“This is quite a welcome, Lucknow!” tweeted Congress leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, as Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra kicked off a rally in Lucknow on February 11. Showcasing the supposed popularity of the Gandhis was a set of photographs posted along with the tweet.
The tweet has now been deleted, but the archived version can be accessed here. Chaturvedi had posted four photos, out of which the second photograph showed a massive crowd.
The same image was posted by many Congress supporters on various social media platforms, claiming it to be of Lucknow rally.
Upon zooming into the image, one can see that the language painted on buildings is a South Indian language, which would be typically unusual for a rally in Lucknow.
PHOTOGRAPH FROM CONGRESS RALLY IN TELANGANA
The above photo was taken not at the rally held by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in Lucknow, but at the Congress party’s roadshow in Telangana which had taken place in December 2018, ahead of the assembly election in the state.
In fact, the same photograph among others had been tweeted by former cricketer and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin on December 5, 2018. It was also posted by a Youth Congress leader.
Campaigning in my home state of Telangana is always more than special. The love & enthusiasm of people is overwhelming. #PrajakutamiForTelangana @INCIndia @INCTelangana @RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/5daNXdQur6
— Mohammed Azharuddin (@azharflicks) December 5, 2018
After deleting her initial tweet, Priyanka Chaturvedi later posted another tweet, acknowledging her error.
Here goes…corrected…Poor BJP trolls clutching at straws to save their leader’s face in U.P.!
This is quite a welcome, Lucknow! #NayiUmeedNayaDesh
उत्तर प्रदेश बनेगा उत्तम प्रदेश यही है हमारा मक़सद, यही है हमारा संकल्प! pic.twitter.com/uk0XfpdfcI— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) February 11, 2019
Use of old, unrelated photographs for political propaganda is an easy tactic, and numerous such instances have been observed in the past.
Independent journalism that speaks truth to power and is free of corporate and political control is possible only when people start contributing towards the same. Please consider donating towards this endeavour to fight fake news and misinformation.
