharmaceutical companies that caused in the Covid-19 pandemic.  The message ultimately puts forward a convoluted claim that the coronavirus was created in China with the help of vaccine makers with the intension to make profits.  Fact Crescendo received […]

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An Old video of a murder in Brazil is falsely shared as BJP worker Uttam Ghosh’s murder in West Bengal

Bengal’s State Assembly election results were announced on 2nd May 2021. Since then, there have been various reports of clashes from different parts of the state between the two major rival political parties. There are allegations that a group of people have killed the supporters of another party and incidents were reported where the party […]

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Video of a girl giving water to her COVID positive father in Andhra Pradesh linked with WB violence

Bengal’s State Assembly election results were announced on 2nd May, 2012. Since then, there have been reports of clashes between political parties from different parts of the state. Somewhere there are allegations that a group of people have killed the supporters of another party and somewhere there have been incidents of burning down of the party […]

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No, Holding Your Breath for 20 Seconds will not help you determine if you have a Covid-19 infection

Amidst the vast misinformation online, a self-check method to know if you have Covid-19 is going viral on various social media platforms. According to this viral simple self-monitoring test, people can determine whether they have Covid-19 by holding their breath for more than 20 seconds. Fact Crescendo received many fact-check requests about this test on […]

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Does inhaling camphor, clove, ajwain and eucalyptus oil help increase the oxygen level?

With the second wave of Covid-19 creating havoc in the country, social media is flooded with unverified and unscientific home remedies.  In one such viral message, it is being claimed that to increase the oxygen level one should inhale camphor, clove, ajwain and eucalyptus oil.  Fact Crescendo received many requests about this message on our […]

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Fact Check- This old video is from the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia. It has no connection with Holi.

During the festival of Holi, a video is going viral on social media which shows a spectacular display of colourful smoke near a building. Social media users claim that the video shows how Holi was celebrated at the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh. A Facebook user shared the video with the caption, “HAPPY HAPPY HOLI. ATAL TUNNEL, […]

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FACT CHECK: Misleading media reports claim Assam’s Joi Barua has won an award at The Cannes Film Festival

News of a popular Singer-Composer from Assam, Joi Barua bagging an award at a prestigious film festival for the background music of an animated film has gone viral on Social media. The news went viral after a media organization, The Assam Tribune, published a Facebook post on its official account with the caption:  “Assamese singer […]

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CLIPPED VIDEO-Rahul Gandhi did not say that Mahatma Gandhi picked up idea of Non-Violence from Islam

Rahul Gandhi’s clipped videos have always been a source of entertainment and controversy for social media users. Earlier several times clipped videos of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have been made viral aiming to spread messages out of context. Fact Crescendo has previously debunked many such videos. Recently a similar clipped video is doing rounds on […]

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