Photo from Pakistan doctored to include Narendra Modi's name and statue
Last updated on: 19 March,2021 10:30 pm
Photo from Pakistan doctored to include Narendra Modi's name and statue
(AFP) - An image has been shared in multiple Facebook posts alongside a claim it shows a statue of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi erected at an intersection named after him. The claim is false: the image has been doctored to digitally insert the statue and name of Modi into a photo of an intersection in Pakistan.
The image was published on Facebook on February 26, 2021.
The Hindi caption of the post translates to English as: “This is condemnable, how is he naming streets and stadiums after himself when he is alive. This is not our culture.”
The person referred to in the post is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the image appears to show a statue erected at an intersection with the Hindi-language signage reads as “Narendra Modi intersection”.
The image spread online as a cricket stadium in the west Indian state of Gujarat was renamed after Modi in February 2021.
The image was also shared on Facebook alongside similar claims.
The claim, however, is false. The image has been doctored to digitally insert the name and statue of Modi.
A reverse image search found the original photo was published on a Pakistani news website on September 25, 2018.
“Faisalabad: A beautiful view of kettle and cup installed in Station Chowk for beautification of the city,” reads the photo caption.
The Station Chowk intersection is located in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the doctored image (L) and Pakistani news website photo (R)
A reverse image search of the cropped Modi statue in the post also found the same image of the statue on the e-comMerce website IndiaMart. It is mentioned as a 3-foot Marble Narendra Modi statue which is available for purchase at 65,000 rupees. The product page has been removed but the image can still be seen through keyword searches on Google Image.