A manipulated photograph depicting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wearing a railway porter's uniform with a badge bearing the serial number '420' is circulating on social media, but it has been debunked as a fabricated image. Gandhi's visit to East Delhi’s Anand Vihar railway station last week involved interactions with porters, during which he inquired about their concerns and even sported their signature red uniform shirt. The porters provided him with a badge to wear, and he briefly carried a suitcase on his head as he walked with them.
It is worth noting that Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertains to the offense of cheating and is often used pejoratively to label someone as deceitful. The manipulated image is being shared in this context. The viral photo was initially posted by an account named Narendra Modi fan (@narendramodi177) with the caption, "420 @RahulGandhi."
The same image is now making rounds on various social media platforms with the same false assertion.
India TV did a Fact Check
A fact-check conducted by the India TV team has confirmed that the serial number on the porter's licensed badge in the viral photo is doctored. The genuine badge, which was attached to Rahul Gandhi's arm by the porter, bears the number '756.' To verify this, the team examined photos posted by Gandhi on his official Instagram account, which documented his interaction with railway porters on September 21, 2023. Upon close examination of the badge in these photos, the number '756' is clearly visible.
Furthermore, in an interview with the YouTube channel The Mithila, the porter responsible for affixing the badge to Gandhi's arm explicitly refuted the claim that the badge displayed '420' as the serial number, confirming that it indeed had the number '756.' His statement can be seen in a video timestamped at 10 minutes and 55 seconds.
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