A seven-year-old doctored image depicting a massive crowd at a political rally has resurfaced on social media platforms, falsely claiming to depict Patna's Gandhi Maidan during the Jan Vishwas Maharally hosted by the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) on March 3. Shared by user Supriya Bharadwaj on X, the image carried misleading captions suggesting a significant turnout of leaders from the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. However, the image had been previously debunked by the India TV Fact Check team in 2017.
False attribution and circulation
Supriya Bharadwaj's post on X perpetuated the misinformation surrounding the image, attributing it to the recent Jan Vishwas Maha Rally. Similarly, a Congress leader from Madhya Pradesh, Ramniwas Rawat, shared the same image with misleading claims. The resurgence of this doctored image seeks to create a false narrative of the rally's attendance and impact.
Historical context of the morphed image
A reverse image search conducted by the India TV Fact Check team traced the origins of the morphed image to a tweet by Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Chief Minister of Bihar, on X in 2017. Yadav's tweet falsely portrayed the image as depicting a massive turnout at Gandhi Maidan, Patna, during a political rally. This historical context sheds light on the deliberate manipulation of visuals for political gain.
Criticism and contrasting reports
Various individuals, including Bharatiya Janata Party members Shandilya Giriraj Singh and Kapil Mishra, criticised Lalu Prasad Yadav for sharing a photoshopped image to exaggerate the rally's attendance. Furthermore, a post by news agency ANI on X presented a stark contrast to the morphed image, showing sparsely crowded ground, emphasising the discrepancy between reality and the misrepresented depiction.
Original image unveiled
Amidst the misinformation, the original image surfaced on Facebook, shared by user Shamsheer Ahmed. The image was part of the RJD Desh Bachao BJP Bhagao rally, showcasing a series of authentic visuals from the event. This revelation underscores the importance of fact-checking and verifying sources in an era plagued by misinformation and digital manipulation.
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