Did Waqf Board Stake Its Claim to Maa Chandi Devi Temple in Chhattisgarh? No!

A member of the temple committee and the local administration confirmed to us that the viral claim is false.

Fact-Check | The viral social media claim is false.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A set of two images, which shows a green-coloured flag with a crescent moon and a star with 786 written on it, is being shared to claim that it was from inside a temple in Chhattisgarh.

What are users claiming?: Social media users have claimed that the Waqf Board is asserting their claim to Maa Chandi Devi Temple in Chattisgarh's Gunderdehi.

An archive of the post can be seen here.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

The post has gone extremely viral on the internet.

(Archives of such claims can be found here, here, and here.)

Several social media users have shared the post.

(Source: Facebook/Twitter/Screenshot)

Are these claims true?: While the flag can be seen inside the temple, the viral claim about Waqf Board staking claim is false.

• The Quint spoke to former MLA from Gunderdehi, Rajendra Kumar Rai, who refuted the viral claims and said that his ancestors built the temple.

"According to old beliefs, the sacred moon of the Muslim community was found in the local Ramsagar pond and my grandfather who was also the last zamindar, Nihal Singh, kept the moon in a box. It was then shifted to the temple and was covered with the green cloth. Since then, people from both religions have offered their prayers here.”

Rajendra Kumar Rai, former MLA, Gunderdehi

Temple's committee clarifies: A committee member, on the condition of anonymity, further confirmed that the viral claim is false.

• They said, "The flag is present inside the temple and has been there for years now. All the villagers are happy, and people from both communities live peacefully and celebrate festivals together."

What did the local administration say?: Speaking to The Quint, the administration said that there was no truth to the viral posts.

• They said the temple is known for its religious unity and that a complaint was also lodged against the social media posts.

News reports: A keyword search in Hindi led us to a report published on AmarUjala on 7 February.

• It mentioned that people worship the Hindu deity Chandi in the temple, where a green-coloured flag with the number '786' written on it can also be seen.

• The temple is around a hundred years old and people from both communities come together and offer their prayers to Maa Chandi Devi and Syed Baba.

• The report further quoted several local people saying that the viral claim is false and there are no communal tensions in Gunderdehi.

The report mentioned that the temple is a symbol of religious unity,

(Source: AmarUjala/Screenshot)

Media agency ANI had also posted pictures of the temple on their official Twitter handle on 9 February, mentioning that it is setting an example of brotherhood.

Conclusion: The viral claim stating that Waqf Board is staking its claim on the temple's property is false.

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