Fake Picture of Rahul Gandhi ‘Meeting’ Pulwama Attacker Goes Viral
The claim is false, it is obvious that Dar’s face has been superimposed on to another person’s body in the picture.
CLAIM
A set of photos that have gone viral on Facebook claim that Congress President Rahul Gandhi had met Adil Ahmad Dar, the suicide bomber whose attack in Pulwama left 37 CRPF jawans dead on Thursday, 14 February.
The text along with the photos reads:
"भारतीय फौज पर हमला करने बाला नीकला राहुल गांधी का खास। क्या इस हमले के पीछे कांग्रेस का हाथ तो नहीं😢😢"
(Translated: Man behind the attack with killed Indian soldiers turns out be Rahul Gandhi's friend. Is Congress behind the attack?)
The photos have been shared by several accounts on Facebook with a similar caption.
TRUE OR FALSE
The claim is false – it is obvious that Dar's face has been superimposed on to another person's body in the picture.
Let us debunk each of the photos separately.
The first photo, where Dar's face has been morphed, is actually from Barabnki in Uttar Pradesh. The photo was taken on 28 February 2014, before the Lok Sabha elections that year.
The caption on the original photo, available on Getty Images, reads: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi after paying obeisance at the dargah of renowned sufi saint Haji Waris Ali Shah on February 28, 2014 in Barabanki, India. Rahul Gandhi formally kicked off his party’s campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with a road show. (Photo by Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The identity of the man next to Gandhi, on to whom the Dar's face has been superimposed, could not be ascertained.
The second photo is from the Congress' Iftar party in 2015, hosted by then party President Sonia Gandhi. The Iftar luncheon saw politicians from all Opposition parties. In this particular image, Gandhi is seen with the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah.
The third photo is of Dar's from the video that was released by the Jaish-e-Mohammed, asserting their responsibility for the attack.
(Not convinced of a story you came across on social media and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9910181818 and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)