Fact Check: EVM in BJP worker’s car in Nagpur? Know the truth of the viral video

New Delhi: The final results of Maharashtra Assembly elections have been released. The ruling Mahayuti led by BJP has got bumper seats in these elections. Once again a Mahayuti government is going to be formed in the state. Meanwhile, a video went viral on social media, claiming that Congress workers have caught a BJP worker carrying EVMs in a car in Nagpur. Through this video many users targeted the Election Commission.

PTI Fact Check found the viral claim to be false. Investigation revealed that the car which was said to be that of a BJP worker, was actually the car of a zonal officer. The EVM kept there was an extra EVM, which was not used in voting. The EVMs were kept in the vehicle for use when needed.

what is being claimed

A user named ‘Satyanarayan Maurya’ shared the viral video on Facebook on 22 November. he/she wrote the post, ‘Congress people caught BJP people carrying EVMs in Jhanda Chowk Nagpur. Even now #ECISVEEP will say that EVMs are safe. Seeing this, we can only say that the results of Maharashtra and Jharkhand are ready tomorrow. The counting process is still pending. Gupta has told you Amit’s mind. Rajiv has already done it. If there is EVM then there is Modi. If there is Modi then there is EVM. There is still time to keep a close watch on EVMs, otherwise we will see the results of Haryana only. of post Link, archive link See more screenshots here.

A user on social media platform ‘X’ wrote, ‘Congress people caught BJP people carrying EVMs in Jhanda Chowk Nagpur.’ This post has been viewed more than 80 thousand times so far and this number is continuously increasing. of post Link, archive link See more screenshots here.

what was found in the investigation

On searching Google with the help of related keywords, we found many media reports related to the viral video. In the video uploaded on the YouTube channel of news channel ‘India TV’ on November 21, it was told that due to misunderstanding after voting in Nagpur, Maharashtra, a situation of tension had arisen for some time.

According to the information given in the description of the video, ‘After the voting was over, the zonal officer had gone out to get photocopies of some documents. A spare machine was kept in the vehicle in which he/she went, seeing which people suspected it to be EVM and a situation of tension was created, but when people came to know the whole thing, the situation became normal. full video click here Try it.

stone pelting in car

The video related to the incident was also found on the ‘X’ account of ‘NDTV India’. The caption of the video shared on November 21 read, ‘In Nagpur, some people pelted stones at a zonal officer’s car, due to which the zonal officer’s car was badly damaged. Actually, there was an EVM machine in his/her car and people misunderstood that it was the same EVM which was used in voting for the elections, whereas there was an extra EVM in his/her car. full video Here See.

According to the report of ‘PTI-Bhasha’ published on the website of Dainik Jagran, a car carrying EVMs was attacked by Congress workers in the ‘Strong Room’ of Nagpur on November 20 after the voting for Maharashtra Assembly elections ended. . According to the police, the said EVMs were not used in voting and were kept for use when needed.

Opposition party workers claimed that the EVMs were being taken to a photocopy shop to print a document, following which they started questioning election officials over violation of protocol in handling the machines. After some time, Congress workers started pelting stones at the car, due to which the tension increased. full report Here Read.

Other news related to this incident Here, Here And Here Click and read.

From our investigation so far, it is clear that the vehicle which is said to be that of a BJP worker, was actually the vehicle of a zonal officer and the EVMs kept in it were extra EVMs, which were not used in voting. The said EVM was kept in the vehicle for use as and when required.

Claim
Congress workers caught BJP workers with EVMs in Nagpur.

fact check
PTI Fact Check found the viral claim to be false.

conclusion

PTI Fact Check During investigation, it was found that the vehicle which was said to be that of a BJP worker, was actually the vehicle of a zonal officer. The EVMs kept there were extra EVMs, which were not used in voting. This and the EVM were kept in the vehicle for use when needed. In such a situation, the claim being made with the viral video that Nagpur Congress workers caught BJP workers with EVMs, turned out to be false.

(This story was originally published PTI Fact CheckAnd republished by NBT as part of Shakti Collective.)