Video doesn't show Congress leader AK Antony’s son listing BJP government’s 'achievements'

By: Annet Preethi Furtado
April 24 2024

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Screenshot of an X posts sharing a vide claiming that it shows senior Congress leader A.K. Antony's son discussing BJP's achievements since 2014. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

What is the claim?

A video showing a person listing the achievements of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government since assuming power in India in 2014 has been going viral on social media. It is being shared by users who identified the speaker as the son of veteran Congress leader and former Defence Minister A.K. Antony.

In the video, which is over two minutes long, the individual lists the levels of various socio-economic indicators before and after the year 2014, highlighting the purported changes and advancements in India under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government. Some of the points he mentions are: increased housing for the poor, an increase in Jan Aushadhi stores, more airports, more All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and expansion of expressways, among other things.

On X (formerly Twitter), the video was shared with captions identifying the speaker as "Sr Congress Leader, Former Defence Minister AK Antony's Son." Archived versions of such posts can be viewed here, here, and here.

The same claim was also shared on Facebook. The archive of one such post can be accessed here.  

Screenshot of X posts. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the video does not show veteran Congress leader A.K. Antony's son.

Who is the man in the video?

The watermark' Anoop Antony' is clearly visible in the bottom-right corner of the viral clip.

Screenshot of the viral video, highlighting the watermark "Anoop Antony."(Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

Taking this as a cue, we were able to find a verified Facebook account with the same name. On his Facebook profile, Anoop Antony (archived here) describes himself as a politician and the "National Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha," the youth wing of the BJP.

Screenshot of Anoop Antony’s Facebook profile. (Source: Facebook/ Screenshot)

We found that Antony had posted the extended version of the viral video on his verified X account (archived here) on March 22, which also noted that he was previously the National Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. The viral segment spans from the 1:18 mark to the end (at the 3: 47 timestamp) of this X video.

Source: X

Is the man from the video A.K. Antony's son?

Our research on Anoop Antony took us to the website MyNeta, which showed that his full name is Anoop Antony Joseph. According to a report by The Indian Express, published on April 6, 2021, he was nominated from Ambalappuzha in the Alappuzha district during the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections. The report also provided details about Joseph's background, stating that he is an engineering graduate who joined the BJP in 2011.

Further, we reviewed Joseph's 2021 Assembly election affidavit on the website of the Election Commission of India and found that his father is one Thomas Joseph. This information provided to a government authority proves that he is not A.K. Antony'son.

A screenshot of Anoop Antony’s details available on the election commission’s website.
(Source: ECI/Modified by Logically Facts)

Who are A.K. Antony's sons?

A.K. Antony has two sons: Anil Antony and Ajith Antony. In April 2023, Anil Antony officially joined the BJP and is contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as a BJP candidate from Kerala's Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat. 

A.K. Antony's sons are captured in the photo below, and neither of them bears any similarity to the man seen in the viral video. 

Screenshot showing A.K. Antony (center) alongside his sons Anil Antony (left) and Ajith Antony. (Source: Onmanorama/Screenshot)

The verdict

A viral clip showing Anoop Antony Joseph, a BJP leader from Kerala, enumerating the accomplishments of the Modi administration since assuming power in 2014 has been incorrectly shared with the claim that he is the son of Congress leader A.K. Antony. Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.