On May 5, after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) objected as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen attending the wedding of his Nepali friend and former CNN correspondent Sumnima Udas, Congress tried to pass off an 11-year-old photograph of him with Bhutanese Kings as a recent one. Uttarakhand Youth Congress, AICC member Ashok Basoya and others shared the photograph.
The Nepal trip had come under controversy after Rahul Gandhi was seen partying with an unknown woman in Nepal. Since then, Congress has gone out of its way to prove that he was really in Nepal attending the wedding of Sumnima Udas and it was not one of his clandestine trips.
Basoya wrote, “One more for Bhakts.”
Uttarakhand Youth Congress wrote, “Take the photograph of the king as well.”
Madhya Pradesh Congress Sevadal said, “Shri Rahul Gandhi at her friend’s wedding in Nepal.”
Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee member Shailendra Singh Bhadoria said, “No one is able to meet eyes with him.”
Rahul Gandhi’s photograph is 11 years old
The photograph, however, turned out to be 11 years old. It was shared by several media houses in 2011. Similar photographs from the same day are available on the stock image website since October 2011.
In a report from October 15, 2011, Hindustan Times used the photograph and described it as “AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and MoS Jyotiraditya Scindia with former King of Bhutan Jigme Dorji Wangchuck during the wedding reception of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk and Queen Jetsun Pema at the Chang Lime Thang Stadium at Thimpu.” Rahul Gandhi was in Bhutan to attend the wedding reception.
As one can see, Jyotiraditya Scindia is also in the photograph. Scindia left Congress in March 2020 and joined BJP. He is currently serving as Minister of Civil Aviation. The photograph was clicked by Adrees Latif for Reuters.
The same image has been available on the stock image website Alamy since October 2011. The website described the image as “The fourth, and former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck (R) watches his son King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his Queen Jetsun Pema (not in picture) take part in their wedding celebrations at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu October 15, 2011. Standing with King Wangchuck are his wives, India’s Rahul Gandhi (C), Jyotiraditya Scindia, India’s Minister of State for Ministry of Commerce and Industry and his wife Priyadarshini Scindia (L).”
Netizens pointed out the blunder
Several netizens pointed out that the image was old. Twitter user Hawk-Eye said, “They are amazing! Aren’t they? After Tehseen Poonahwala and ilk said Nepali Singer is LOD lady, now another fake post by Ashok basoya INC sharing 11yrs old pic of Bhutan royal wedding whr Jyotiraditya Scindia can also be seen as Nepal wedding pic.”
They are amazing! Aren’t they?
— The Hawk Eye (@thehawkeyex) May 4, 2022
After @tehseenp & ilk said Nepali Singer is LOD lady, now another fake post by @ashokbasoya
INC sharing 11yrs old pic of Bhutan royal wedding whr Jyotiraditya Scindia can also be seen as Nepal wedding pic😂
Fact check by @AnjaliS98205284 kudos 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zxFNazIJte
National Spokesperson of JJP Prateek Som said, “Is this an old pic as the other gentlemen on the left looks like Jyotiradha Scindia.”
Is this an old pic as the other gentlemen on the left looks like Jyotiradha Scindia
— Prateek som (@Prateeksom2) May 4, 2022
Earlier, Congress party supporter and Robert Vadra’s brother in law Tehseen Poonahwala had lied about the woman who was seen with Rahul Gandhi in the party. In a tweet, he shared two images of a Nepali woman appearing with both Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Modi. He claimed that the woman seen in two separate photographs with the Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi is the same woman who was also seen with Rahul Gandhi in the pub. Despite differences between the woman in the photographs and the woman in the pub with Rahul Gandhi, Poonawalla blatantly lied that it was the same woman.
However, the lady seen in the image shared by Tehseen Poonawalla is Nepali singer Saraswoti Khatri. The pictures which Tehseen Poonawalla shared claiming to be the same woman seen with Rahul Gandhi on Monday night in a pub were actually lifted from Saraswoti’s tweet. She herself had shared the photographs.
