Social Buzz: ‘Modi mimic’ announces candidature against PM, AAP targets PM over Covishield side-effects and more

Here's your daily round-up of what was buzzing on social media platforms on Wednesday.

Lok Sabha elections, Modi mimic, Varanasi, Amit Shah fake video

Comedian Shyam Rangeela has announced that he will contest against the PM from Varanasi. (Photo:X/ @ShyamRangeela)

With the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections nearing, virtual spaces are abuzz with videos of parties campaigning for their nominees, citizens exercising their right to vote — some for the very first time — and the debate on alleged “deepfake” videos of political leaders. Here’s your daily round-up of what was trending on social media platforms on Wednesday.

‘Modi mimic’ announces candidature against PM in Varanasi

Shyam Rangeela, a 29-year-old comedian from Rajasthan known for mimicking Narendra Modi, announced that he will contest against the Prime Minister from Varanasi. The contest to ensure that “democracy lives on” is not merely symbolic, he told The Indian Express. He said that he will contest “wholeheartedly” and will be reaching Varanasi this weekend to file his nomination papers.

‘Modi mimic’ @ShyamRangeela says set to contest from Varanasi against PM@Hamzwa reportshttps://t.co/xom7dnxNdX

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) May 1, 2024

“Hum at least ye kehne ke liye wahan par khade hue honge ke hum yahan par loktantra khatre mein nahin aane denge, logon ko vote ke liye yahan option milega (We will be standing there to at least tell the people that we won’t let democracy come under threat here, to provide an option to people to exercise their right to vote)… unlike Surat or Indore,” he said. He was referring to the walkover for the BJP candidates in these constituencies after Congress candidates withdrew their papers.

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Tribe from Great Nicobar votes for the first time

Members of the Shompen tribe from Great Nicobar voted for the very first time in the Lok Sabha elections on April 19, a picture of which the Election Commission posted on X (formerly Twitter). The tribe is one of the 75 communities which have been identified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG).

“The Election Commission of India being conscious of PVTGs inclusion in the electoral process had made special efforts in the last two years for their enrolment as voters and also participation in the voting process,” the EC said in a press statement. The release said that the poll body had also held special outreach camps across the states which were home to PVTGs for their inclusion in the electoral roll.

The Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar voted for the first ever time in a General Election, in the current #GeneralElections2024. Here’s a detailed look at ECI’s recent outreach to tribal communities which has led to such breakthroughs in inclusiveness : https://t.co/5XJezxyiyD pic.twitter.com/UA5BtSoezR

— Spokesperson ECI (@SpokespersonECI) May 1, 2024

‘Modi played with lives of people’, says AAP on Covishield side-effects

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that PM Modi had “played with the lives of people” by making them administer the Covishield vaccine. Taking to X, the party said the vaccine had been banned by seven countries in 2021 – Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, Ireland and Denmark.

जनता की जान से खेला मोदी ‼️

👉 जिस Covishield वैक्सीन को यूरोप के कई देशों ने Ban किया

👉 उसी Covishield बनाने वाली कंपनी से मोदी ने करोड़ों का चंदा लिया और लोगों को यही वैक्सीन लगवाई

👉 अब Covishield बनाने वाली कंपनी AstraZeneca ने माना कि Covishield वैक्सीन से लोगों को हो… pic.twitter.com/sX9DdwVBc2

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) May 1, 2024

“Now AstraZeneca, the company that makes Covishield, has admitted that people can suffer from brain hemorrhage and heart attack due to the Covishield vaccine,” the post said. AAP alleged that the Prime Minister had taken “crores of rupees in donations” from the vaccine manufacturer.

Business of fake videos in Cong’s ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan’: PM Modi

Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s deepfake video circulating on social media, PM Modi alleged that the Congress was carrying out a “business of fake videos” in its ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan‘. “The prince of Congress… had set out with the Mohabbat ki Dukan, but he has opened a business of fake videos in it,” Modi said.

कांग्रेस के शहजादे… मोहब्बत की दुकान लेकर निकले थे, लेकिन इन्होंने मोहब्बत की दुकान में फेक वीडियो का कारोबार खोल दिया है।

इनकी मोहब्बत की दुकान फेक फैक्ट्री हो चुकी है।

– पीएम श्री @narendramodi

पूरा वीडियो देखें: https://t.co/78OWZ13259 pic.twitter.com/l0Makvu4Bi

— BJP (@BJP4India) May 1, 2024

The BJP had on Monday complained to the EC about deepfake videos circulating on the internet at a time when Lok Sabha elections are in progress, and requested the poll body to ask social media giants to promptly delete such content when it comes to their notice, block accounts of habitual purveyors of disinformation and also place ads in newspapers to caution people against deepfakes. The BJP complained that a video of Amit Shah saying the BJP would end reservation for Muslims on religious grounds was falsely shown as him saying that the party would end quota for SCs, STs and OBCs.