Anti-CAA image
Himanta Biswa Sarma shares image of anti-CAA and pro-CAA rally in Dhemajhi. Image credit - Twitter

BJP leader and Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarmaโ€™s attempt to โ€˜misleadโ€™ the people regarding mass support to the anti-CAA protest at Dhemaji with a โ€˜cropped imageโ€™ has been exposed by Alt News.

AltNews.in, an Indian fact-checking website, proved the image of the Dhemaji gathering by anti-CAA protestors, shared by finance minister Sarma on his Twitter handle as โ€˜misleadingโ€™ by comparing with pictures taken in different angles.

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The fact-checking website also shared video to prove their point.

Also read: Assam: Ruling BJP, allies take out โ€˜unity rallyโ€™ at Dhemaji

BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 10 tweeted an image where a crowd gathered at an anti-CAA rally in Dhemaji was compared with the one at a pro-CAA rally in the district.

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Also read: Assam: Over one lakh protesters raise voice against CAA in Dhemaji

While the BJP organized a pro-CAA rally in Dhemaji on January 8, 2020, the AASU initiated an anti-CAA rally in the district the next day where people participated in large numbers.

While tweeting the image, Sarma said: โ€œhere are 2 Dhemaji pictures that sum up the mood in Assam. Need I say more?โ€

Through the image, Sarma tried to portray that he attended a pro-CAA rally which had a much larger gathering.

But the reality was something else.

โ€œAlt News found that the image of the anti-CAA protest organized in Dhemaji is misleading,โ€ the AltNews.in report said.

Here are also pictures of the anti-CAA rally tweeted by AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi.

The report also said a video of the rally organized by All Assam Studentsโ€™ Union (AASU) on January 9, 2020 and shared by Assam journalist Atanu Bhuyan, โ€œclearly depicts that the picture used in the comparison by Sarma shows a smaller crowd than in reality.โ€

The report further said: โ€œIn conclusion, Himanta Biswa Sarma misleadingly compared a cropped image of an anti-CAA rally with a pro-CAA rally to portray mass support for the newly enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019.โ€

Reacting to the claim, Himanta Biswa Sarmaโ€™s office tweeted, โ€œThe #Dhemaji pic by Dr @himantabiswa is NOT CROPPED, but is a screenshot from the said video, along with AASUโ€™s stage โ€“ can they deny! This is an honest and right portrayal of sentiment in Assam. We stand by the said Tweet. Stop rumours.โ€