A photo of Delhi Minister Arvind Kejriwal with a skull cap went viral with the allegation that the CM ushered in the new year by hosting a namaz at the Jama Masjid in Delhi.
Several people on Facebook and Twitter shared the image with a Hindi caption translating to: ‘Big news: On the first day of the new year, Delhi presented CM Arvind Kejriwal namaz in Jama Masjid and prayed for Delhi and the country.’
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found the viral claim misleading. The image of Kejriwal presented by namaz is four years old. Kejriwal was captured and brought along with dedicated prayers before breaking the Roza during the holy month of Ramzan at Malerkotla in Punjab on 4 July 2016.
The archived versions of the posts are saved here, here, en here.
AFWA PROBE
Using reverse image search, we found the same photo of Kejriwal published on the Hindi news website Jansatta in 2016. The same photo, although a broader photo that includes AAP leader Sanjay Singh sitting next to Kejriwal, was published in Jagran in the same year.
Based on the Jansatta article according to which the image was posted during the AAP Punjab Twitter handle during Eid 2016, we found the old tweet using an advanced tweet search. The Twitter handle of AAP Punjab posted the viral image of Kejriwal presented namaz on July 7, 2016, with the wish for Eid in the Punjabi language.
But neither the newspaper reports nor the tweet posted by AAP can shed light on the picture, the location or the event.
Using keyword search, we found the viral image as well as other images taken from different angles from the photo gallery of HTDS content services and Getty Images. Both sites have been attributed to Hindustan Times photographer Bharat Bhushan.
The caption of the Getty Image in the photo reads: ‘Delhi Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a skull hat prays with fans before taking the Roza on Ramzan’s Holy Month in Malerkotla in Sangrur on July 4, 2016 in Patiala, India, break.
We found that the viral message came from a Twitter account called “LaagBPNews“who declared on their Twitter bio that their posts are far from the truth.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal by a video message greeted people on New Year’s Day and admonished them to follow Covid-19 precautions to prevent the disease.
It is therefore clear that the viral allegation that Delhi hosted CM namaz on Jama Masjid on the first day of the New Year is false. The photo of Kejriwal offering prayers is four years old.
ClaimDelhi, CM Arvind Kejriwal, presented the first day of the new year namaz in Jama’s Masjid in Delhi. ClosureThis image of Kejriwal presented by namaz is four years old. He prayed with devoted prayers before breaking a rose on July 4, 2016 during the holy month of Ramzan at Malerkotla in Sangrur, Punjab.
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
