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.
Claim
Indian Muslims burn the national flag to protest BJP’s Nupur Sharma’s controversial remarks against Prophet Muhammad. You can see the claim here.
Several other also claimed it was from Bangladesh. You can see one such post here.
Fact check/Verification
To verify if the image was indeed from India, and in the context of the recent protests against now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s remarks against the prophet, Newschecker conducted a reverse image search of the viral image using Google lens.
The search threw up several results, one of which was an article by the Independent.Co.UK, which carried the same viral image.
The article by Independent, titled “Pakistanis rally to denounce India over remarks about Islam” was published on 10th June. The caption for the image read “Pakistanis rally to denounce India over remarks about Islam” and the image has been credited to Associated Press.
On further probing the same image, we found the original image on the website of Associated Press, with the credit of the photographer, KM Chaudary.
“Supporters of religious groups burn a representation of Indian flag during a demonstration to condemn derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad recently made by Nupur Sharma, a spokesperson of the governing Indian Hindu nationalist party, in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, June 9, 2022. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)” the caption of the image read.
We also found the same images tweeted out by Al Jazeera, identifying them to be protests from Pakistan.
Conclusion
Image of protesters burning the Indian flag in Pakistan is being shared to claim Indian Muslims destroying the Indian flag.
Result: False/False context
Sources
Tweet by Al Jazeera
Article on Independent
Article on Associated Press
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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.
