Claim
Image showing a group of men holding Pakistan’s flag along with a banner demanding for cricketer Virat Kohli instead of Kashmir.
Archived link of the same can be seen here.
Fact
A Yandex reverse image search on the viral photograph led us to a report by The News Minute, dated June 18, 2017, titled ‘From Borderwalla Sunny to PM Modi, everyone’s in on the meme wars before India-Pak final at Oval.’
The report carried an image identical to the viral photograph. But the text on the banner, instead of the demand of Virat Kohli, read “WE DONT WANT KASHMIR PLS GIVE US CHAMPIONS TROPHY AT LEAST (sic)”.
Further, a keyword search for, “‘We don’t want Kashmir. Give us Virat Kohli,” on Facebook yielded several images the same as the viral photograph with the only difference being the text on the banner.
While some images carried Hardik Pandya’s name, others carried ‘Hydroxychloroquine’, ‘Nara Lokesh’ and even ‘NDTV’ instead of Virat Kohli’s name, indicating that the text on the banner has been repeatedly edited over the years.
On further investigations, we were led to a report by India Today, dated August 8, 2016, titled ‘Kashmir unrest: Youths raise pro-Pakistan slogans in the Valley.’
The report, which elaborated on the situation in South Kashmir post the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Muzaffer Wani, carried an image similar to the viral photograph. The text on the banner however read, “We want azaadi”.
On comparing the viral image with the photograph featured in the India Today report, we could conclude that both are the same.
We could thus conclude that the viral photograph showing a group of men holding a banner saying,” We don’t want Kashmir, Give us Virat Kohli” has been digitally altered.
Result: Altered Photo
Sources
Report by The News Minute, dated June 18, 2017
Facebook
Report by India Today, dated August 8, 2016
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