A photo of a woman in a flashy wardrobe, with others in the background, went viral on social media, claiming that it was students from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi protesting against Hindu women wearing sarees. and sindoor wear.
It is claimed that this protest was carried out as part of a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and many users on social media questioned why such a movement targeted Hindu culture.
Several Facebook () and Twitter users shared the picture with similar claims. A long Facebook post in Hindi associated the woman in the viral image with JNU and called such ‘Left ideology’ ‘as’ spiritual perversion’.
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found that the photo was taken in 2019 during a Pride parade in Kolkata. The woman is a visual artist and activist named Panchali Kar, who never studied at the JNU. But while Pride parades primarily celebrate the LGBTQIA + community, anti-CAA slogans were raised during this march.
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Not a JNU event
Using reverse image search, we found the viral image in an article on the Bengali news portal Khas Khabar, where the woman was identified as Panchali Kar, a visual artist known for her controversial Facebook messages and images.
We found that the viral image was posted on Panchali’s Facebook page on December 30, 2019. The headline of the post reads: “Pride, 2019.” The place was Baghbazar Street in Kolkata.
There is not a single mention of JNU in Panchali’s entire Facebook profile. When India Today reached out to her, she said, “I have friends from JNU, but I personally have no connection with JNU as an institution.” According to her, the viral picture comes from the Kolkata Pride Walk of 2019.
According to some web portals that discussed the event in detail, it is an annual event for the LGBTQIA + community, which took place on December 29, 2019 in Kolkata. Panchali participated in the event.
Although Pride parades mainly live the LGBTQIA + way, their sexual preferences, achievements, CAA and NRC also found a place in the 2019 event.
“During the Pride run of 2019, we raised slogans against NRC and CAA, because why not? It was and still is a major crisis. But to claim that this picture comes from an anti-CAA rally is hilarious, “Panchali said, adding. that it also happened to her earlier when her photos were downloaded and used in a wrong context.
It is therefore clear that the allegation, coupled with the image that it is a protest by JNU students against Hindu culture and CAA, is misleading.
ClaimThese are JNU students asking why a Hindu woman should wear saree and sindoor. By wearing strange dresses, they protest against the Hindu culture and CAA. ClosureThis photo was taken in 2019 during a Pride parade in Kolkata. The woman is activist Panchali Kar, who never studied at the JNU. Although Pride parades primarily celebrate the LGBTQIA + community, anti-CAA slogans were raised during this march.
JHOOTH BOLE KAUVA KAATE
The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.
- 1 Crow: Half true
- 2 crows: mostly lies
- 3 crows: absolutely false
