A photo, purportedly showing modified tractors on a highway is circulating on social media platforms, falsely connecting it to the ongoing 'Delhi Chalo' farmers' protest. The misleading narrative suggested that these tractors were intended to breach police barricades for the protest's entry into Delhi.
Viral misinformation
The viral image is accompanied by a screenshot of an article allegedly published by news agency ANI, with a headline indicating that tractors have been modified to resist police barricades. The original article, published on February 11, 2024, quoted an anonymous official claiming intelligence agencies alerted police about protesters' plans to outfit tractors with hydraulic tools.
Context of the farmers' protest
The 'Delhi Chalo' protest involved thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, demanding assured crop prices and legal guarantees for the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Police in Haryana have fortified borders with Punjab to deter protesters, leading to chaos at the Punjab-Haryana border on February 13, 2024.
Fact check findings
The India TV Fact Check team discovered that the viral photo of modified tractors is artificially generated and not real. Visual discrepancies indicate its AI-generated nature. The screenshot accompanying the image is from an article republished by right-wing outlet OpIndia, originally from ANI, but misrepresentation occurred as the caption states the photo is AI-generated.
Debunking misinformation
Previous misinformation surrounding the farmers' protest, including a viral video of a modified tractor, has been debunked by the India TV Fact Check team. These efforts aimed to clarify and counter false narratives surrounding the ongoing protests.
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