Fact Check: Old Images Of Protest For Release Of Sharjeel Imam Viral As Pictures From Farmers' Protest In Delhi
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India, 15 Dec 2020 7:36 AM GMT
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An old photo of a protest organised by the Welfare Party of India demanding release of Sharjeel Imam shared online with the false claim of the image belonging to ongoing farmers' protest.
In the backdrop of farmers' protest in Delhi, several right-wing ideologues are sharing the images unrelated to farmers' protest to disparage the movement. A similar photo of people holding a banner demanding the release of Sharjeel Imam has gone viral on social media with different captions; claiming to be from the ongoing farmers' protest.
Student-activist from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Sharjeel Imam, was booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in January for allegedly delivering hate speech that during the anti-CAA protests.
Colgate ke saath brush free, So-called Farmers Protest ke saath Sharjeel Imam free
Posted by Sanchit Kulshrestha on Friday, 11 December 2020
Claim:
The image of people demanding the release of Sharjeel Imam is from the ongoing farmers' protest in Delhi.
Fact Check:
On doing a reverse image search, The Logical Indian found the same photo was tweeted on April 15, 2020, by a Twitter user, Md Imran Lone with the caption, "It has been 76 days since Sharjeel Imam is under police custody for just appealing for "Jakka Jaam". After that BJP leaders instigate the violence which resulted in the Delhi pogrom against Muslim minorities but unfortunately they are roaming free."
Thus, the image was old and unrelated to the farmers' protest. The top right corner of the banner Welfare Party of India written on it. Moreover, the flag shown is even the flag resembles the flag of the same party. Hence, the image is from a protest held by the Welfare Party of India demanding the release of Sharjeel Imam earlier this year.
India Today spoke to the Welfare Party of India who confirmed the image was of a protest for the release of Sharjeel Imam during anti-CAA protest and unrelated to farmers protest.
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