2018 News Report on Nepal Occupying Indian Land Shared as Recent

The news report was published in Dainik Bhaskar in August 2018.

The claim states that Nepal has occupied Indian land in 2021.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A photo of the front page of Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar with the headline that reads Nepal has occupied 7,100 acres of Indian land is being shared on social media with the claim that the development is a recent one.

However, we found that the news is from 2018 that was published in the daily.

CLAIM

Congress national spokesperson Pawan Khera quote-tweeted it with the claim in Hindi that reads, "ये क्या हाल बना रखा है देश का? नेपाल हमारी ज़मीन पर क़ब्ज़ा कर रहा है और हम देश में ही आपस में राष्ट्र्भक्ति का सर्टिफ़िकेट बाँट रहे हैं."

[Translation: What is the condition of this country? Nepal is occupying our land and we are distributing the certificate of patriotism amongst ourselves in the country itself.]

The photo was shared by a Twitter user 'The Indian' asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have an answer for the news report.

An archive of the tweet can be found here. 

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

Several social media users have shared the photo along with the claim on Facebook and Twitter and the archived links can be seen here, here and here.

WHAT WE FOUND

We conducted a reverse image search on the photo and found a tweet by another Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi on 17 August 2020, which meant the news isn't a recent one.

Next, we searched with relevant keywords from the news article and found the Dainik Bhaskar article on the webite of the daily published three years ago with the same headline.

The report read that Nepal has occupied at least 7,100 acres of land in the West Champaran district of Bihar. Several areas, including Susta in Valmikinagar, parts of the Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve and hills of the Shivalik range in Govardhana have been encroached upon, the report read.

News fom 2018.

(Source: Dainik Bhaskar/Screenshot)

We also looked into Dainik Bhaskar's app and found the news was published there on 14 August 2018.

News from 14 August 2018.

(Source: Dainik Bhaskar app/Screenshot)

The news was also carried by Jansatta, the Hindi subsidiary of The Indian Express group, attributing the Dainik Bhaskar's report.

EXPLAINED: INDIA-NEPAL BORDER DISPUTE

India and Nepal border dispute involves a 338 square km strip located at the trijunction between India, Nepal, and China and the three areas of interest in this trijunction are Limpiyadhura pass, Lipulekh, and Kalapani.

Clearly, a news from 2018 is being falsely shared now with the claim that Nepal has occupied India's land.

(With inputs from SM Hoax Slayer.)

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