Two versions of a photograph of Congress leaders Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi has been shared on social media. In the photo, the politicians can be seen holding a document. Curiously, the two versions insinuate that they are endorsing the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
BJP leader Vinay Chauhan and spokesperson Neetu Singh shared the version that showed the Gandhi siblings holding a document that reads, “Yogi is set to be elected…” (рдЖрдПрдВрдЧреЗ рддреЛ рдпреЛрдЧреА рдЬреА рд╣реА). The photo also shows them adorning a tika (vermillion) on their foreheads. The image has been shared ahead of elections in UP.
рдЖрдПрдВрдЧреЗ рддреЛ рдпреЛрдЧреА рдЬреА рд╣реА…… pic.twitter.com/EPhZFccjs9
тАФ Neetu Singh ЁЯЗоЁЯЗ│ (@INeetuDabas) January 21, 2022
It has been amplified by several pro-Facebook groups such as ‘Iron Man Modi – рд▓реЛрд╣ рдкреБрд░реБрд╖ рдореЛрджреА ЁЯТкЁЯЩПЁЯЗоЁЯЗ│ЁЯЩПЁЯТк‘ [over 2 lakh followers]; ‘рдореЛрджреАрдЬреА 370 рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж рдЕрдм POK рдХреА рдмрд╛рд░реАЁЯЪйЁЯХЙЁЯЪй‘ [over 1 lakh followers]; and BJP MISSION 350+ ‘LOKSABHA-2024’ [over 3 lakh followers].
A few days after this image was shared, AAP Gurgaon posted the same image but the document held by the Congress leaders reads, “Punjab’s pride” (рдкрдВрдЬрд╛рдм рджреА рд╢рд╛рди) with an image of AAP’s Punjab chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann. AAP Gurgaon later took down the post.
This post was also shared on several pro-AAP Facebook groups such as We Support тАЬArvind KejriwalтАЭ [over one lakh followers]; Aam Aadmi Party – Arvind Kejriwal [over 40K followers]; I ЁЯТЦЁЯТЮЁЯТЦ Manish Sisodia [over 80K followers].
Morphed images
After performing a reverse image search, we found that Rahul Gandhi had tweeted the original image on January 21. The viral images are morphed iterations of the same. The text on the document held by the Gandhi siblings in the original photo reads, “рднрд░реНрддреА рд╡рд┐рдзрд╛рди рдпреБрд╡рд╛ рдШреЛрд╖рдгрд╛ рдкрддреНрд░” which is the youth manifesto for the upcoming UP elections. It is titled ‘Bharti Vidhan’ and lays out the party’s vision for the youth in the state.
рдЬреЛ рдЪреАрдЬрд╝реЗрдВ рджрд┐рд▓ рд╕реЗ, рдЬрд╝рд┐рдореНрдореЗрджрд╛рд░реА рдФрд░ рдИрдорд╛рдирджрд╛рд░реА рд╕реЗ рдХреА рдЬрд╛рддреА рд╣реИрдВ рдЙрдирдХрд╛ рдирддреАрдЬрд╛ рдЕрдЪреНрдЫрд╛ рд╣реА рд╣реЛрддрд╛ рд╣реИред
рдпреВрдкреА рдХреА рдЬрдирддрд╛ рдХреЛ рдФрд░ рдХрд╛рдВрдЧреНрд░реЗрд╕ рдХреЗ рд╣рд░ рдХрд╛рд░реНрдпрдХрд░реНрддрд╛ рдХреЛ рдореЗрд░реА рд╢реБрднрдХрд╛рдордирд╛рдПрдБред#рдХрд╛рдВрдЧреНрд░реЗрд╕_рдХрд╛_рднрд░реНрддреА_рд╡рд┐рдзрд╛рди pic.twitter.com/tALA3FwCdS
тАФ Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 21, 2022
The collage below compares the original image with the morphed versions.
To sum it up, two morphed images were shared on social media. While one of them was shared by BJP members to show Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi supporting Yogi Adityanath ahead of UP polls, the other portrayed them supporting AAP’s Punjab CM candidate Bhagwant Mann.
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