Ayodhya Case: Did PM Modi Write Congratulatory Letter to CJI?

The letter in circulation carries fake signature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A fake letter on social media claims that PM Modi wrote it to CJI Gogoi, congratulating him and his team for the Ayodhya verdict.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

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CLAIM

After the Supreme Court judgment on the Ayodhya title dispute on Saturday, 9 November, a letter is being circulated with the claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed it to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, congratulating the five-judge bench for “their stupendous contribution to Hindu Rashtra”.

The letter further reads, “Hindus will always be grateful to you and your team for your compendable and memorable decision, which will make a new history for Hindu Rashtra (sic).”

Several social media users have shared the letter on Twitter.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Screengrab)

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Screengrab)

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Screengrab)

WHAT’S THE TRUTH?

In order to check the veracity of the letter, we compared the letter being circulated online with an original letter written by the prime minister.

On comparing the letter allegedly addressed to Gogoi (left) and an original one, we found that there was a difference in Modi’s signature. The one on the right, is the actual signature of Modi.

Left: Viral letter. Right: Official letter.(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Further, the viral letter reads: “Hindus will always be grateful to you and your team for your compendable and memorable decision (sic).” The word ‘commendable’ has been written as ‘compendable’.

Further, the only official communication that came from the prime minister on the day of the verdict was a tweet in the morning soon after the judgment was out and an address to the nation later in the evening.

In the 11-minute address, prime minister had congratulated the Indian judiciary calling it a “golden day” in the history of India.

Hence, a fake letter, attributed to the prime minister, is doing the rounds claiming that he congratulated the five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court for “stupendous contribution to Hindu Rashtra” on the Ayodhya verdict.

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