Viral image of Priyanka Gandhi wearing a cross has been digitally altered

The verdict—FAKE: This image is digitally altered; the original 2017 photo shows Priyanka Gandhi with an oval pendant, not a cross, in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh.

What is the claim?

A collage of two photos of Priyanka Gandhi, general secretary of the Indian National Congress, is circulating widely, implying that she intentionally wore different religious symbols in various regions to appease voters during election season.

Gandhi is making her electoral debut in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, where voting in the by-election is set for Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

The first photo shows Gandhi wearing a 'Rudraksha' chain—prayer beads used in Hinduism. The image is labeled as "Kashi" (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh), a city considered holy by Hindus. The second photo shows her wearing a Christian cross and is labeled as "Kerala."

An X (formerly Twitter) user shared this collage with the caption, "How to fool Hindus? Look here 👇🏼." As of writing, the post had garnered over 196,000 views and more than 15,000 likes. Archived versions of similar posts can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

Screenshot of similar claims posted on social media.

What are the facts?

The viral image of Gandhi wearing a Christian cross has been digitally altered. The cross does not appear in the original photo, which was taken in 2017 in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh.

Photo with cross

A reverse image search revealed the uncropped version of the viral photo, published in an NDTV report on February 18, 2017. The caption read, "UP elections 2017: Priyanka Gandhi made her first public appearance in Raebareli on Friday." In this version, Gandhi is wearing a chain with an oval-shaped silver pendant, not a cross. The original photo also includes people standing behind a wooden fence, which is cropped out in the viral image

Comparison of the original photo from 2017 and the viral photo.

Getty Images also published the same photo, credited to photographer Sanjay Kanojia/AFP. It was taken during a rally supporting Congress candidates in Rae Bareli on February 17, 2017. Other news outlets, including BBC Tamil, National Herald, The National, and The Economic Times, also published this version of the image.

Photo with 'Rudraksha'

A reverse image search led to multiple videos, including one by ABP News (archived here) on March 20, 2019. In it, Gandhi is seen wearing the same 'Rudraksha' prayer beads while speaking at an event in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. 

The video, titled "Priyanka Gandhi Appeals Congress Supporters To Maintain Discipline," shows Gandhi at timestamps 0:38 and 1:25. Additionally, Getty Images published similar photos of Gandhi wearing 'Rudraksha' beads during a visit to Varanasi in March 2019.

The verdict

The photo of Priyanka Gandhi wearing a Christian cross has been digitally altered. The original photo, taken in February 2017 in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, has been misattributed as being from Kerala. The image with the 'Rudraksha' beads is authentic and was taken in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, in 2019.

DISCLAIMER: This story was originally published by Logically Facts and republished by Deccan Herald as part of the Shakti Collective.