Photo shows 2019 rally of Indian PM Modi supporters in Karnataka

This article is more than one year old.
Published on October 28, 2021 at 11:21
Updated on October 29, 2021 at 08:16
2 min read
By AFP Bangladesh

Following attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh mid-October, a photo circulated on Facebook alongside a claim it shows a massive protest by Hindus in India's Assam state, which borders Bangladesh. But this claim is false: the photo has previously circulated in posts about a rally attended by supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. It was taken in India's Karnataka state -- not in Assam.

The image was shared here on Facebook on October 23, 2021.

The post's Bangla-language caption reads in part: "Tensions on the Assam-Bangladesh border! Due to the ongoing efforts of slaughtering Hindus in Bangladesh, Hindus from all walks of life from Barak to Guwahati to Assam have woken up! Red alert in India-Bangladesh border and Muslim-majority areas along the border!"

Screenshot of the misleading post taken on October 27, 2021

Assam is a northeastern Indian state that borders Bangladesh.

The post circulated online following a series of attacks on Hindu minorities in some parts of Bangladesh in mid-October.

The photo was also shared here on Facebook alongside a similar claim.

However, the claim is false.

A combination of reverse image and keyword searches found the photo was earlier shared here on Twitter on April 14, 2019.

The photo is captioned: "Amazing crowd in Mangaluru. This mega rally of Modi ji is attended by more than 6 Lakh people. Landslide victory of all BJP candidates in coastal Karnataka is guaranteed. #ModiInMangaluru".

Screenshot comparison of photo in misleading post (left) and photo shared in 2019 (right)

The photo corresponds with this footage streamed live on YouTube by SahilOnline TV on April 13, 2019.

The YouTube video's caption states: "Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi addressing a public rally in Mangaluru Karnataka".

This report by The Times of India newspaper identifies the venue of the public rally as the Nehru Maidan sports ground in Mangaluru.

Features of Nehru Maidan visible on Google Street View correspond with elements seen in the photo in the misleading posts -- confirming the photo was not taken in Assam.

Screenshot comparison showing corresponding features of photo in misleading posts (left) and Google Street View of Nehru Maidan (right)

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