Old image of RSS relief work in Uttarakhand is passed off as a recent one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 11, 2021
A post accompanying an image of RSS volunteers walking on hilly terrains with bags on shoulders is being widely shared on social media with a claim that the image shows relief work being carried by RSS volunteers in Uttarakhand in the wake of the latest glacier burst. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Images showing RSS volunteers relief work in Uttarakhand following the glacier burst.
Fact: The image actually shows relief work carried by RSS volunteers’ during the Uttarakhand floods back in 2013. An article and a couple of blogs shared the same image back in 2013 attributing it to RSS’s relief work during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a 2013 article by Samvada which published the same image. According to this article, the image shows relief material carried by RSS Swayamsevaks in Uttarakhand back in 2013 when the state was affected by floods. YouTube search with relevant keywords led us to a video report by Samvada dating back to 2013 which reported about relief works by RSS during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods.
Further search led us to a couple of blogs that shared the same image attributing it to RSS relief work in Uttarakhand in 2013. These blogs can be seen here and here. Also, RSS shared few images of their relief activities during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods on their official website. The presence of the image on the internet proves that the image is not related to RSS’s recent relief work in the wake of the glacier burst.
In the wake of the recent glacier burst in Uttarakhand, posts like these are being shared on social media with misleading claims.
To sum it up, an old image of RSS relief work is shared as a recent one linking it to Uttarakhand glacier burst.