An image purported to show Delhi's Shaheen Bagh protesters are bribed with Rs 500 a day for participating in the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests is morphed.
The image shows a group of women and children standing in front of a closed shop. A banner, with the text "Fix Rate Rs. 500/ Day. 7 pm to 12 pm Shaheen Bagh" can be seen stuck on the shutter. BOOM found that the banner has been edited to include the above text.
The morphed image is doing the rounds on Facebook with the caption, "Our fixed rate is RS 500/ from 7 pm to 12 o'clock night, no bargaining and over and above this we offer some extra services as per services asked for price depends on services ( don't misunderstand extra services that includes abusing to modi by children, and singing poems, etc and other desirous services on demand."
Also Read: Anti-CAA Protest Poster Calling For Hijab Or Burqa Dress Code Is Photoshopped
Shaheen Bagh, a South Delhi neighbourhood, is witnessing a unique sit in anti-CAA, NRC and NPR protest with women and children in the forefront. The agitation began on December 15, 2019, after Delhi Police cracked down on Jamia Millia Islamia students who were opposing the new citizenship law. Led by mostly Muslim women, it is the longest ongoing continuous protest against the CAA.
The same image was sent to BOOM's WhatsApp helpline number (7700906111) for verification.
Fact Check
BOOM ran a reverse image search and found that the original image had no such text which implied that protesters were bribed for showing solidarity to the anti-CAA demonstrations.
In the original image, the text in the banner reads, "CAA and NRC should be withdrawn" (Original text in Hindi: CAA वापस लो NRC वापस लो)
The photograph was taken at the ongoing protests of Shaheen Bagh on January 7, 2020. The image was published on Huffington Post India and was originally clicked by AFP's Money Sharma for Getty Images.
Original image was clicked by AFP's staff Money Singh
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Recently, multiple verified handles of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Amit Malviya, in charge of BJP's information and technology, tweeted a video, to claim that protesters of Shaheen Bagh are paid an amount for turning up at the demonstration. BOOM could not independently verify the claim.