Authors
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.
Political slugfest has erupted in Punjab between the AAP and the ruling Congress party after several social media users and news channels shared images showing SAD MLA Bikramjit Singh Majithia in Golden Temple. The viral image was shared by social media users claiming that it was from January 1, 2022. But a fact check by Newschecker has revealed that the image is actually from January 2021 and was wrongly reported as January 2022.
The images showing Majithia in Golden Temple come as Punjab Police is on the hunt for the SAD leader, who is currently booked under the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act. Majithia is the brother of former Union Minister and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal. His anticipatory bail plea was recently rejected by the Mohali HC after which he moved the Punjab HC for the same. After images of Majithia in the Golden Temple went viral, AAP alleged that Majithia was roaming openly under the Congress government as there was a ‘setting’ between the Channi govt and the Badals.
The image of Majithia at Golden Temple was shared by several users on social media.
Several media outlets also claimed the SAD leader had visited the Sikh holy place, after images of Majithia in Golden Temple went viral.
Fact check/Verification
To check veracity of the images going viral on social media, Newschecker conducted a Google reverse search of the image during which we found that the two images of Majithia in Golden Temple going viral on social media were uploaded on the official Facebook page of Shiromani Akali Dal Majitha on January 1, 2021.
On probing further, we found several other social media posts made in January 2021 on the same subject here and here.
We also found that one of the viral images of Majithia in Golden Temple was uploaded on Bikramjit Singh Majithia’s Instagram handle on January 1, 2021. However, we found that this picture was later deleted.
Conclusion
The viral images showing Akali leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia in Golden Temple are from January 2021 and not recent, as is being claimed. The claims are misleading.
Result: Misleading/Partly False
Our Sources
Facebook / SAD Majitha: https://www.facebook.com/AkaliDalMajitha/posts/4802535609821617
Facebook / BhindGuruwali: https://www.facebook.com/bhind.guruwali.1/posts/2847899108781386
Rozana Spokesman: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=3600549620055261&id=316365575140365
(This fact check was originally published in Punjabi)
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Authors
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.
