Fact Check: Image showing BJP followers protesting in front of Canara Bank is digitally altered
Diplomatic relations between India and Canada have deteriorated since September 2023, after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that the “agents”
BJP followers protesting
Diplomatic relations between India and Canada have deteriorated since September 2023, after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that the “agents” of the Indian government might be responsible for the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canadian police alleged that the Indian Government’s agents were engaged in serious criminal activity in Canada. Both Canada and India expelled each other’s high commissioners and also diplomats from their countries.
Amidst this, an image of a few people standing in front of Canara Bank and holding BJP party flags is in circulation on social media with a sarcastic claim that the BJP followers are protesting outside Canara Bank mistaking it as Canada.
Some users called the people in the viral image as Andh Bhakts while some called them Sanghis. The claim goes as “Andh Bhakts protesting against Canada in front of Canara Bank”
Fact Check:
The claim is False. The original image, which is from the year 2020, has been altered to make false claims.
When observed carefully, we found that the Canara Bank billboard is clearer than the other boards in the image. Most of the shop names are blurry in the image.
When we searched the image using Google reverse image search, we found a news article published on a Tamil news portal named Malai Malar. The news was published on August 30, 2020. The BJP followers conducted a protest against the local municipality authorities in Nilgiri district, Tamil Nadu. A flag pole to hoist the party flag was erected on a municipality-owned land. Municipal Commissioner Saraswati filed a complaint at Ooty City Central Police Station. As a result, the municipal employees and the police removed the flagpole without the permission of the authorities. The BJP followers started protesting against the municipality for removing the flagpole. Ooty city president for BJP led the protest. Slogans were raised condemning the municipality.
The image was also debunked by Vishwas News in September 2023, which contacted the BJP district president of Ooty Mogan Raj, who confirmed that the image is from 2020 and not recent. He also confirmed that the image has been digitally altered as no Canara Bank branch exists in that area.
Therefore, an old image of BJP party members protesting in the streets of Ooty city has been digitally altered to make false claims. The claim that the BJP party followers are protesting in front of Canara Bank mistaking it as Canada is False.