#FactCheck-Stone Pelting Video from Mathura Misrepresented as Part of “Cockroach Janata Party” Campaign; Fact Check Reveals Old Incident
Executive Summary
A video showing stone pelting on vehicles is being widely shared on social media and falsely linked to a campaign called the “Cockroach Janata Party.” The claim suggests that people have taken to the streets and are attacking VIP vehicles by throwing stones. CyberPeace Research Wing research found that the video is from March and shows stone pelting on a police vehicle in Mathura following the killing of “Farasa Wale Baba.”
Claim
An 18-second viral clip circulating online shows a crowd throwing stones at passing vehicles. The video also contains overlaid text reading,“Cockroach sarkon par utar chuke hain, ab koi VIP nahi, ab sab barabar hain.”Users are sharing it as part of a supposed “Cockroach Janata Party” campaign.
Fact Check
A reverse image search of key frames shows that the clip was originally uploaded on multiple social media accounts on March 22–23, where it was described as an incident from Mathura following the death of a local figure known as “Farasa Wale Baba.” In those posts, the incident was reported as stone pelting on a police vehicle by miscreants.
Further verification found the same visuals in a video posted by NDTV India on March 21, 2026, with a caption stating that it showed stone pelting on police during unrest in Mathura after the death of “Farasa Wale Baba.”
Conclusion
The researchclearly confirms that the viral video has been misrepresented. The footage is from a March incident in Mathura involving unrest following a local death, and it has no connection to any “Cockroach Janata Party” campaign or VIP-targeted violence claims.
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Introduction
India officially became part of the US-led Pax Silica project on February 20, 2026, at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. This was a significant milestone in India’s involvement in global technology and supply chain cooperation. India joined a coalition of advanced economies by signing the Pax Silica Declaration in a move aimed at strengthening coordination over technology supply chains on which artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals and advanced manufacturing rely. The entry of India into the global technology landscape is indicative of India’s growing role in the global technology order and reflects broader shifts in how countries are responding to the geopolitics of silicon and AI infrastructure.
What Is Pax Silica and Why It Matters
The United States Department of State introduced Pax Silica as a strategic program launched in December 2025. It seeks to establish safe, resilient and innovation-driven supply chains for emerging technologies that are the foundations of the AI era. This encompasses activities ranging from mining and refining of rare earths, gallium and germanium to semiconductor manufacturing, the creation of advanced computing hardware and energy infrastructure. The project describes cooperation as a method of reducing what are termed as coercive dependencies on any one supplier or economy, thereby supporting sustained access to building blocks of state-of-the-art technology.
Pax Silica derives its name from the Latin terms for 'peace' and the substrate material of 'silicon', meaning that the coalition aims at achieving stability and prosperity by working together in supply chains of technology. Early signatories were the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore, the Netherlands, Greece, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. India was the twelfth member to sign the declaration.
India’s Strategic Interests in Pax Silica
The move to join Pax Silica is both a diplomatic and economic decision. The incorporation of India into a network led ostensibly by the Western bloc and containing developed economy players in the technological supply chain creates the messaging that it wants to be more deeply integrated into the global high-tech ecosystems.
India currently relies on importing a large proportion of the chips for its electronics production sector, while its domestic manufacturing capacity remains limited. Pax Silica membership could provide Indian firms with advanced manufacturing equipment, process expertise and joint ventures with their partners, who have already developed the fabrication capabilities.
The signing of the declaration was done by the current Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) , the Union Minister, who noted that India is expanding its technological capabilities and future ambitions. He observed that the Indian engineers already play a role in designing advanced semiconductor chips and that the increase in semiconductor capacity will demand a professional workforce. He also emphasised that the availability of international tools and alliances would help accelerate India’s growth in this sector.
Another strategic area is the critical minerals. India is estimated to have significant rare earth reserves, but the resources remain largely underdeveloped. The diversification strategy of Pax Silica in terms of supply and processing routes provides India with an opportunity to have joint ventures and infrastructure projects that could help unlock domestic mineral potential within the country.
Supply Chains, AI, and Geopolitical Context
Pax Silica has emerged within a broader geopolitical and supply chain context rather than as a purely economic initiative. The last few years have placed a strain on global technology supply chains with disruptions caused by pandemics, trade tensions, export controls, and the concentrated control of some components of the value chain. China currently dominates in the refinement of rare earths as well as in a variety of legacy semiconductor manufacturing. The concentration has raised concerns about resilience and strategic autonomy among the technology-producing democracies.
This initiative is based on the premise that a diversified and trusted supply chain will make the economic security of countries participating in Pax Silica more secure in case of a trade embargo or as a tool of political leverage. The voluntary and non-binding framework by the coalition only provides a guide to cooperation instead of a binding commitment, though it highlights an acknowledgement of risk and opportunity in global technology markets.
Such concerns as strategic autonomy and the extent of India’s involvement in the initiative have been expressed by those who criticise it, particularly because the coalition is perceived to be partially designed to respond to Chinese dominance in the most important technological sectors. Some analysts have also suggested that India will have to balance its participation in Pax Silica by taking special care of its own interests and alliances outside this coalition.
Economic and Industrial Implications for India
Joining Pax Silica offers India potential benefits on multiple fronts.
Strengthening Innovation and Manufacturing Ecosystems
India's membership will allow cooperation in semiconductor production, development of advanced computing infrastructure and implementation of AI. The government and industry players could attract investments through partnerships, technology transfer and joint R&D. India’s emerging design and fabrication projects could use a greater international integration in this venture.
Talent and Skills Development
A recurring theme among Indian policymakers is the issue of a skilled workforce. As the world semiconductor and AI sector is expected to need millions of specialists in the next 10 years, India’s large talent pool presents an opportunity to produce local talent that is capable of catering to local demands as well as international supply needs. Initiatives linked to Pax Silica have the potential to establish training pathways and institutional bridges that facilitate workforce preparedness.
Diversification of Supply Partnerships
In the case of India, the diversification of suppliers and partners goes beyond the availability of materials and technologies. It also implies reducing exposure to supply shocks and enhancing resilience in important industries such as consumer electronics, automotive manufacturing, defence systems and digital infrastructure, all of which rely on semiconductors and advanced computing hardware.
Broader Industrial Readiness and Domestic Challenges
India’s participation in Pax Silica highlights the domestic conditions required to support advanced technology manufacturing. A conducive environment will depend on reliable infrastructure, regulatory stability, specialised industrial clusters and sustained policy coordination across government and industry. Semiconductor and AI hardware production are resource-intensive, requiring significant energy, water and chemical management, making environmental safeguards and sustainable industrial planning essential to prevent long-term ecological strain.
At the same time, India faces gaps in its human resource development ecosystem. While engineering talent is abundant, specialised training in semiconductor fabrication, materials science and advanced manufacturing remains limited. Additionally, the relative lack of applied research and development initiatives aimed at reducing technological and financial risks may constrain large-scale industrial expansion, underscoring the need for stronger industry–academia collaboration and targeted innovation support.
Conclusion: A Strategic Step into the AI Era
India’s formal entry into the Pax Silica initiative at the 2026 India AI Impact Summit reflects a thoughtful recalibration of its global technology engagement. By aligning with a coalition aimed at securing the supply chains that make modern digital economies possible, India has signalled its intent to be more than just a consumer of technology. It seeks to help shape the infrastructure, partnerships and norms that will define the next generation of AI, semiconductors and critical technologies.
While questions around strategic autonomy and long-term dependencies remain important considerations, Pax Silica offers India access to networks, capabilities and collaborative frameworks that can accelerate its semiconductor ambitions and broaden its role in the global tech order. The move underscores how technology cooperation today increasingly interacts with geopolitics, economic strategy and national aspirations for growth and innovation.
Sources
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/what-is-pax-silica-and-why-does-india-joining-the-ai-supply-chain-alliance-matter/articleshow/128594775.cms
- https://paxsilica.org/f/pax-silica-securing-the-foundations-of-the-ai-era
- https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/ai-impact-summit-2026-india-set-to-join-us-led-pax-silica-today-517167-2026-02-20
- https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/pax-silica-india-joins-us-supply-chain-initiative-ai-impact-summit-2026-126022000339_1.html
A photo showing Cilia Flores, wife of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with visible injuries on her face is being widely shared on social media. Users claim the image was taken during her court appearance in the United States on January 5, alleging that she was beaten before being produced before a judge. Cyber Peace Foundation’s research found that the viral image was created using AI tools and is not real.
Claim:
A Facebook user shared the image claiming it shows Venezuelan President Maduro’s wife during her US court appearance, alleging physical assault prior to her arrest. The post also makes political and religious allegations in connection with the incident.Link, archive link and screenshot
Fact Check:
The viral image appeared suspicious due to unnatural facial details and injury patterns. Given the increasing use of artificial intelligence to generate fake visuals, Vishvas News analysed the image using AI image detection tools.TruthScan assessed the image as 93% likely to be AI-generated.
Sightengine flagged the image as 77% likely to be AI-generated.
The results indicate that the image is not authentic and has been created using AI tools.
What Official Reports Say
According to a CBS News report published on January 6, Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were produced before a federal court in Lower Manhattan, where they pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges. They are currently lodged at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn The report states that the couple was detained during a US military operation. Following this, Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as the acting president. While Cilia Flores did appear before a Manhattan court, there is no authentic image showing her with injuries during the court proceedings. Link and Screenshot
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-trump-maduro-charges/
Conclusion:
The image being circulated as a photo of Cilia Flores during her US court appearance is AI-generated and fake. The claim that it shows injuries inflicted on her before being produced in court is false and misleading. The viral image has no connection with real court visuals.
Executive Summary
A video showing children crouching as the ground shakes violently is being widely shared on social media with the claim that it shows the aftermath of a devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia on August 10, 2026. However, the CyberPeace Research Wing found that the video is not from Colombia. The footage was recorded in the Philippines two months earlier during a more powerful earthquake.
Claim
An X user shared the video on August 10, 2026, claiming that it showed a massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia that killed hundreds of people and destroyed thousands of homes. “Massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia! Hundreds dead, thousands of homes destroyed,” the post claimed.
https://x.com/anandsh04294243/status/2086911617938362779
Fact Check
To verify the claim, the Desk conducted a reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video. The search led to the same footage being shared on social media on June 8, where it was linked to a powerful earthquake in the southern Philippines. The posts identified the footage as being related to a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the region, causing buildings to collapse, triggering landslides and prompting tsunami warnings.
https://x.com/WeatherMonitors/status/2063855713223635055
Further research found that the video was recorded at Tubalan Elementary School in Malita, Davao Occidental province, Philippines.
According to the edit history of the Facebook post, the user initially stated that the footage showed the first day of school at Tubalan Elementary School. The user later updated the caption, urging viewers not to blame the teachers. The updated post stated that the students were outside near the school’s basketball court when the earthquake struck and were subsequently evacuated to safety without any injuries. The school also issued a separate post on Facebook to address what it described as a misconception arising from the video circulating on social media. The school clarified that the outdoor gymnasium was not being used as an evacuation area after the earthquake. It said the students were already inside the gymnasium for the scheduled flag ceremony when the earthquake occurred.
The Desk also searched for reports about the earthquake and found a detailed report published by Barron's, which confirmed the occurrence of a major earthquake off the southern Philippines. The report also mentioned casualties and tsunami warnings following the quake. https://www.barrons.com/news/major-quake-off-philippines-kills-one-triggers-tsunami-warnings-665c527c
Conclusion
The viral video does not show a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia. The footage was recorded at Tubalan Elementary School in the Philippines and was shared online in June 2026 in connection with a powerful earthquake that struck the southern Philippines. Therefore, the claim that the video shows the August 10, 2026 earthquake in Colombia is false.
