Old Pics of Anti-Modi Protests Falsely Linked to PM's Recent US Visit
One image dates back to 2014, the other is from 2019 and the third one could be traced back to 2019 at least.
advertisement
A set of images showing anti-Prime Minister Narendra Modi placards is being widely shared on social media claiming that they show how he was recently welcomed in the United States of America.
PM Modi's three-day US visit concluded on Sunday, 26 September, with him addressing the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), attending the Quad Summit and other bilateral engagements.
However, we found that these are old images with one dating back to 2014, the other is from 2019 and the third one could be traced back to 2019 at least.
CLAIM
The images show people raising anti-PM Modi posters with users sharing them with the caption: "Modi ji swagat USA mein. (sic)" (Translated: Modi ji being welcomed in USA).
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
We found that all the image are old. Let's look at them one by one.
IMAGE 1
On performing a Google reverse image search on the viral image, we came across a tweet from September 2019 that suggested that image could be from PM Modi's visit to Houston, USA.
A 2019 tweet suggested that the image could be from PM Modi's visit to Houston.
(Source: Twitter/ Screenshot)
Author Suchitra Vijayan, too, had shared the image in 2019 claiming that it is from the #AdiosModi protest held in Houston.
Further, we came across a video uploaded on YouTube by The Wire on 24 September 2019 with the caption: 'Modi's Houston Visit: Indian-American Coalition Protests Against Modi & Trump.'
In this video, the same placard as seen in the viral image can be spotted at 01:09 minutes.
In a 2019 video uploaded by The Wire, the viral poster can be seen.
(Source: YouTube/ Screenshot)
In 2019, as PM Narendra Modi had addressed the Indian diaspora at the ‘Howdy, Modi’ mega event in Houston, Texas, thousands of people had gathered outside the venue, in protest.
IMAGE 2
A Google reverse image search on the viral image led us to an article published in 2014 that carried the visual and the URL linked it to the Madison Square Garden event held in New York when PM Modi had addressed the Indian community.
A 2014 article carried the viral image.
(Source: Website/ Screenshot)
Taking a cue from here, we searched on Google with relevant keywords and found an article published by The Washington Post in September 2014 that carried a similar visual.
People protested across the street from Madison Square Garden.
(Source: The Washington Post/ Screenshot)
Visual of protesters holding a demonstration in 2014 in New York.
Visual of protesters holding a demonstration in 2014 in New York.
IMAGE 3
With the help of a Google reverse image search, we found a Facebook post shared in September 2019 that carried the viral image.
A Facebook post shared in 2019 had carried the viral image.
(Source: Facebook/ Screenshot)
While we haven't been able to independently verify the location and when the image was captured, but it is a two-year-old image at least.
Clearly, the images that are being shared are old and not related to the prime minister's recent visit to the US. However, it is true that dozens of Indian-Americans had gathered at a park in front of the White House, to stage a protest against PM Modi's US visit, Al Jazeera reported on 24 September.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)