Fact Check: TRSV organises widows’ conference, features KTR on Hyderabad metro pillar ad? No, image is edited
An image of an advertisement board on a Hyderabad metro pillar, claiming to announce a widows’ conference organised by Telangana Rashtra Samithi Vidyarthi with photos of KTR and KCR, has gone viral.
By M Ramesh Naik
Claim:The image shows an advertisement board on a Hyderabad metro pillar displaying Telugu text: “Widows’ conference, Parade Grounds, Secunderabad, TRSV.” It features images of party leaders KTR and KCR.
Fact:The claim is false. The image has been edited.
Hyderabad: Media related to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders, K Chandrashekar Rao and KT Rama Rao, has gone viral: a viral image features an advertisement board on a metro pillar with Telugu text and photos of KTR and KCR, and a video of KTR speaking at an event with a pink-themed background.
In the video, KTR can be seen joking about how a poster about the ongoing Miss World competition in Hyderabad has prominently featured photos of members of the Telangana State Cabinet. The image on the metro wall plays after the video, where Telugu text ‘spiritual gathering of widows at Parade Ground, Secunderabad’ is featured. According to the poster, the gathering is being organised by TRSV (Telangana Rashtra Samithi Vidyarthi).
Another Telugu text overlaid on the video reads, “Who is the widow here? You or your dad?” The text was meant to poke fun at KTR for the joke he made on Congress.
An X user shared the video and wrote, “He wanted to make others laugh, but in the end, he becomes laughter.” (Translated from Telugu) (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The advertisement board in the viral image has been edited, with the text and images of KTR and KCR digitally added over the original ad board.
Upon examining the viral image, the advertisement on the metro pillar appeared suspicious. The text and images of KTR and KCR showed slight misalignment, with uneven edges around the text box and inconsistent lighting, suggesting digital manipulation.
A reverse image search led us to the original photo on The Media Ant, a media advertising website, under the listing for metro pillar advertising in DSNR, Hyderabad. The original image showed an AECC ad board on the same metro pillar, with identical surroundings, including the pillar’s design and nearby elements such as the bikes and bus.
A comparison of the two images revealed that the viral image had been altered to include the TRSV advertisement, while the original from The Media Ant showed no such content.
We did not find any credible news reports or official announcements about any ‘widows’ conference’ organised by TRSV at Parade Grounds, Secunderabad.
Therefore, NewsMeter concludes that the viral claim is false. The image was edited to include the text and photos of KTR and KCR, falsely suggesting an event by TRSV.
