Old photographs used to project show of strength at PM Modi's West Bengal rally - Alt News
Arjun Sidharth
8th February 2019 / 1:22 pm / Last updated: 15th March 2019
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently spoke at a political rally in West Bengal. Relations between the Union Government and the West Bengal government have deteriorated following the controversy over CBI’s action in the Saradha chit fund case.
Now, a set of images has been shared by supporters of PM Modi on social media. The photos are of huge crowds which had supposedly attended the Prime Minister’s rally in the state.
कम भीड़ के कारण सभा रद्द ये तो सुना था
पर भारी भीड़ के कारण PM मोदी को बंगाल रैली मे अपना भाषण छोटा करना पड़ा
#HowsTheJosh
Posted by Narendra Modi for PM on Wednesday, February 6, 2019
The above post is by a Facebook page named Narendra Modi For PM. The message accompanying the post reads, “कम भीड़ के कारण सभा रद्द ये तो सुना था पर भारी भीड़ के कारण PM मोदी को बंगाल रैली मे अपना भाषण छोटा करना पड़ा” (It is common to hear of rallies being cancelled due to lack of crowd, but PM Modi had to cut short his speech in his Bengal rally due to huge turnout- translation). #HowsTheJosh is the hashtag along with the message and photos.
Several individual users have shared this set of images on Facebook with the above message.
Alt News fact-checked these photographs and found that they are NOT of the recent rally held by the Prime Minister in West Bengal. Using the Google reverse image search tool revealed the origin of each of these photographs
The first image, in which PM Modi is seen addressing a large crowd is available on the website of the Prime Minister. The photo is found in a write-up dated May 15, 2014. This confirms that the photograph is at least four years old, if not more.
Alt News could not trace the origin of the second photograph.
Image 3
Alt News reverse searched the third photograph and found the photograph on a Facebook page BJP Karnataka Online, posted in April 2014. On further probing, we came across a website Filmibeat, which had posted this photograph with the claim that it was clicked at Narendra Modi’s rally in Karnataka in November 2013.
The final image which has been posted as PM Modi’s West Bengal rally is indeed from the state. However, it is not a recent photograph. Alt News found this picture in an article by DeshGujarat of February, 2014. According to the article, these pictures are of PM Modi’s rally which took place in Kolkata early that year.
Alt News found that the Facebook page Narendra Modi For PM (@ModiForPMOrg) is run by one Rohit Gangwal. Gangwal in his Twitter bio states that he is the founder of @ModiForPMOrg.
Gangwal is closely associated with the BJP, and has been photographed with several top party leaders like Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya and BJP MP Kirron Kher. He also operates a website with the same name.
.@BJP4India के राष्ट्रीय आईटी प्रमुख श्री @amitmalviya जी ने राष्ट्रीय महासम्मेलन को सम्बोधित करते हुए @ModiforPMOrg के कार्यकर्ताओं को नमो ऐप के माध्यम से अपनी गतिविधियों को ओर सक्रिय रूप देकर मिशन2019 के लिए प्रदेश के अनुसार नेटवर्क तैयार करने के लिए प्रेरित किया।#ModiForPM2019 pic.twitter.com/cfbwuR76A4
— Rohit Gangwal (@rohitgangwalind) November 15, 2018
Ironically, at least three out of the four photographs of Narendra Modi’s rallies, clicked before he became the Prime Minister, are being shared now to portray popularity and connect in West Bengal at a time when the state has emerged crucial to the BJP’s plan for 2019.
Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming.
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