Fact-check: Did Yogi Adityanath decide to sponsor orphaned child during Kashi pilgrimage?

A photo of Yogi Adityanath interacting with a child has been shared by several social media users. They’re claiming Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister came across the toddler during the Kashi pilgrimage and after learning he had no one to support him after the death of his parents and maternal uncle, Yogi Adityanath reportedly announced he would sponsor the orphaned child’s upbringing through the CM fund. This photo was shared on the Facebook group ‘Sonu Thakur Yogi Bhakt (team Yogi Adityanath)‘.

‘RSS Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh‘ Facebook page also posted this picture with the same message.

Several other users are sharing the image on Twitter and Facebook.

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Fact-check

With a simple reverse image search, we found the photo in a Live Hindustan story stated October 27, 2019. According to the report, CM Yogi had traveled to Gorakhpur on the occasion of Diwali. He had celebrated Diwali with the people of Tinkonia, a settlement comprising residents from the Vantangia community. During the celebrations, Yogi Adityanath distributed sweets among the children.

Dainik Bhaskar reported that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited members of the Vantangia community for the sixteenth time during Diwali 2019. He also inaugurated some development projects there.

Punjab Kesari carried several photos of this visit, including the image in question.

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It was also shared on Twitter on October 27, 2019, as scenes from the CM’s tour of Gorakhpur.

Yogi Adityanath visited Gorakhpur to take stock of developmental work ahead of Narendra Modi’s Varanasi tour in July. But during this visit, there was no news about him offering financial support to a child.

To sum it up, a picture of Yogi Adityanath talking to a young resident of the Vantangiya Basti in Diwali 2019 was shared with a false claim about him offering financial support to an orphaned child.