Fact Check: Rahul Gandhi swarmed by journalists outside Parliament? No, image is AI-generated
A photo claiming to show Rahul Gandhi surrounded by a large crowd of journalists and microphones outside the Parliament has gone viral.
By - M Ramesh Naik
Claim:The image shows Rahul Gandhi being mobbed by media personnel with microphones outside the Parliament. Those sharing the image are using it to take a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over press events.
Fact:The claim is false. The image is AI-generated and does not depict a real event.
Hyderabad: A photo purportedly showing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi surrounded by a crowd of journalists holding microphones outside the Parliament has gone viral on social media.
The image was shared on X on February 3 with a caption that reads, “Does anyone have a photo of Narendra Modi like this?” (Translated from Hindi) (Archive)
A similar post can be seen here. (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The viral image is AI-generated and does not show any real incident involving Rahul Gandhi.
Analysis of the image
A closer examination of the image reveals multiple indicators commonly associated with AI-generated visuals; the crowd density appears unnaturally compact, with little spatial variation between individuals. Several microphones display distorted or inconsistent media logos that do not match those used by established news organisations.
Additionally, the hands and fingers holding the microphones show minor anatomical irregularities, a frequent flaw in AI-generated images. Some microphone cables appear to blend unnaturally into surrounding objects, further raising doubts about the image’s authenticity.
To further verify, NewsMeter analysed the image using AI-detection tools such as Hive Moderation, which flagged the image as AI-generated with 90 per cent probability.
The viral image claiming to show Rahul Gandhi being swarmed by journalists outside Parliament is not genuine. It is an AI-generated image and does not capture any real incident.
Therefore, the claim is false.
