A social media post is being widely shared claiming that an advertisement on the front page of ‘Hindustan Times’ newspaper had content that said ‘PM Modi was missing’. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Advertisement in the Hindustan Times shows PM Modi missing.
Fact: The image in the post is an edited one where the advertisement on PM Modi missing was inserted. The original 07 May 2021 edition of the Hindustan Times e-paper, in which the claim was added, does not have the advertisement. In fact, the article titled, ‘Court a Public Space, Coverage Part of Freedom of Speech, says SC’ was in the place of this advertisement. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for the previous editions of Hindustan Times newspaper for any trace of advertisements on Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he was missing, we found none. However, we found out that the Hindustan Times e-paper published on 07 May 2021 was exactly like the image accompanying the post which was edited to insert the advertisement on the Prime Minister.
The advertisement was edited onto the original paper replacing the article titled ‘Court a Public Space, Coverage Part of Freedom of Speech, says SC’, making no changes to the other articles present on the front page of the newspaper.
Amidst the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of India and PM Modi have been facing criticism from opposition and the media. Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi had tweeted that PM Modi was missing along with vaccines and oxygen. The Outlook Magazine in its latest (dated: 24 May 2021) front cover used the headline ‘MISSING’, taking a shot at the Government of India and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To sum it up, morphed paper clip is being shared as advertisement of ‘PM Modi missing’ in the Hindustan Times newspaper.
