Authors
Sabloo Thomas has worked as a special correspondent with the Deccan Chronicle from 2011 to December 2019. Post-Deccan Chronicle, he freelanced for various websites and worked in the capacity of a translator as well (English to Malayalam and Malayalam to English). He’s also worked with the New Indian Express as a reporter, senior reporter, and principal correspondent. He joined Express in 2001.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
An image of a hoarding of CMR shopping mall in Karnataka, promising discount to Muslim men who turn up with Hindu women.
Fact
The photo is of a hoarding placed by CMR Mall, Hyderabad during their Ramzan sales in 2019, and does not make any such promise.
Several social media users are circulating a Photo claiming to show a hoarding by CMR shopping mall in Karnataka, purportedly offering 10% to 50% discount to young Muslim men who bring Hindu girls along with them as part of an effort to promote Love jihad.
X Post @IndiaCrooks
The archived version of the posts can be seen here and here.
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Fact Check/Verification
We did a reverse image search of the image and found the same photograph posted by Shefali Vaidya on X on June 3, 2019. But Vaidya makes no mention of such a bizarre condition for the discount offer, rather questions the need to represent a Hindu woman with a Muslim man in the hoarding.
We translated the text of the hoarding into English using Google lens and found that the hoarding does not promise discounts to Muslim youths if they come with a Hindu girl, rather announces a 10 to 50 percent discount for Ramadan. The hoarding also says that the discount will be available from May 20 to June 5.
Translation using google lens
We then did a keyword search, and found a Facebook post by CMR Shopping Mall on their Facebook page on May 31, 2019 apologising for the text in their hoarding.
“Apologies for the blunder from the entire CMR Telangana Group.We have no intentions of hurting any religious sentiments or creating any distinction. We support all religions and respect every community with no bias. All the hoardings have been removed and we assure to not repeat anything of this sort in future. CMR Shopping mall Andhra Pradesh is in no way associated or related with this,” said the post.
Conclusion
Thus, we found that a 2019 photograph showing a hoarding from Telangana is being shared as a recent image of a hoarding of CMR shopping mall promoting ‘love jihad’ in Karnataka.
Result: False
Sources
X Post @ShefVaidya on June 3, 2019
Facebook post by CMR Shopping Mall on May 31, 2019
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Authors
Sabloo Thomas has worked as a special correspondent with the Deccan Chronicle from 2011 to December 2019. Post-Deccan Chronicle, he freelanced for various websites and worked in the capacity of a translator as well (English to Malayalam and Malayalam to English). He’s also worked with the New Indian Express as a reporter, senior reporter, and principal correspondent. He joined Express in 2001.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
