FACT CHECK BY LOGICALLY FACTS:
The Verdict [Fake]
An image from 2017 was digitally manipulated to show N Chandrababu Naidu purportedly watching Andhra Pradesh CM Reddy presenting the YSRCP manifesto.
What's the claim?
An image is circulating on social media depicting Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Chandrababu Naidu observing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy holding what appears to be a booklet, on a large display. The TDP is a regional political party primarily active in southern Indian states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
This image was accompanied by captions like "Chandrababu Watching #YSRCPManifesto" on the X platform, with one post attracting approximately 34,000 views. The archived versions of these posts can be found here and here.
On April 27, 2024, Chief Minister Reddy, who is also the president of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh, revealed the YSRCP 2024 Assembly Election manifesto at his camp office in Tadepalli, a suburb near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. The elections for the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and the 25 Lok Sabha seats are slated for May 13, with the vote count scheduled for June 4, 2024.
This narrative was also shared on Facebook, with archived posts accessible here and here.
However, the viral picture is false; the photograph of Naidu dates back to 2017 and has been digitally altered to include the image of Andhra Pradesh CM Reddy.
Chandrababu Naidu's image from 2017
After conducting a reverse image search, we discovered a report by the New Indian Express dated November 27, 2017, titled "Asia's biggest real-time control room begins operation in Andhra Pradesh." This report showcased a similar photograph of Naidu, dressed similarly, seated in front of display screens. However, in the original image, the screens did not show any images of CM Reddy.
The report provided a comprehensive account of the inauguration of 'Asia's number one' command control room for real-time governance by then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu at the interim Secretariat in Velagapudi village, situated in the Guntur district of the state. The main objective of the Real-Time Governance (RTG) center was reportedly to manage all significant events and natural disasters in real-time, leveraging e-governance technology and electronic communication.
Furthermore, we came across a Facebook post (archived here) by Naidu, dated November 26, 2017, wherein he announced the inauguration of the RTG center in the first block of the Secretariat. Naidu highlighted its primary functions, such as hosting a surveillance wing, addressing grievances, managing major events, and operating an alert system for natural calamities.
The Facebook post contained an image (archived here) that closely resembled the viral one, with just one key difference. Instead of Reddy's image on the screen, Naidu was seen looking at what appeared to be a flow chart.
A visual comparison of the viral image and the Facebook picture posted by Naidu reveals that the former was manipulated to inaccurately portray Naidu witnessing Reddy's presentation of the YSRCP manifesto.
CM Reddy's image from 2024
In the viral image, we observed the presence of the Sakshi TV logo. Upon investigation, we discovered the exact image in a report by the Telugu news outlet Sakshi, dated April 27, 2024, which covered the launch of the YSRCP's manifesto for the forthcoming elections. India Today reported some key points from the manifesto, including an 'increase in welfare pensions, the proposal to designate Visakhapatnam as Andhra Pradesh's executive capital, and the allocation of funds for various welfare schemes.'
The verdict
A 2017 photograph of N. Chandrababu Naidu was digitally altered to depict Naidu observing Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy presenting the YSR Congress party manifesto. Naidu's image from 2017 actually shows him looking at unrelated data. CM Reddy's image was digitally added later to create the fake image seen in the viral posts.
(Disclaimer: This story was originally published by LOGICALLY FACTS, and republished by India TV as part of the Shakti Collective.)
