Fact Check: BJP did not launch phone number to ask support for UCC through missed calls

Hyderabad: A message for the public is circulating on social media claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a phone number (9090902024), and people who want to show support for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) can do so by giving a missed call.

The claim also mentioned that in two days, four crore Muslims and two crore Christians voted against UCC.

A Facebook user making the claim wrote, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi to all of India. U.C.C. Uniform Civil Code. Wants to bring Uniform Civil Code. For this, the citizens of the country have been asked to give their opinion. Already in two days 04 crore Muslims and 02 crores Christians have voted against UCC. Therefore, before the deadline, the 6th of July, all Hindus in the country are requested to vote in favour of the UCC. Please give a missed call on 9090902024 to support UCC and save the country. Your call will be recorded and acknowledged as support to UCC. Please share this information with all Hindus. Best wishes to all who gave missed calls to 9090902024. (sic)”

The claim has been in circulation on social media platforms (X handles and Facebook pages) since 2023.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading. The number was launched by the BJP in 2023 for people to join the party’s ‘Jan Sampark Se Jan Samarthan’ campaign.

We searched for the phone number on Google and found a report by India Today published on May 31, 2023. As per the report, the special number was launched by the BJP in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to expand the party’s support base. The number has been chosen carefully, representing the nine years of the Modi government while seeking a renewed mandate from the people in the upcoming polls.

We also found the number advertised and posted from the official X handle of the BJP on June 29, 2023. The caption stated about nine years of service, good governance and the welfare of the poor and asked people to join the Jan Sampark Se Jan Samarthan campaign by giving a missed call.

We also found the launch of the number in a press release by the BJP, dated May 30, 2023, on the completion of nine years of the BJP government under the leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi.

The launch of the number was also reported by NDTV and The Economic Times in May 2023 on the ninth anniversary of the BJP government for the mass outreach campaign.

Finally, we gave a missed call on the number and received a message which said "Thank you for supporting the Modi government." The message also has a YouTube link to a video featuring Modi in which he gives details about his government achievements in nine years.

Hence, we conclude that the claim that the BJP has launched a phone number (9090902024) for people to show support for UCC is misleading.