Authors
Claim
The beautiful beaches of Udupi, Paradise Beach in Pondi, Neil and Havelock in Andaman
Fact
The 3rd and 4th photos posted by Virender Sehwag are not from Andaman. The 3rd photo is from Bora Bora in French Polynesia and the 4th photo is from Koh Kham Island in Thailand.
The Maldives has sparked controversy across the country after some ministers made insulting remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Various social media users have posted photos of some Indian islands calling for a boycott of the Maldives as a tourist destination. Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag recently posted photos of four islands on X and wrote, “…. the beautiful beaches of Udupi, Paradise Beach in Pondi, Neil and Havelock in Andaman…”. The original post can be seen here. | Archived Post
Even, Big B Amitabh Bachchan retweeted this post, which can be seen here.
The third and fourth photos attached to the post are not from India, but from Bora Bora in French Polynesia and Koh Kham Island in Thailand, respectively. The post has been viewed by 5.2 million people and re-posted by 13.6 thousand people till the report was prepared.
Fact Check/Verification
First, we conducted Google reverse images to find out the authenticity of the photos in this viral post. Here we learned that the first and second photos are from Pondicherry and Karnataka respectively. But, the third photo was found on a Tahiti Tourism website. This photo is attributed to Bora Bora Island.
The same photo is also featured on a Russian travel Facebook page called Exploring Planet. It is also mentioned here as Бора Бора, Французская Полинезия. (Bora Bora, French Polynesia)
Users of Reddit, Pintrest, Peakpx have also posted the same photo and referred to it as Bora Bora Island.
Now, we do a Google reverse image search again to find out the authenticity of the fourth photo, which takes us to some YouTube video links and websites. The video links refer to this place as Koh Kham Island, Thailand.
The Amazing Thailand website also mentions Ko Kham with the photo. Also with the image, the description reads – A tiny Island, ko Kham can be easily reached by motorboat or kayak from neighbouring Ko Mak. The distinguishing features are the black volcanic rocks in eye-catching shapes and formations dotted across the sand. Ko Kham is quiet and unspoiled with crystal clear waters, fine sand and coral reefs on the eastern side which are perfect for Snorkelling and diving.
Meanwhile, various Facebook users, and Freepik website have also mentioned the photo as being from Ko Kham Island.
Apart from Virender Sehwag, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh and many other prominent figures have also recently posted photos of islands abroad claiming to be from India.
Conclusion
According to our investigation, the third and fourth photos in a X post shared by Virender Sehwag are from French Polynesia and Thailand, not from India.
Result: Partly False
Our Sources:
1. Article posted by Tahiti Tourism website
2. Video posted by Koh Kood Koh Kood, dated May 16, 2027
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