Fact Check by NewsMeter:
Claim: The video shows UP CM Yogi Adityanath campaigning for a BJP candidate on a bulldozer in Maharashtra.
Fact: The claim is false. The man in saffron attire on the bulldozer is a BJP worker, not Yogi Adityanath.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, known for his tough stance on law enforcement and tackling illegal properties and encroachments, has earned the nickname 'Bulldozer Baba.'
In this context, a video circulating on social media shows two men standing inside the loader of a moving JCB, with a cheering crowd around them. One man is wearing a BJP scarf, and the other is dressed in saffron clothing, similar to what Yogi is often seen wearing. The video is being claimed to show Yogi campaigning for a BJP candidate.
An X user shared the video and wrote, “The bulldozer has become almost synonymous with his identity, and living up to people’s trust is Yogi Ji’s hallmark.” (Archive)
This is going viral
Right-wing X account and frequent spreader of misinformation, Baba Banaras, shared the video with the caption: “The Swag of Yogi Ji...Seeing this scene, some people might be feeling a snake lying on their chest.”
Fact Check
In the fact check, it was found that the claim was false. The man in saffron attire is not Yogi Adityanath but a BJP worker. The person wearing the BJP scarf is Harish Pimple, who is an MLA candidate from the Murtizapur Assembly Constituency in Maharashtra.
After conducting a reverse image search on the video's keyframes, we found that it was published by ABP Majha on November 6. The channel reported that a BJP candidate in Maharashtra's Akola had brought in a look-alike of Yogi Adityanath for his campaign.
For further confirmation, NewsMeter spoke to Pimple, who clarified that the bulldozer rally took place after Yogi Adityanath’s rally in Murtizapur, Akola district, but he was not the one standing on the bulldozer’s loader. He explained, “I was standing on the shovel (loader) along with a BJP worker, who had enthusiastically joined the rally dressed in saffron.” Pimple also mentioned that he does not know the name of the BJP worker.
According to reports from The Times of India and Hindustan Times indicate that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed public meetings on November 6 in support of Mahayuti (NDA alliance) candidates in Washim, Amravati, and Akola. However, neither of the reports mentions Yogi leading a bulldozer rally.
Pimple also posted pictures on X from Yogi’s rally in Murtizapur, Akola, on November 6, calling him a ‘Hindu warrior’.
Hence, we conclude that the claim is false.
Claim Review: The video shows UP CM Yogi Adityanath campaigning for a BJP candidate on a bulldozer in Maharashtra.
Claimed By: X users
Claim Reviewed By: NewsMeter
Claim Source: X
Claim Fact Check: False
Fact: The claim is false. The man in saffron attire on the bulldozer is a BJP worker, not Yogi Adityanath.
(Disclaimer: This story was originally published by NewsMeter, and republished by India TV as part of the Shakti Collective.)
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