Fact Check: Have NRIs launched a ‘no vote to BJP’ drive in Karnataka?

The elections in Karnataka will be held on May 10, while the results will out on May 13.

Amidst the high-octane campaign a video has gone viral with the claim that NRIs are campaigning against the BJP. Videos and photographs have emerged on the social media claiming that a group of NRIs have take to the streets with a campaign that says, ' no vote to BJP.'

In the video is that is around 45 seconds, Indians fro Germany, England and Finland Screenshot 2023-04-25 at 11.55.13 AM.pngand other parts of the United States can be seen holding a placard that reads, 'no vote to BJP.'

The video was shared by several Congress leaders and social media users with the hashtag "KarnatakaElections2023." The users also said, "across the globe, everyone says 'NO VOTE to BJP'."

We have found that the video and photos that are in circulation are over two years old and are unrelated to the Karnataka elections. If one looks at the placard closely, it becomes clear that the same was written in Bangla. "There is no division in Bengal," the placard reads. This led us to believe that the campaign may have been related to the West Bengal elections.

A reverse image search led us to a viral video that was posted on April 24 2021. "Bengalis across the world saying 'No Vote To BJP'," the tweet read. This led us to find that the video in question was related to the Bengal elections and not the ones that are due in Karnataka.

Hence it is clear that the videos that are in circulation with the claim that the NRIs have launched a campaign not to vote for the BJP is not from the ongoing Karnataka elections, but the one that as held in Bengal in 2021.