An image showing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar standing on a stage which has the colours of the Indian flag is viral on WhatsApp.
However, we found that the image has been morphed and it actually shows Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav standing on the podium, while addressing a rally at Jehanabad in Bihar.
CLAIM
The viral image shows Nitish Kumar standing on an elevation which has the colours of Indian flag. A banner can also be seen behind the said leader which has his photo and the details of a JD(U) programme that was held in January.
The Quint received multiple queries on the claim being made in the viral image on its WhatsApp tipline.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
We searched on Twitter with relevant keywords and came across a tweet that showed Yadav standing on the stage and the image also had a logo of ‘Bihar Live 7’.
A search on the YouTube handle of ‘Bihar Live 7’ led us to a video uploaded on Wednesday, 21 October, that mentioned that it is from Yadav’s Jehanabad rally.
Further, we searched on YouTube using keywords: “तेजस्वी यादव जहानाबाद” (Translated: Tejashwi Yadav Jehanabad) and found a live stream of the said programme on RJD’s official YouTube handle.
We noticed that Yadav was standing on a tricoloured elevation.
Further, since the angle of the viral image and the live stream is different, we compared the two visuals to establish similarities.
We noticed that the two men standing on the right of Tejashwi Yadav are same as that in the viral image.
Further, we also noticed that the man standing behind Yadav is the same in both the cases. In both the visuals, he can be seen donning a red-yellow tilak.
Also, the man standing to the left of Tejashwi Yadav is also the same in both the cases. Even a security personnel can be seen next to the said man in both the visuals.
Further, the banner behind Nitish Kumar seen in the viral image is from JD(U)‘s orientation programme held from 22-23 January this year. A News18 Hindi article had carried the image of the banner mentioning about the training programme.
However, no such banner can be seen in Tejashwi Yadav’s rally at Jehanabad.
We also got in touch with a local reporter who confirmed to us that the viral image is actually from Tejashwi Yadav’s Jehanabad rally and his face has been replaced with Nitish Kumar's face.
Evidently, not just the face but even the banner behind the leader has been put to falsely portray that the image is from Nitish Kumar’s programme.
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