BJP leader and Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarmaโs attempt to โmisleadโ the people regarding mass support to the anti-CAA protest at Dhemaji with a โcropped 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 โmisleadingโ 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 โunity 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: โhere are 2 Dhemaji pictures that sum up the mood in Assam. Need I say more?โ
here are 2 Dhemaji pictures that sum up the mood in Assam. Need I say more?#AssamAlwaysAhead @narendramodi @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/xTJRW7RerG
โ Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 10, 2020
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.
โAlt 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.
??? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ???, ???? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ‘??????’ ?????????? ??? ?????? ????????โฆ. pic.twitter.com/UEePspOfty
โ Lurinjyoti Gogoi (@lurinjtgogoi) January 9, 2020
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, โclearly depicts that the picture used in the comparison by Sarma shows a smaller crowd than in reality.โ
Challenging BJPโs peace rally in Dhemaji yesterday, Jatiya Sangathans organised another rally in Dhemaji today. A sea of people spontaneously participated in the rally #CAAProtests pic.twitter.com/ekc68s4AsT
โ atanu bhuyan (@atanubhuyan) January 9, 2020
The report further said: โIn 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
#No #CAA
Today at #dhemaji pic.twitter.com/k1LJpJONfWโ Axom (@Axom31485293) January 9, 2020
Reacting to the claim, Himanta Biswa Sarmaโs office tweeted, โThe #Dhemaji pic by Dr @himantabiswa is NOT CROPPED, but is a screenshot from the said video, along with AASUโs 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
The #Dhemaji pic by Dr @himantabiswa is NOT CROPPED, but is a screenshot from the said video, along with AASU’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 OfficeofHBS (Assam) (@OfficeofHBS) January 12, 2020