An edited graphic on a Zee News template is viral on social media with many believing it to be true. The edited graphic states that Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi his childhood friend.
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The viral graphic has a Hindi text under 'breaking news' which translates to 'Putin's big statement on PM Modi, calls Modi his childhood friend'.
(Hindi: पिएम मोदी पर पुतिन का बड़ा बयान मोदी को बताया बचपन का दोस्त)
A Hindi ticker under the breaking news reads 'Putin talks to PM Modi over phone on the Ukraine crisis'.
(Hindi: युक्रेन के मुद्दे पर पुतिन ने पीएम मोदी से फ़ोन पर की बात)
The graphic is viral in the backdrop of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 'special military operation' in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, social media has been abuzz with misinformation around the invasion.
A Hindi caption with a Facebook post sharing the viral graphic translates to 'Now Godi media does not evoke anger, it evokes laughter... I think Putin might have washed tea cups or begged together... whatever'.
(Hindi: अब गोदी मीडिया पर गुस्सा नहीं हँसी आती है... मुझे लगता है पुतिन चाय के गिलास धोया करता होगा या साथ मे भीख मांगता होगा...कुछ भी)
View the post here.
The graphic is viral from several Facebook pages.
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Fact Check
BOOM found inconsistencies in the viral graphic. The words PM (पीएम) and Ukraine (यूक्रेन) have been spelled incorrectly in Hindi in the viral graphic. We checked several bulletins and graphics of Zee News and found they spell PM and Ukraine in Hindi as पीएम and यूक्रेन unlike the viral graphic where it has been spelt पिएम and युक्रेन.
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Additionally, we watched several bulletins of Zee News but did not find any such report broadcast by Zee News or any other news channel.
BOOM also ran a keyword search on Facebook with the text in the viral graphic. We found the same text on a Facebook post shared as satire on February 26. The text in Hindi translates to 'Breaking News Putin's big statement on PM Modi, calls Modi his childhood friend. Laughing is prohibited'.
(Hindi: BREAKING NEWS पिएम मोदी पर पुतिन का बड़ा बयान मोदी को बताया बचपन का दोस्त ! हंसना मना है )
The same text was tweeted by a Twitter user without any graphic on February 27.
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