New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI): After the recent announcement of Maharashtra Assembly election results, a video went viral on social media showing a large number of people protesting with banners in their hands and raising slogans like "Remove EVMs, save the nation." People shared the video, claiming it to be a protest against EVMs in Maharashtra.
The PTI Fact Check Desk investigated the viral claim and found it to be fake. The video was from a protest demanding the removal of EVMs that took place at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in January-February 2024.
A user on social media platform 'X' wrote: "The spark of removal of EVMs has now taken the form of a movement. People are on the streets against the Election Commission in many villages of Maharashtra. There is a deep doubt about EVMs in the country." The post has received more than 35,000 views so far, and this number is increasing continuously.
To verify the claim, the desk reverse-searched the video's keyframes and found that the same video was shared by an X user named JS Chaudhary on February 1, 2024. The user mentioned that the video was from a demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding the removal of EVMs.
During the investigation, we found another video related to the demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, in which the slogans raised matched the viral video.
Another X user shared this video on February 1, 2024 and wrote, "Live broadcast from New Delhi: Masses took to the streets at Jantar Mantar, protests are being held by Bharat Mukti Morcha, demonstrations are being held to remove EVMs." Taking this information, we conducted a customised keyword search on Google and found a report published by Amar Ujala on January 31, 2024. According to the report, 22 organisations, including the Bharat Mukti Morcha, Rashtriya Kisan Morcha, and Bahujan Mukti Party, staged protests at Jantar Mantar on January 31, 2024, demanding the removal of EVMs. The protesters had gathered from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, Bihar and other states with ‘EVM Hatao’ banners in their hands. Read the full fact-check report here: https://bit.ly/3VeCbHb Our investigation revealed that the viral video is of a demonstration held at Jantar Mantar in Delhi from January to February 2024 and is unrelated to the recent Assembly polls in Maharashtra.
To verify the truth or validity of any viral social media claim, you can contact the PTI Fact Check Desk at WhatsApp number +91-81305059. PTI TEAM MNK MNK