This story was originally published by NewsMeter, and republished by Probe as part of Shakti Collective
Claim: In the viral photo, Ambedkar’s picture is displayed in all the seats of Parliament in opposition to Union Minister Amit Shah.
Fact: The claim is false. Image is of Karnataka Legislative Assembly, not Parliament.
Hyderabad: During a debate in the Rajya Sabha on December 18, 2024, on the occasion of 75 years of the Indian Constitution, Union Home Minister Amit Shah created a controversy with his remarks. Shah said chanting the name of Dr BR Ambedkar has become a ‘fashion’ for the opposition. He says that if you take the name of Ram as much as Ambedkar, you will reach heaven. Intensifying the ongoing political debate, the statement is being criticized from various quarters.
In this context, a photo is going viral on social media claiming that Ambedkar’s photo has been installed in every seat of Parliament in New Delhi as a counter to Shah’s comments. A Facebook user shared the viral photo with the caption, ‘This is a photo of Dr BR Ambedkar, who was not allowed to sit inside the classroom in school, who was not found a home in Vadodara. Now he has sat in every seat in the Parliament.” (collection)
An X user shared the photo and wrote, “Big Breaking: Photo of Baba Saheb Ambedkar on every opposition bench in Rajya Sabha. Jai Bhima.” (Collection)
Similar claims can be found here, here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2, Archive 3)
Fact Check:
The Newsmeter found the claim to be false. The photo was taken in the Karnataka Assembly and not in the Parliament.
A reverse image search directed us to reports with similar images published in Hindustan Times, The News Minute and News Talk, December 19. According to these reports, Congress leaders placed pictures of Dr BR Ambedkar on the benches of the Karnataka Legislative Council on December 19, setting the stage for a stormy session. The move was a protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent comments on Ambedkar, which Congress members claimed insulted the architect of the Indian Constitution.
The official X account of Karnataka Congress also shared the same photos, Karnataka Congress MLAs and Ministers staged a protest in the state Legislative Assembly to condemn Amit Shah’s comments on Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Baba Saheb Ambedkar was appointed Union Home Minister @Amit Shah Condemning the statement, Congress MLAs and Ministers of Karnataka staged a protest holding Ambedkar’s portrait. After the protest, Ambedkar’s image was placed on the front tables of the members. pic.twitter.com/chSGgyDnW8
– Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) December 19, 2024
Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah He also shared a similar photo on his Instagram account. The post mentions that Ambedkar’s picture was placed in front of the seats of members of the ruling party and protest was held in the House.
Therefore, we conclude that the viral claim that Ambedkar’s photo has been placed on all the seats in Parliament is false.
This fact-checked story was originally published NewsMeter, as part of Shakti Collective. Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by The Probe staff.