Fact Check Desk

Lucknow:  In a significant political development ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, Mohan Bhagwat  and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath  held a high-level meeting to discuss strategy and organisational coordination, with ideological issues reportedly taking centre stage. Sources familiar with the discussions said the meeting focused on strengthening grassroots outreach, consolidating core voter bases, and aligning campaign messaging with broader ideolo

Gandhinagar, Gujarat:  The Gujarat  government has exchanged a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Starlink  to facilitate high-speed satellite-based internet connectivity across remote, border, and underserved regions of the state. The move is aimed at strengthening digital infrastructure in areas where conventional telecom networks remain limited or unreliable. Officials said the initiative forms part of Gujarat’s broader Digital Connectivity Mission and aligns with strategic effor

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh — February 15, 2026:  In a significant political development ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections , former Congress leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui  formally joined the Samajwadi Party  (SP) at a public event in Lucknow on Sunday. The induction was welcomed by party president Akhilesh Yadav , who described it as a major step toward strengthening unity for social justice and electoral success . Siddiqui, a seasoned politician with roots in the

Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) : A man has been arrested for allegedly posting a video containing “objectionable remarks” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, police officials said on Tuesday. According to police, the accused has been identified as Jitendra Kumar Kashyap. The action was taken after a complaint was received regarding a video circulating on social media platforms in which the individual allegedly made inappropriate and derogatory comments about the Prime Minist

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has granted time to the West Bengal government till February 17 to comply with its pending directives related to the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state. The move comes amid rising concerns over alleged procedural lapses and non-compliance by certain officials during the electoral roll revision exercise. The Commission has specifically directed the State government to initiate action against

New Delhi:   Om Birla , Speaker of the Lok Sabha, will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Tarique Rahman  as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh , official sources confirmed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi  will not be able to attend the ceremony due to prior engagements in Mumbai, where he is scheduled to hold meetings with Emmanuel Macron , the President of France . High-Level Representation Government sources said India’s decision to send the Lok Sabha Speaker u

Chandigarh:  A senior Congress leader and former Member of Parliament has stirred political ripples within the Indian National Congress  after launching a foot march across parts of Haryana , a move that has reportedly caused unease among sections of the party’s state unit. The padyatra, described by the ex-MP as an outreach initiative to connect with grassroots workers and understand public grievances, has drawn significant local attention. However, insiders suggest that the

New Delhi:  A fresh political storm has erupted in Parliament after members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party  (BJP), led by MP Nishikant Dubey , objected strongly to speeches delivered by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi  in the Lok Sabha, with some seeking action that could potentially lead to his disqualification. The controversy has intensified political tensions, with Opposition parties alleging that attempts are being made to “shrink the House” by curbing dissenting

Gandhinagar:  The Gujarat government has appointed noted industrialist and banker Uday Suresh Kotak  as the Chairman of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City Company Limited , according to an official resolution issued by the state’s Urban Development and Urban Housing Department. The appointment places one of India’s most respected banking leaders at the helm of GIFT City , the country’s first operational smart city and international financial services centre (IFSC), locate

Collaborations in India and other countries outside the US will remain in place for at least the next few months. New Delhi :Fact-checking organisations in India will continue their partnerships with Meta Platforms for the time being, a senior executive from the social media giant has confirmed. The clarification comes amid global discussions around Meta’s content moderation policies and its evolving approach to tackling misinformation. According to the executive, while the c

A viral image showing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein standing beside several prominent public figures near a swimming pool has been found to be artificially generated, according to digital verification tools and independent analysis. The photograph began circulating widely on social media platforms, with users claiming it showed Epstein in a candid setting with well-known personalities. However, fact-checkers flagged inconsistencies in the image and initiated a techni

New Delhi/Dhaka : The decisive electoral victory of Tarique Rahman in Bangladesh has marked a significant political shift in the neighbouring country after months of turbulence and uncertainty. With a new leadership set to take charge in Dhaka, policymakers in India are closely assessing the potential impact on bilateral ties, security cooperation, and regional strategy. Political Reset After Turbulence Rahman’s victory is being viewed as a political reset following a period

Washington : Meta’s reported decision to scale back or alter key aspects of its fact-checking and content moderation policies has triggered sharp criticism from disinformation researchers, media watchdogs and civil society groups, who warn that the move could weaken safeguards against online falsehoods at a politically sensitive time in the United States. The controversy comes amid a long-running and deeply polarised debate over the role of fact-checking in moderating online

Chennai: A political storm erupted in Tamil Nadu after Governor R.N. Ravi walked out of the State Assembly on Tuesday without delivering the customary address, prompting the Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan) to issue a detailed press release explaining his decision. However, several claims made in the statement have since come under scrutiny, with critics alleging that some reasons were factually incorrect or based on selectively presented data. Walkout during customary address The in

In the wake of India’s “Operation Sindoor”, which reportedly targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), social media platforms have been inundated with false, misleading and unverified claims related to the military action and its aftermath. A mix of artificially generated visuals, old photographs, unrelated video clips and exaggerated narratives are being widely circulated, adding to confusion and heightening tensions online. Here is a de

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati  on Saturday (February 7, 2026) alleged that the Central government and several State governments  were pursuing their political interests by exploiting issues of religion and caste , a trend she said was dangerous for the unity and integrity of the country . In a statement issued on Saturday, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said that instead of addressing pressing national concerns, governments were deliberately

New Delhi: The Jan Suraaj Party , founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor , has approached the Supreme Court  seeking to declare the 2025 Bihar Assembly election results null and void , alleging large-scale violations of electoral norms by the state government during the election period. In a writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution , the party has urged the apex court to order fresh elections in Bihar , contending that the ruling dispensation compromi

New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)  has issued clearer and more detailed eligibility guidelines for candidates already serving in civil services  through its Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2026 notification , released on Tuesday. The revised norms aim to remove long-standing ambiguities surrounding the eligibility and attempt rules for officers belonging to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS)

Imphal: Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla  has convened the seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly , which is scheduled to begin at 4 pm on Thursday , marking a significant political development in the state after nearly a year of President’s Rule. Ahead of the assembly session, a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC)  is likely to be held at 3 pm  to finalise the legislative agenda and business to be taken up during the session, official sources

Multiple AI-generated images falsely claiming to show New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a child alongside his mother, renowned filmmaker Mira Nair, with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein have gone viral on social media, sparking widespread confusion and concern. The images were widely circulated on Monday (February 2, 2026), shortly after the US Justice Department released a large tranche of new files related to Epstein. Fact-checks and digital forensics experts have co