India TV Fact Check: In the age of the internet and social media, fake news often goes viral, targeting everyone from ordinary people to well-known public figures. A recent example involves Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A photo circulating widely online claims that the Government of India is set to feature his image on the Rs 200 currency note. However, a fact-check by India TV has confirmed that this claim is entirely false.
What is going viral?
A viral photo on social media claims that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's image will appear on the Rs 200 currency note. The post, shared by an Instagram user named fan_bhagat_singh_da_1931, includes a picture of a Rs 200 note featuring Shivaji Maharaj and the caption: "Big decision by the Government of India. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's photo will now be printed on the Rs 200 note. How do you like this decision?"
India TV did investigation
Since the viral claim on social media was quite important, it prompted us to investigate. First, we did a Google open search to verify whether the Government of India had announced any decision to feature Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's image on the Rs 200 note. However, no such official information or news report was found. Following this, we checked the official website of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), but there too, no such announcement or update was available.
Upon further investigation of the viral image, a tweet by BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane was found, dated October 26, 2022. In this tweet, he had shared a Rs 200 note featuring an image of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. However, on further investigation, we found a news report from Business Today which clarified the context the viral image. The report mentioned that AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal had appealed to the central government to include pictures of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes. In response to this appeal, Nitesh Rane shared the edited image of the Rs 200 note as a satirical take.
What came out in fact check?
A fact check done by India TV has revealed that the claim of printing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's picture on a Rs 200 note is completely false. The picture going viral has been edited. People are advised to be cautious of any such claim.
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