Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University, one of India’s premier institutes, was in the news once again, this time due to clashes allegedly over serving non-vegetarian food in the hostel mess. Soon after, videos and images showing the aftermath of the conflict emerged on social media platforms. In this backdrop, a set of images are being widely shared on social media alleging that the JNU students faked injuries. Newschecker found the claim to be untrue.
Several social media users shared two images of two young women questioning their ‘role reversal’. In the first image, a girl dressed in a grey shirt can be seen with an injury on her forehead, bleeding while another student in a blue shirt can be seen caring for her. However, in the second image, the former can be seen helping the latter, who is seen laying on a table injured.
We found several other posts on Twitter sharing these two images with similar claims.
Links to such tweets can be found here, here and here.
We found same set of pictures doing the rounds on Facebook as well, alleging ‘Hypocrites Left’
Links to such Facebook posts can be found here, here and here.
What Happened At JNU?
Clashes broke out between students on the JNU campus on April 10 and at least sixteen students from both sides sustained injuries after members of the ABVP, a student organisation associated with the RSS, allegedly objected to non-vegetarian food being served at one of the hostels, Kaveri on the day of Ram Navami, the concluding day of the Hindu festival of Ram Navratri.
On Monday, the Delhi police filed an FIR against unknown ABVP members based on the complaint received from a group of students. By evening on the same day, police said that they have also lodged an FIR against unidentified Left students based on a complaint by ABVP.
Following the clashes, the JNU administration warned the students against getting involved in incidents that disturb peace and harmony on campus.
Fact Check/Verification
To verify the veracity of the claim that the JNU students faked injuries, Newschecker began by ascertaining the identities of the students seen in the viral images. We skimmed through several reports on the incident, and found a report by Aaj Tak, dated April 11, 2022, that carried the same set of images and quoted All India Students’ Association (AISA) Delhi chief, Madhurima Kundu identifying that the girl who suffered head injury is one Akhtarista Ansari.
Following this, we contacted Ansari who confirmed to us that us, “the girl lying on the table in the second image is Madhurima while I am the one in the grey shirt.” She added that the picture was taken at the time when the members of the ABVP attacked students. Madhurima fainted during the attack, following which she was laid on the table and Ansari was caring for her. Following this, Ansari said, “members of the ABVP went outside the Kaveri hostel and started throwing stones, plants, and bottles at students inside the hostel. I was in the lawn when I was hit by a stone hurled by the ABVP members and started to bleed heavily.”
Ansari told us that she was admitted to AIIMS and received four stitches. She was discharged around 2 in the night. She also shared the medical report of their treatment at AIIMS on the night of the clashes at the JNU with the Newschecker.
Further, we also found a tweet by Madhurima Kundu, clarifying the sequence of events and images taken. “See the time when the photos were taken. A clear time gap of 6 minutes. I got unconscious after being hit. After I got control over myself, and we started moving out, Akhtarista was hit by a big rock,” she wrote and shared the screenshots of both the viral pictures in which the image properties can be seen clearly.
While the image where Kundu can be seen lying on a table was taken at 8:15 pm, the one where Ansari is seen injured was taken at 8:21 pm on April 10.
Conclusion
Newschecker found that the viral claim that a JNU students faked injuries is untrue. The sequence of images has been reversed to misled the people into believing that students faked their injury.
Result: Misleading Content/Partly False
Sources
Direct Contact With Akhtarista Ansari
Twitter Account Of Madhurima Kundu
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
