A photo of a purported advertisement banner of Amul was recently shared on social media, with users claiming that it featured cartoons depicting Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and mocked the Congress party. However, the PTI Fact Check Desk’s investigation found that an old advertisement by Amul was digitally altered to create the viral image, which was shared on social media with a false claim.
Claim
A Facebook user shared on December 17 a photo of a purported billboard ad by Amul, claiming that it featured Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to mock Congress party.
“Top class Advt with real meaning what happened and is happening,” read the caption of the post.
The Hindi text on the banner translated to: “Grandfather ate, grandmother ate, father ate, mother ate and sister you also eat and call brother-in-law.” It is used to take a dig at the Gandhi family insinuating the alleged corruption by the family members.
Here is the link and archive link to the post, and below is a screenshot of the same.
Investigation
The Desk ran the viral photo through Google Lens and found that several other users had shared the same photo with similar claims.
Two such posts can be seen here and here, and their archived versions can be viewed here and here, respectively.
In the next part of investigation, the Desk performed a customised keyword search and came across an advertisement shared by the company on its X (formerly Twitter) accounton January 24, 2019.
Back then, the company had actually run an ad regarding Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into mainstream politics when she was appointed as the general secretary of the Congress UP East. It featured cartoons of Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, but no slogan was mentioned on it.
Here is the link and archive link to Amul’s ad, and below is its screenshot.
Below is a combination image, comparing the photo in the viral clip with the photo in the news report.
Furthermore, we found that the same edited photo had gone viral in 2019 and the company had termed it “fake”.
“Dear Sir, It is a fake post. Amul has not released this Topical. The original topical is shared below”
Here is the link and archive link, and below is the screenshot of the same.
Subsequently, the Desk concluded that an old advertisement by Amul was digitally altered and shared on social media with a false claim.
Claim: Amul ad mocking Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Fact: A 2019 ad released by the company was digitally altered and used in the viral photo.
Conclusion: Multiple social media users shared a purported photo of an Amul billboard featuring cartoons of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and claimed that it mocked Congress party. In its investigation, the Desk found that an Amul ad, dating back to 2019, was digitally altered and shared on social media with a false claim.
(This story was originally published by Press Trust Of India, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)
