Fact Check: Viral Claim Of ISRO Chief Visiting RSS Office After Chandrayaan-3 Landing Is False
The claim that ISRO chief S Somnath visited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office after the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 is false. The video going viral with this claim is from long before the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3.
- By: Abhishek Parashar
- Published: Sep 4, 2023 at 02:42 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News). A viral video being circulated on social media has claimed that after the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somnath reached the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office, where he was felicitated.
Vishvas News found this claim to be false. The claim that ISRO chief S Somnath visited the RSS office is false and the clip going viral with the claim that he is meeting people running the Tapas project for poor students is old.
What is viral?
Social media user ‘Shankar Vishwas‘ shared the viral video (archive link) with the caption, “ISRO chief Somnath turned out to be a ‘sanghi’ (member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh).. reached RSS office where he was felicitated. So many sorrows together for the Liberals.”
Several other users have shared the same video with similar claims.
Investigation
We conducted a news search on the topic, but could not find any news that mentioned ISRO chief S Somnath visiting the RSS office. After the success of Chandrayaan-3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Bengaluru on returning from his foreign trip. PM Modi met the team that sent Chandrayaan-3 to the ISRO headquarters. During this he also addressed the scientists. The video of his address has been shared from the official X handle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
We used reverse image search to find the original source of the viral video. In search, we found this video was uploaded on a Facebook page named VSK Jaipur on July 20.
According to the information provided, “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale ji congratulated ISRO Chairman Dr S Somnath ji on successfully piloting Chandrayaan 3 at Rashtrotthan Parishat, Chamarajpet, Bengaluru.”
Vishva Samwad Kendra (VSK) is a media agency, which has both print and electronic arms.
It is clear from the date of the video that it was shot much before the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3. India’s third lunar mission was successful in landing on the south pole of the moon on August 23.
In social media search, we found this video shared by the official X handle of VSK Karnataka, where information about this video has been given.
As per the given information, “Video is going viral on social media with the claim that ISRO chief Shri Somnath visited RSS office, which is not true. He did not visit the RSS office. This is an old video from when he met the people leading the Tapas Project. Tapas is an initiative, under which BPL students from rural areas are given two years of free residential coaching for IIT entrance exam.”
It is clear that the video going viral is neither after the landing of Chandrayaan-3 nor is it related to ISRO chief Somnath visiting the RSS office. Vishvas News contacted Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Delhi executive member Rajeev Tuli regarding the viral video clip. He confirmed that the viral video is not of S Somnath visiting the RSS office. The place seen in the video is not the RSS office.
According to news reports, recently, a video surfaced after the landing of Chandrayaan-3, in which the crew members of the Indigo flight are welcoming the ISRO chief. The details about the aircraft in which the ISRO chief was traveling were not available and no such information was shared by IndiGo.
On examining the X handle, which shared the viral post, it was evident that the user was inspired by a particular ideology
Conclusion: The claim that ISRO chief S Somnath visited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office after the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 is false. The video going viral with this claim is from long before the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3.
- Claim Review : ISRO chief Somnath turned out to be a 'sanghi'
- Claimed By : Facebook user 'Shankar Vishwas'
- Fact Check : False
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