Hyderabad: An image of a truck carrying Lord Ganesha idols is viral on social media. Users claim that the idols of Lord Ganesha are being carried in a garbage truck post-Ganesh Chaturthi. Users said this happened in Tamil Nadu.
Fact Check
The claim is False.
NewsMeter performed a Google Reverse Image Search, which led us to an image published on the website 'Gulte Desk' on September 08, 2021.
The report said the incident occurred in Andhra Pradesh.
The report has also shared a tweet by Anshul Saxena who shared a couple of pictures and a video of the incident on September 07, 2021.
Taking a cue from this, we performed a keyword search, which led us to a few reports by mainstream media including The Times of India and The New Indian Express, both published on September 08, 2021. According to the reports, the incident took place in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.
After the state government prohibited the setting up of pandals, police have been initiating action against artisans found selling huge Ganesh idols on the roadside.
Few artisans had put up stalls near the fever hospital at Gorantla road in Guntur city. Officials seized the idols and placed them on a tractor used for collecting garbage. A video of Hindu outfits urging GMC officials not to place idols in the truck went viral on social media.
It is therefore evident that the claim is False. The viral image was taken in Andhra Pradesh and not Tamil Nadu.