Morphed Image Of AAP's Gujarat Billboard Shared With A Communal Spin
Writer: Jakir Hassan
A journalist at heart loves the in-depth work of reporting, writing, editing, research, and data analysis. A digital and social media enthusiast.
Gujarat, 13 July 2021 11:19 AM GMT
Editor : Bharat Nayak |
As the founding editor, Bharat had been heading the newsroom during the formation years of the organization and worked towards editorial policies, conceptualizing and designing campaign strategies and collaborations. He believes that through the use of digital media, one could engage the millennial's in rational conversations about pertinent social issues, provoking them to think and bring a behavioral change accordingly.
Creatives : Jakir Hassan
A journalist at heart loves the in-depth work of reporting, writing, editing, research, and data analysis. A digital and social media enthusiast.
An image of a billboard featuring Aam Aadmi Party, Gujarat is viral on social media with texts saying Gujarat will offer Namaz and Hindu rituals should be abandoned is viral on social media.
A photo of a billboard featuring the Aam Aadmi Party, Gujarat wing, is viral on social media. On this billboard, it is written in Gujarati, "નમાજ પઢશે ગુજરાત " which means 'Gujarat will offer Namaz'.
Further, the poster reads, "ભાગવત સપ્તાહ અને સત્યનારાયણની કથા જેવી ફાલતુ પ્રવૃત્તિ છોડો" which means 'Skip unnecessary rituals like Bhagwat Saptah and Satyanarayan Katha'. People on social media are widely sharing this picture. Surjit Dasgupta, editor-in-chief of 'Sirf News' tweeted this picture. This tweet was later deleted, but you can see the screenshot of the tweet below.
The post is widely shared on Facebook.
The post is viral on Twitter as well.
Claim:
Billboard put up by AAP party says Gujarat will offer Namaz.
Fact Check:
The viral claim is false.
We searched this picture with related keywords. We found several Facebook posts in which the picture of a similar billboard was shared. Different Twitter handles of Aam Aadmi Party district wings of Gujarat had tweeted pictures of the original billboard.
The picture of 3 people appears on this billboard. The names of these people have also been given in the poster along with the picture, which are as follows from left to right - Isudan Gadhvi, Gopal Italia and Arvind Kejriwal. The text on the original billboard was edited:
1. "હવે બદલાશે ગુજરાત" (Now Gujarat will change) was changed to "નમાજ પઢશે ગુજરાત" (Gujarat will offer Namaz).
2. Similarly, "ભાગવત સપ્તાહ અને સત્યનારાયણની કથા જેવી ફાલતુ પ્રવૃત્તિ છોડો" (leave unnecessary rituals like Bhagwat week and Satyanarayan) has been added in the poster.
3. The picture of Gopal Italia has been replaced with a picture of a man wearing a beard and a cap.
We tried to know the reality of the bearded man wearing a turban in the viral picture. After doing some research, we find out that the person who looks like a Muslim is none other than Gopal Italia. A reverse image search revealed that Gopal's picture was merged with that of the founder of the Islamic armed group Ansar al-Islam, Mullah Krekri.
While talking to Boomlive, Gopal Italia also confirmed that the image of the viral billboard is morphed, and his party will take action against this. He said, "Our team will be filing a complaint against this and those trying to disturb communal harmony. Our photo has been previously also edited and shared with such fake claims. I would like to say if the BJP is not behind this, then why hasn't the police taken Suo Moto cognizance of this photo being shared and filed a case against those circulating it as this is disturbing the peace".
Twitter account of the Aam Aadmi Party also tweeted the morphed billboard and said that their party's legal cell would take action against this.
Thus, it is evident from the original image of the viral billboard and official explanation of the AAP party Gujarat wing that several social media users, including journalists, posted a morphed picture of the Aam Aadmi Party's billboard with the false claim that Aam Aadmi Party is promoting Islamic culture in Gujarat.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.
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