A photo of a Sikh man carrying a condom packet in his upper-left side pocket is going viral on social media. Netizens are sharing the viral picture with a claim that the person in the photo is a farmer from the ongoing farmers’ protest.
A Twitter account by the name, Amrita Tiwari, tweeted the viral image with a caption that reads as: “जेब में आंदोलन के दस्ताबेज लेकर घूमता हुआ किसान.. पहली पिक में जिस जेब को हाइलाइट किया है, दूसरी पिक में उसी को जूम किया है। आप भी आंदोलन जीवियों का किसानी कानून देख लीजिए जो ये लोग अपने साथ लेकर चलते हैं … !!” (Archive)
(Translation – Farmer walking around with the documents related to the farmers’ movement in his pocket. The pocket highlighted in the first pick is zoomed in on the second photo. You can see the “farming law” that the protestors carry with them.)
Source: Twitter/Screenshot
Another user shared the same image with the caption; “Zoom करके देखो:- जेब में किसान आंदोलन की मांग लेकर घूमता हुआ एक गरीब किसान?!” Archive
(Translation – Zoom it! A poor farmer roaming around with the demand of a peasant movement in his pocket)
Source: Twitter/Screenshot
We found the image is viral on Facebook as well with a similar claim. Click here, here, here, and here to view more Facebook claims.
FactO Check:
After receiving several requests on our Whatsapp helpline number to verify the claim, we reverse searched the photo and the results directed us to an old report of The Tribune dated 18 August 2018. The report carries the viral photo, however, it can be seen the farmer isn’t carrying the condom packet in his kurta’s pocket.
Upon comparing the viral photo with the one published in the news report, we found that the photo was edited to mislead the people.
According to the report, the Sikh man in the viral photo is a former Akali minister Sucha Singh Langha who was expelled from the party on the allegations of rape, cheating, ransom, and criminal conspiracy after a video of him went viral on the Internet in a compromising position with a woman. The cases was registered under sections 376, 420, 384 and 506 of the IPC. Later, he was acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
We also found another report published by ‘Kaumimarg’ on May 3, 2021 using the original image. According to the report, the son of Sucha Singh Langah was arrested with possession of heroin during a police raid.
Source: Kaumimarg/Screenshot
Conclusion: It is evident from various reports that the viral photo is edited and has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protests. The viral claim is misleading and an attempt to discredit the farmers’ protest.