Video Claiming 'EVM Scam' Amid Lok Sabha Polls Is Misleading

Multiple social media users shared a video showing a group of men standing on a goods carrier and purportedly holding EVMs in their hands. The voice in the background, seemingly of the person recording the video, claims that the BJP was openly doing an 'EVM scam'. The timing of the social media post insinuated that the incident was related to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that an old video dating back to the 2022 UP Assembly polls was shared as recent on social media with false claims. The video actually showed EVMs, which were marked for the training of the counting officials back then.

Claim

A Facebook user shared on May 16 a video of some men standing on a goods carrier, purportedly holding EVMs in their hands. The background audio claimed that it was a scam by the BJP.

Here is the link and archive link to the post.

Investigation

Starting the investigation, the Desk ran the video through InVid Tool Search and found several keyframes. On running one of the keyframes through Google Lens, the Desk found several posts carrying the same video with similar claims. 

Two such posts can be viewed here and here, and their archived versions can be seen here and here respectively.

The video has been widely shared on X too. Three such posts can be seen here, here and here and their archive versions can be seen here, here and here respectively.

The Desk noticed one of the comments on the posts, which mentioned that the video was old.

Taking a cue from this, the Desk conducted a customised keyword search on Google and came across a video on YouTube uploaded by the official channel of Oneindia News on March 9, 2022.

The description of the video read: “The counting of votes for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections is set to begin on Thursday and yet again the EVM issue has been brought out. BJP's biggest opposition in UP, Samajwadi Party's chief, Akhilesh Yadav has accused and alleged that EVMs have been stolen from a counting centre in Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh.”

Here is the link to the video.

The Desk noticed that this was the extended version of the viral video. 

On further investigating, the Desk came across an X post by the official handle of the CEO Office, Uttar Pradesh carrying a press release giving clarification on the incident.

The caption of the post, in Hindi, read: “Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly General Election - 2022. Press release issued regarding carrying some electronic voting machines in a vehicle in Varanasi district today on 8 March 2022."

Here is the link.

According to the press release, the report sent by the officer found that the EVMs were marked for training of the counting officers in the district. The EVMs were taken from storage in a separate food warehouse to the training ground at UP College.

Taking a cue from this, the Desk conducted another customised keyword search and came across a report by the Times of India published on March 10, 2022.

The title of the report read, “Uttar Pradesh elections: Row over EVMs ends after clearance of ECI officials.”

Here is the link.

Subsequently, the Desk concluded that a video from an incident dating back to the 2022 UP Assembly polls was shared as recent on social media with false claims.

CLAIM

Video of BJP workers caught taking away EVMs.

FACT

The video dates back to the 2022 UP Assembly polls and is related to an incident in Varanasi. The EVMs in the video were actually marked for the training of counting officials.

CONCLUSION

Several social media users shared a video showing a group of men standing on a goods carrier holding EVMs in their hands. The audio in the background, seemingly the voice of the person recording the video, claimed that the BJP was doing an 'EVM scam'. In its investigation, the Desk found that the video dated back to 2022 from the time of the Assembly polls in UP, which was shared on social media as recent with false claims.

(This story was originally published by PTI, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective.)