Fact Check: Old photo of Priyanka Gandhi with Assam tea workers linked to Wayanad poll campaign
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tried her hand at tea picking at the Sadhuru Tea Garden in Assam in 2021.
By Sibahathulla Sakib Published on 28 Oct 2024 5:46 PM IST
Claim: The image shows Priyanka Gandhi with tea plantation workers in Wayanad.
Fact: This claim is false. The photo was taken during Gandhiās poll campaign in Assam in 2021.
Hyderabad: Priyanka Gandhi, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, filed her poll nomination on October 23 for the Wayanad seat, which was vacated by her brother, Rahul Gandhi.
The Wayanad Lok Sabha election is scheduled for November 13. The bypoll was necessitated after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi vacated the seat to keep his position in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. In his stead, the Congress party chose Priyanka Gandhi to contest for the Wayanad seat.
Amid reports of her campaign in Kerala, an image claiming to show Priyanka Gandhi with tea plantation workers in Wayanad has gone viral. A Facebook user has shared the image with the caption āVery Beautiful #Wayanadā. (Translated from Malayalam).
The photo shows Priyanka Gandhi with a basket on her back, secured by a band on her head, as she casually engages with the plantation workers.
Similar posts can be seen here and here.
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim was false. The photo was taken in Assam in 2021.
A reverse image search led to an X post from March 2, 2021, where the same photo was shared with similar others with the caption, āPicture of the Day!!! @priyankagandhi Plucking tea leaves with tea garden workers in Assam.ā
This indicated that the image was old.
Further, we found an article from The New Indian Express titled āPriyanka Gandhi tries hand at plucking tea leaves in Assam during the campaignā, dated March 2, 2021.
The report stated that the photo was taken at the Sadhuru Tea Garden in Biswanath district, Assam, during Priyankaās 2021 campaign there.
Another report from The Quint confirmed that the photo was taken during her visit to Assam.
During this trip, she interacted with locals and participated in cultural events, as highlighted in their article titled, āNot Promises But Guarantees: Priyanka Gandhi Begins Assam Campaignā published on March 2, 2021.
Additionally, the official Congress account on X shared photos of Priyanka from the same event in Assam on March 2, 2021, captioned, āSmt. @priyankagandhi joins tea workers at Sadhuru tea garden and tries her hand at plucking tea leaves.ā
Hence, the claim that Priyanka Gandhi was photographed with tea plantation workers in Wayanad is false. This image is from a poll campaign event in Assam in 2021.
