#NewsBytesExplainer: Why was YouTuber Elvish Yadav tagged 'gamla chor' online
What's the story
YouTuber Elvish Yadav found himself enmeshed in a controversy earlier this week when he was wrongly accused of "stealing flower pots" arranged for the ongoing G20 Summit in Gurugram, Haryana. It all started when a video of two people stealing the said pots and putting them in their car went viral. Eagle-eyed netizens noticed that the SUV allegedly belonged to Yadav. Here's what happened.
The controversy
Netizens claimed that the car was used by Yadav earlier
Once the video went viral, Twitter users opined that the SUV used for the theft belongs to Yadav. Why did they say so? Netizens alleged that the clearly visible number plate was a dead giveaway and the car was allegedly used by the YouTuber/influencer for a road show in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Not too long after, #GamlaChor and #ElvishYadav began trending on Twitter.
Twitter Post
This is the video of the theft
लगता है सारा पैसा गाड़ी खरीदने में चला गया इसलिए घर सजाने के लिए गमला चुराना पड़ा!#GamlaChor #ChorNikalKeBhaga #GamlaChorElvish #ElvishYadav @ElvishYadav #Elvish_Gamla_Chor pic.twitter.com/VQyKqVICuS
— Mohammad Altaf Ali (@MdAltafAli15) March 1, 2023
Yadav's explanation
Yadav was enraged, posted a response on Twitter
Once memes started doing rounds on Twitter, Yadav offered a clarification. He tweeted, "Just because I was seen in a car once, doesn't mean I own it. Some filthy minds who have a habit of creating fake narratives came out of their ratholes with a cooked-up story. Forget me, they don't even leave the country or the PM. You can't expect more from them."
Popularity
Yadav enjoys massive popularity in the YouTube space
Yadav is a big name in Gurugram and other parts of Haryana and enjoys a massive fan following amongst the youth. On his primary YouTube channel @TheSocialFactory, he is followed by a massive 92.1L subscribers and uploads short films/web series on it. Apart from that, he runs another channel called Elvish Yadav Vlogs, which has been subscribed to by 36.2L people so far.
Social media
Yadav has a loyal fanbase on Twitter and Instagram
Unsurprisingly, Yadav enjoys immense popularity on Twitter and Instagram. On Twitter, he is followed by 238.7K people and several prominent names associated with the ruling BJP party and a few popular journalists follow him, too. Coming to Instagram, he has a whopping 3.1M followers there and often posts about different kinds of automobiles, along with a few updates about his personal life.
Philanthropy
Yadav also spearheads the Elvish Yadav Foundation
People's love and respect for Yadav also emanate from his philanthropic activities. He runs an NGO named Elvish Yadav Foundation and regularly shares updates about his charity work on the NGO's Instagram page. Most of the charity work carried out by his foundation includes giving out food packets, providing lunch at just Rs. 5 per person, and distributing clothes amongst the underprivileged, among others.