In an interesting turn of events, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday submitted in the Supreme Court that he had made a mistake by reposting an allegedly ‘defamatory’ post of YouTuber Dhruv Rathi, which targeted the BJP IT cell.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta opted not to issue a notice on Kejriwal’s plea challenging a Delhi High Court ruling that upheld his summons in a criminal defamation case.
The Supreme Court, instead, asked the complainant whether they intended to close the matter, considering the chief minister’s apology. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi who was appearing for Kejriwal, said, “I can say this much that I made a mistake by retweeting.” “Thereafter, the complaint was withdrawn. When it was refiled, after nine months of the retweeting, it was suppressed that the original complaint was withdrawn,” the senior lawyer said while asserting that the complaint filed was immediately followed by the recording of pre-summoning evidence.
It has been reported that the Supreme Court has allowed time to the complainant – represented by advocate Raghav Awasthi – to decide whether he was agreeable to the case being closed. The trial court was instructed not to take up the matter in the meantime. The matter will be heard again on March 11.
However, here the real matter is that Arvind Kejriwal and the entire Leftist Ecosystem has been promoting and sharing the content of Youtuber Dhruv Rathee. It has been said that Dhruv Rathee is allegedly on a crusade against Fake News. However, he purposefully creates videos and posts updates with his views on it, less on facts, and more ok rhetoric and false narrative.
Here are 20 such instances, where Dhruv Rathee was caught red-handed spreading Fake News and Fake Claims.
- India is moving towards dictatorship- DOUBTING INDIA’s DEMOCRACY
February 23, 2024 – Fake Claim:- Dhruv Rathee, contends that India is on a trajectory toward adopting a one-party-one-election system, further speculating that the country may eventually mirror the election dynamics observed in North Korea and Russia, where elections purportedly favor the ruling government.
Fact Check:– This video was fact checked by many SM influencers (Source) and also The Print disputed this video. The print called Modi Accommodating. It has used many examples including Ram Mandir and has stated that Modi government waited for Supreme Court Decision before building Ram Mandir and is also waiting for court decisions on Mathura and Gyanwapi.
2. REAL, Dabur and Kolkata High Court: The Ongoing Battle
February 13, 2023 – Fake Claim: – Dhruv Rathee had posted the video on YouTube on 13 February 2023 targeting packaged fruit juices. Rathee had masked the brand names while displaying packages of fruit juices, he had left other parts of the packaging clearly visible. Real Fruit Juices packaging was used in Video.
Fact Check: – On February 15, 2023, Dabur requested Rathee to remove the video, but in the reply dated February 17, 2023, he refused to do the same. On March 15, 2023, the Calcutta High Court ordered Rathee to remove the masked branded content of Real Juices of FMCG major Dabur from the video.
3. Distorted Map of India was shown and it was blocked by Ministry
of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), India. April 11, 2022 – Fake Claim: – The video was uploaded by Dhruv
Rathee on 11 April 2022 and it claimed to explain why Imran Khan lost power in Pakistan. At 4.41 minutes in the YouTube video, the distorted map of India was displayed by Dhruv Rathi where parts of Indian territory were shown in Pakistan.
Fact Check: – Due to this, video was included in the block list by the Ministry of I&B. On 26 September 2022, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) decided to block 45 YouTube videos from 10 YouTube channels under the IT Rules 2021.
4. Finance Minister and Onions
July 8, 2021 – Fake Claim:- Dhruv Rathee has claim that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had once said that she didn’t care about onion prices because she didn’t eat them.
Fact Check :– Nirmala Sitharaman had indeed said that she didn’t eat onions, but it wasn’t in response to a question on onion price rise. She’d instead said these lines when an MP had shouted out to her if she ate Egyptian onions.
5. Dhruv Rathee blamed the BJP for risking the lives of people by continuing with its election campaigning in West Bengal.
April 19, 2021 – Fake Claim :- In a Facebook post on 19 April, 2021, Rathee alleged, “Rahul Gandhi, Left Parties and Mamata Banerjee have all stopped their election campaigns now.” But “Only Modi and Shah are shameless enough to continue playing with people’s lives. For them, politics >your life.”
Fact Check:- While On April 18, 2021, Mamata Banerjee was accompanied by thousands of Trinamool Congress
workers during her massive roadshow from Dhakuria Bridge to the Kalighat crossing in West Bengal.
6. Pakistan is happier than Bharat
March 21, 2021 – Fake Claim :- Dhruv Rathee had released a video on the World Happiness Report, 2021 recently. Rathee had gone on to claim that Pakistan was much happier than India, based on the Report. As per Rathee, the World Happiness Report ranks each country based on six indicators.
Fact Check:- However, the World Happiness report clearly states that they do not construct their happiness measure in each country based on these six factors as indicated by Dhruv Rathee. The report also clarifies that the index is calculated based on the individuals’ own assessment of their lives in their respective country.
7. NCPCR Inquiry against Dhruv Rathee
February 14, 2021 – Fake Claim: – Dhruv Rathee illegally obtain the IP location of a 15-year-old boy and threatening that boy on the social media platform. February 16, 2021 –
Fact Check:- National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has initiated an inquiry against
Dhruv Rathee. The commission has directed Twitter Inc. to take appropriate action against Dhruv Rathee within seven days of the issue of the letter.
8. BJP MP Rita Bahuguna’s granddaughter had died after sustaining burns from a firecracker.
November 17, 2020 – Fake Claim:- A bevy of news reports had claimed that BJP MP Rita Bahuguna’s granddaughter had died after sustaining burns from a firecracker. “Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s granddaughter dies of firecracker burn,” was the headline of a Mumbai Mirror article. Dhruv Rathee shared an Inshorts report and
called people who promote crackers “crazy idiots.” “Two-minute silence for all crazy idiots who actually promote using crackers,” he wrote on Twitter.
Fact Check: – Rita Bahuguna made it clear that her granddaughter had gone to the roof to colour their drawing
books, and the fire was lit to fix a broken crayon. Nowhere did the MP mention that fireworks were involved.
9. Buying a new iPhone in Dubai is cheaper than buying it in India.
October 20, 2020 – Fake Claim :- Dhruv Rathee posted a tweet criticizing the ‘Indian Tax system’ by alleging that it would be cheaper to fly to Dubai to get Apple’s new premium flagship mobile phone, iPhone 12 Pro, than buying it from India. Rathee claimed that the iPhone 12 Pro priced at Rs 1,20,000 in India comes at Rs
84,000 in Dubai and the return ticket to Dubai costs around Rs 20,000.
Fact Check :- As per Customs’ rules and regulations, imports of ‘non-essential’ products worth more than Rs 50,000 are not permitted to air travelers as baggage allowance. Passengers who fail to declare products that are worth more than Rs 50,000 carried by them have to pay a duty of 36.05 percent, along with penalty of 20 per cent and fine of approximately 10 per cent over the cost of the product.
10. A 12-minute video on Delhi Riots with unsubstantiated claims
March 3, 2020 – Fake Claim :- Dhruv Rathi published an analysis of the Delhi riots on YouTube on 3 March 2020. Rathi misreported information and omitted important details in the analysis including role of Kapil Mishra, omitting details about protestor Mohammad Shahrukh and also doubting the role of the Delhi Police.
Fact Check:- OpIndia did a complete fact check of this 12-minute video. It has to be observed that the riots cases are sub judice and many accused are yet to get bail.
11. India was not partitioned on the basis of religion.
December 9, 2019 – Fake Claim : – Dhruv Rathee claimed that India was not partitioned on the basis of religion. It happened between a ‘Secular India and an Islamic Pakistan’ he claimed. Rathee accused Home Minister Amit Shah of twisting history.
Fact Check :- In fact, he was the one guilty of engaging in the most egregious distortion of history. Dhruv Rathee to have deleted the tweet from his timeline.
12. 54,000 people about to go jobless in BSNL
April 5, 2019 – Fact Check :- Anupam Shrivastav, the chairman and managing director of BSNL, clarified BSNL’s stand and shared that the reduction of retirement age or laying off employees is not being considered at all. Sinha reiterated the fact saying that the proposition was directed at BSNL’s revival and not retirement policies. On being asked if there any element of truth around 54,000 employees being laid off? Sinha unequivocally denied all the allegations and called it baseless and fake news.
13. Dhruv Rathee FAKE tweeted about how the Modi government sold forest land in Chhattisgarh to the Adani group.
He deleted the tweet when Adani group asked him to withdraw the fake news to avoid legal action.
March 21, 2019 – Fake Claim :- Tweet : “Congrats Bhakton! Modi just sold off 170,000 hectares of the most dense forests in India to Adani! In 2009, Env Ministry had made these forests a No-Go Zone for their richness,”
March 21, 2019 – Fact Check :– The Official Handle of the Adani Group threatened legal action against Dhruv Rathee. “The Adani Group strongly objects factually incorrect and malicious claims made by you. We have not acquired the referred piece of land nor has the government sold it to us. We do not own any mine in Chhattisgarh. We urge you to withdraw the fake news to avoid legal consequences.
ACTION NEEDED: He still has not deleted the Facebook post on the same issue.
14. No one will visit the statue of Sardar Patel
November 1, 2018 – Fake Claim :- The Print published an article by YouTuber Dhruv Rathi regarding the Statue of Unity, in which it was said that even economically this statue makes no sense. The statue of Sardar Patel will probably get one-tenth of the number of tourists visiting the Taj Mahal.
Fact Check :- In an achievement, 2023 marked the busiest year for Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s Statue of Unity. As per official data, over 50 lakh tourists visited the Statue of Unity.
15. BJP ruled states have not allocated even a rupee in the form of assistance towards flood-hit Kerala.
August 18, 2018 – Fake Claim :- Dhruv Rathee went on to claim that BJP ruled states have not allocated even a rupee in the form of assistance towards flood-hit Kerala on his Facebook page. It seems that realizing that he has been caught red handed as several BJP states have contributed funds towards aid of Kerala fund victims, Rathee has deleted this disgraceful post.
Fact Check :- The reality is that BJP state governments have come out to help Kerala very enthusiastically. However, Rathee did not want to apologies for his grave error and therefore tried to play smart by stating that it was only after his taking the cognizance of this matter that the BJP acted.
16. 25 lakh Bribe for land deal
June 8, 2018 – Fake Claim :- Dhruv Rathee said that, It looks like this Wrong Number Baba (CM of UP) is not only communal but also corrupt as shit. His principal secratory demanded a bribe of 25 lakh from a guy for land deal. That guy went to complain about this bribe and he was detained by police.
Fact Check :- Abhishek Gupta, who had complained against Goel to Governor Ram Naik of seeking a bribe worth Rs 25 lakh, on Friday accepted that he had levied false allegations.
17. Government doesn’t have enough money for the Indian Army
June 5, 2018 – Fake Claim :- Dhruv Rathee Claimed that, Our so called “Nationalist” Modi government doesn’t have enough money for the Indian Army. Soldiers will now have to spend their own money to buy clothes and army uniform.
Fact Check:- In a notification of the Defense Ministry, it is clearly mentioned that the dress allowance will be deposited directly into the salary of the employees once a year.
18. Nirav Modi tax evasion important files were burn in IT Department building
June 2, 2018 – Fake Claim :- Mumbai’s Income Tax Department building was on Fire. Coincidentally, many have said that important files related to Nirav Modi tax evasion were in that building.
Fact Check :- Income Tax department issued a statement refuting all such claims and said that this news and false and misdirected. They clarified that records/documents of ongoing investigation of Nirav Modi/ Mehul Choksi case had already been transferred to assessment units housed in other buildings as part of assessment process. Apprehensions of loss/damage to records (Scindia House, IT Office fire) misplaced.
19. CBI confirmed rape charge against BJP MLA
May 11, 2018 – Fake Claim :- Dhruv Rathee claimed that, BJP MLA now has a confirmed rape charge against him after CBI investigation.
Fact Check :- The Central Bureau of Investigation has issued a formal clarification, stating that investigation in the three cases relating to alleged rape and violence is still going on and CBI has not issued any update or conclusion on this.
20. Police complaint filed against YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and Arvind Kejriwal.
May 7, 2018 – Fake Claim :- On 07 May 2018, Dhruv Rathee published on his Twitter account, an allegation that the Information and Technology (‘IT’) Cell of Bharatiya Janata Party (‘BJP’) had attempted to bribe a person to defame Dhruv Rathee. Second Publication on 07.05.2018, Arvind Kejriwal had reposted i.e. ‘retweeted’ the offending publication of Dhruv Rathee.
Fact Check :- On 09 May 2018 police complaint has been filed by BJP volunteer Vikas Pandey, against Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and conspiracy theorist and Dhruv Rathee, for accusing Pandey of offering a bribe to one Mahavir Prasad.
On 28 February 2019, a complaint was filed by the complainant Vikas Sankritayan @ Vikas Pandey, against the Arvind Kejriwal, for initiating proceedings against him for commission of offences punishable under Section 499/500 of IPC.”
In this case, on 26th Feb 2024 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal submitted before the Supreme Court that retweeting the video which was allegedly defamatory and was circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in 2018, was a “mistake”.
To sum up, it has been vindicated that Dhruv Rathee is a liar Who manipulates facts in the name of making videos and countering the so-called Fake News. He just shows one sided story, he never utters a single word on any other Party or any govt but will keep bashing the Central govt or BJP state governments on every issue. At the same time, he is known for censoring any good work of NDA government.
