An image of hoardings displaying inflammatory statements allegedly attributed to Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari and other prominent Muslim leaders is being widely circulated, with claims that these statements are genuine. However, this image dates back to August 2021. At the time, an investigation by the Pratapgarh police revealed that the hoardings were fake and were intentionally put up by anti-social elements.
Serial fake news peddler and propagandist account @MrSinha_ posted the hoarding that reads. “Muslims have become the majority in Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Kerala, Hyderabad, Assam in India. According to Islam, the presence of non-Muslims in Muslim-dominated areas is forbidden. Therefore, Hindus should vacate these areas, otherwise, we will do the same to them as we did to Hindu Pandits in Kashmir. Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Shahi Imam, Jama Masjid, Delhi. Later, he deleted the post.
Several other users and Influencers have also disseminated the image and made similar claims. Their posts can be seen here, @MrNationalistJJ, @Jitendr33062168, @HarikeshKK49467.
The truth behind the claims, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the sensitive and inflammatory statements came to our notice. Subsequently, we conducted research and analysis regarding the hoarding and found that this image was old and fake.
To verify the claims made by the users. We performed a reverse image search using Google Lens. This led us to initial social media posts containing the same hoardings posted in August 2021 where we also found a police statement in the comments section.
The Pratapgarh police had already clarified that the hoardings were fake and installed by miscreants to fuel communal tension in the region.
जनपद प्रतापगढ़ के थाना क्षेत्र कुण्डा अन्तर्गत कस्बा कुण्डा में कुछ शरारती तत्वों द्वारा आपत्तिजनक होर्डिंग लगाए जाने के प्रकरण में की जा रही कार्यवाही के संबंध में पुलिस अधीक्षक प्रतापगढ़ द्वारा दी गई बाइट। pic.twitter.com/YKzUjFTAN5
— PRATAPGARH POLICE (@pratapgarhpol) August 12, 2021
Therefore, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the image depicting hoardings containing inflammatory statements was old and fake.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) November 16, 2024
ANALYSIS: Fake
FACT: An image showing hoardings featuring inflammatory statements attributed to Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari and other prominent Muslim leaders is being widely circulated, with claims that the statements are genuine. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/hxKAdh5FIZ
Intent
Social media users, influencers and propagandists are circulating old fake images with communal claims to create disharmony among communities.
Conclusion
Claim– The image containing statements of prominent Muslim leaders is recent and genuine.
Fact – The image was old and fake. Nothing to do with reality.
Related Article: Fact Check: Scripted video of Muslim men helping Hindu individual in the market goes viral as real incident – D-Intent Data
