Fact Check: Picture Of Manipur BJP Leader And His Son Going Viral With False Claim
The viral picture of Manipur BJP leader Chidanand Singh and his son is being shared with a false claim about their involvement in the viral video case. The police have taken action against the spread of fake posts related to this matter.
- By: Sharad Prakash Asthana
- Published: Jul 26, 2023 at 01:30 PM
New Delhi Vishvas News – Several posts are circulating on social media after a gruesome video of the mob lynching of women in Manipur went viral. One of these posts includes a picture in which two men can be seen wearing the uniform of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and some users are falsely claiming that the person seen in the picture is one of the accused in the viral video case.
However, after conducting an investigation, Vishvas News found that the viral picture is not of any accused in the Manipur video incident. Instead, the picture shows Manipur BJP Vice President Chidanand Singh and his son. The Manipur Police has registered a case in response to this matter, citing the intention of spreading propaganda.
What’s going viral?
The viral post originated from a Twitter user named ‘Hashim Salam,’ (Archive) who shared the image on July 23 with the caption, “The accused are from Manipur. You can easily identify them by their clothes, no confusion.”
Vishvas News Investigation:
To verify the authenticity of the picture, a Google reverse image search was conducted. Former MP and CPI(M) Politburo member Subhashini Ali also tweeted the image on July 23, attributing it to the accused in the Manipur viral video case. However, he later apologised for sharing the incorrect post and clarified his mistake on July 24.
Further investigation revealed that the picture was posted on the Facebook profile of Manipur BJP Vice President Chidanand Singh on October 17, 2022. It was associated with an event by RSS Imphal District Path Movement, in which Chidanand Singh, his son and nephew participated.
Chidanand Singh also addressed the issue on his Twitter handle, denying any involvement in the alleged crime and expressing his disappointment at the misuse of his and his son’s photograph. Chidanand Singh stated that the picture is of him and his son, and he has filed a complaint with the police, leading to the registration of the case.
“Shame Shame….I am Chidananda Singh here , U can’t get ur objectives to malign image of RSS n my family by using photo of myself n my son. I n my family never involved such heinous crime. What a foolish act,” Chidanand Singh wrote in his tweet.
The Manipur Police registered an FIR against unknown individuals for making the picture go viral and spreading false claims about Chidanand Singh and his son’s involvement in the harassment of two women on May 4. As per their tweet, the police are actively investigating the case to identify and apprehend the culprits responsible for spreading false information.
“*FIR registered for spreading false news: On 23.07.2023, Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS), Manipur received a report from a functionary of a political party that a picture of him and his son collaged with a screenshot of the viral video of two women paraded, along with a caption that they were directly involved in the crime was uploaded in various social media platform,” the Manipur Police tweeted.
“A case is taken up at CCPS for spreading false news with intent to cause injury, damage to his reputation and create serious breach of law and order. Attempt is made to identify and arrest the culprits,” it added.
In the Manipur viral video case, the police had already arrested five accused till July 23, and the court has sent the accused to 11 days of police remand in connection with the viral video case.
Finally, an analysis of the Twitter user who shared the image with the false claim revealed that the user joined the platform in August 2022 and is influenced by a specific ideology.
It’s worth noting that in the past, another viral post related to Manipur violence claimed the arrest of the main accused named Abdul Khan. However, the investigation by Vishvas News revealed that a person named Abdul was indeed arrested but in an unrelated case, having no connection to the viral video incident.
Conclusion: The viral picture of Manipur BJP leader Chidanand Singh and his son is being shared with a false claim about their involvement in the viral video case. The police have taken action against the spread of fake posts related to this matter.
- Claim Review : The accused are from Manipur. You can easily identify them by their clothes
- Claimed By : Twitter user 'Hashim Salam
- Fact Check : False
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