Two images of a protest by members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Delhi against various government policies are being shared on WhatsApp and social media with a false claim that the party protested against the Indian Army following clashes with Chinese troops in the Galwan valley in Eastern Ladakh on Monday night.
Twenty Indian soldiers including a commanding officer lost their lives after a major escalation of border tensions between the Indian and Chinese troops at the Line of Actual Control in Galwan valley, Ladakh. Chinese troops are reported to have suffered casualties as well, although the exact number of deaths is unclear at this point.
Also Read: 20 Indian Soldiers Killed In India-China Clash In Galwan Valley
The images of the CPI (M)'s protests are being circulated as a CPI (M) rally for retaliation against the Chinese soldiers' death.
A viral message on Whatsapp is being shared with the caption that states that 'After Chinese soldiers were shot by the Indian Army, Communist Party of India leaders rallied against the army in Delhi. Sitaram Yechury, Vrinda Karat, Prakash Karat etc. These people committed the Palghar massacre!'
The images are being shared on Facebook with a similar caption that reads, 'Communist party of India's communist party of India took a rally in Delhi against the army after the Indian army destroyed the 5 Soldiers of China. Sitaram Century, Vrunda Karat, Prakash Karat etc.' An archive of the post is available here.
Here's a similar Facebook post. An archive of the post is available here.
An archive of the post is available here.
Fact Check
BOOM checked the official twitter handle of the CPI (M) which had the same images. The images shared are actually from the CPI (M) protest against various government policies on June 16.
The photos were tagged with the caption 'All India Protest against Modi govt's anti-people policies. #PeopleProtestModiGovt.'
The CPI(M) had held nationwide protests on Tuesday, June 16, to raise these key demands according to a report in The Hindu — immediate cash transfer, free distribution of food, re-evaluate the scope of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and to stop the dilution of labour laws.
Other publications who had covered the protest include The Week and The Telegraph.
A close-up on Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the CPI (M)'s poster shows the text 'immediately pay Rs 7500 for three months to all outside the income tax bracket.' This is in sync with The Hindu article that states that one of the points of protests was trying to find a solution to the '15 crore people who had lost their jobs during the extended lockdown and many were going hungry'
If you zoom in on Brinda Karat's poster, it reads 'provide free 10kgs foodgrains per month for six months to all needy individuals.'
Sitaram Yechury put out a statement in a tweet expressing his condolences towards the families of the Indian soldiers and the officer who lost their lives.