Man wearing saree has nothing to do with anti-Brahmin graffiti in JNU
Social Media users are sharing photos of a man wearing sarees and accusing him of being the face of the anti-Brahmin protest at Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU).
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 6 Dec 2022 6:30 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Social Media users are sharing photos of a man wearing sarees and accusing him of being the face of the anti-Brahmin protest at Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU).
The claim comes after several photos surfaced online showing JNU buildings defaced with anti-Brahmin graffiti. Some of the slogans read "Brahmins leave the campus", "there will be blood", "Brahmin Bharat chhodo", and "Brahmins-Baniyas, we are coming for you. We will avenge."
A Facebook user shared the photo of the man and wrote, "This is the category of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University which has problems with Brahmins and Baniyas."
Click here to see the post.
An Instagram user shared another photo of the man and claimed the same.
Click here to see the post.
Fact Check
NewsMeter performed a reverse image search of the photos and found it used in an article by India.com. The article identifies the man as Puspak Sen, and it said that the photo shows him walking in Saree on the street of Milan.
Further, we searched about Pushpak Sen and came across his interview with The Telegraph. In the interview, Sen identifying himself as a non-binary person said, "I think my clothes go beyond my sexuality or my gender. I think it's irrelevant to the conversation about my orientation. I was always non-binary, if I may say so. I don't believe in labels and I have always known that in my consciousness."
We also checked Sen's Instagram profile and found most of his photos in Saree. We found both the viral photos posted on his account on 22 May 2022 and 11 December 2021.
According to Sen's Linkedin profile, he has never been associated with JNU in any capacity. He holds a Master's degree in Fashion Marketing and Communication from Polimoda, an Italy-based fashion school. He is currently working as a celebrity styling and influencer marketing manager at a foreign agency.
As per the media reports, a probe has been ordered by JNU Administration, and those who are responsible for the defacement of walls with anti-Brahmin slogans in the university have still not been identified.
NewsMeter reached out to Pushpak Sen, and he said, "I have never set foot in JNU. I don't even know what the place looks like. I am a proud alumnus of Asutosh College, the University of Calcutta and Polimoda in Italy. I don't support any genocidal statements."
We conclude that viral photos do not show the man responsible for the anti-Brahmin controversy at JNU. Hence, the claim is false.
