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| - Fact Check: Truth behind the viral video that claims conspiracy by BJP to change EVMs
A sensational video is going viral on social media with the claim that the BJP is conspiring to change the EVMs placed in strong rooms to win the elections by malice.
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India Today Fact Check
The authenticity of the website TNN World is highly questionable.
With the exit poll out, all eyes are now set on May 23 when the results of the Lok Sabha elections 2019 will be declared. In the meantime, the prediction game has undoubtedly driven social media crazy. Amid a sea of posts, a sensational video is going viral on social media with the claim that the BJP is conspiring to change the EVMs placed in strong rooms to win the elections by malice.
In the video released by TNN World’ (Tricolour News Network) website, a female news presenter attributed the claim to a source within the Indian government. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has approached the Delhi Chief Electoral officer to complain about the security of the strong room where EVM machines have been kept after polling. On the other hand, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also raised a question over EVM irregularities after exit polls.
India Today’s Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the viral video to be misleading and the credibility of the TNN World to be doubtful.
The news anchor says: Post May 19, when every political party and person will be relaxing after the long seven-phase election, the switching over of the EVMs in the strong rooms will happen at this time under the watch of BJP sympathisers within the government and its supporters. Targeted states are West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Kerala.
We tried to check the authenticity of the video making this sensational claim and this is what we found:
The viral video
A 7.53-minute video does not name the anchor or any reporter. The anchor does not play any report or reveal anything about the source of such information. The entire package talks about the conspiracy and also contains a warning to save the nation from Modi-Shah duo. The propaganda video ends with Save India Save Yourself Jai Hind.
TNN World website
According to the website, Tricolour News Network only shows uncensored news from around the world. However, the website seems focused on India and general elections only. This is the same website that hosted the video about an US-based expert claiming that the BJP had hacked EVMs to win 2014 Lok Sabha elections. This press conference was held in London on January 21, 2019. It was attended by Congress leader Kapil Sibal. The same website had also accused that the BJP was involved in exchanging scrapped notes after demonetisation on a commission of 40 per cent.
The website has Twitter and Facebook pages, both created in January 2019, containing a huge amount of anti-BJP content.
Who owns TNN?
As per the records publicly available, TNN was incorporated on November 29, 2018, by Diana Irina Biciin. A Romanian national, Diana is the sole shareholder and director of the firm that bears the address of London. However, we found that this address is actually of London-based agency Company Formation Made Simple’ that provides a service through which companies can use its office address as their own by paying just 50 pounds per year.
We also found Facebook and LinkedIn accounts of Diana which claim that she is the director of this website. Facebook is filled with news about India, mostly against the BJP.
The news anchor
We found that the news presenter in this video clip is Kristin Stein. As per her Instagram part-time actress, journalist and a presenter. Her profile on Reflections Talent Agency’ website mentions her work in various short films, Television shows, etc. We tried to contact Kristin as well as the TNN World office on the phone numbers mentioned on their Facebook page but the calls were diverted to voicemail. Indian Express had done a detailed story about the website a couple of months back.
Given the sketchy details about this website and the manner in which this sensational news has been presented without any authentic source, it can be said the information is not reliable.
Also read: Fact Check: Doctored video links soccer celebrations in UK to exit poll cheer
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