HYDERABAD: An image of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi dressed in red clothes and holding a trident is viral on social media. Netizens are sharing the image and taking a dig at Gandhi's temple visits during an election campaign. Netizens are using this picture to mock Gandhi.
FACT CHECK:
The image is morphed.
NewsMeter performed a reverse image search and found a report by Jansatta that carries the original picture. Here, the red mark on Gandhi's forehead is not as long as seen in the viral picture nor is she holding a trident. In fact, her hands are not seen in the original picture.
According to Jansatta, the picture was taken at the Vindhyavasini Temple. Using this as a hint, NewsMeter searched online for more images and found several media outlets that carried the original image. Here too, the long red mark and trident are missing.
According to reports by the Hindustan Times, Deccan Herald, and Times of India, the picture was taken in March 2019 when Gandhi visited the Vindhyavasini Temple as part of her three-day election campaign in Uttar Pradesh. Her campaign for Congress involved visiting different temples.
Clearly, an edited photo of Priyanka Gandhi is being shared to take a dig at her.