Anti-CAA image
Himanta Biswa Sarma shares image of anti-CAA and pro-CAA rally in Dhemajhi. Image credit - Twitter

BJP leader and Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s attempt to ‘mislead’ the people regarding mass support to the anti-CAA protest at Dhemaji with a ‘cropped image’ has been exposed by Alt News.

AltNews.in, an Indian fact-checking website, proved the image of the Dhemaji gathering by anti-CAA protestors, shared by finance minister Sarma on his Twitter handle as ‘misleading’ by comparing with pictures taken in different angles.

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The fact-checking website also shared video to prove their point.

Also read: Assam: Ruling BJP, allies take out ‘unity rally’ at Dhemaji

BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 10 tweeted an image where a crowd gathered at an anti-CAA rally in Dhemaji was compared with the one at a pro-CAA rally in the district.

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Also read: Assam: Over one lakh protesters raise voice against CAA in Dhemaji

While the BJP organized a pro-CAA rally in Dhemaji on January 8, 2020, the AASU initiated an anti-CAA rally in the district the next day where people participated in large numbers.

While tweeting the image, Sarma said: “here are 2 Dhemaji pictures that sum up the mood in Assam. Need I say more?”

Through the image, Sarma tried to portray that he attended a pro-CAA rally which had a much larger gathering.

But the reality was something else.

“Alt News found that the image of the anti-CAA protest organized in Dhemaji is misleading,” the AltNews.in report said.

Here are also pictures of the anti-CAA rally tweeted by AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi.

The report also said a video of the rally organized by All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on January 9, 2020 and shared by Assam journalist Atanu Bhuyan, “clearly depicts that the picture used in the comparison by Sarma shows a smaller crowd than in reality.”

The report further said: “In conclusion, Himanta Biswa Sarma misleadingly compared a cropped image of an anti-CAA rally with a pro-CAA rally to portray mass support for the newly enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019.”

Reacting to the claim, Himanta Biswa Sarma’s office tweeted, “The #Dhemaji pic by Dr @himantabiswa is NOT CROPPED, but is a screenshot from the said video, along with AASU’s stage – can they deny! This is an honest and right portrayal of sentiment in Assam. We stand by the said Tweet. Stop rumours.”