A viral photo claiming to show Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s portrait displayed prominently at New York’s Times Square has been making rounds on social media, with several Dravidianist media outlets like News 18 Tamil Nadu, IBC Tamil and Puthiya Thalaimurai sharing it as a grand welcome for him in the US. However, a reverse-image search and subsequent analysis by fact-checker Newschecker Tamil revealed that the photo is a doctored image, not an authentic display.
Upon investigating the viral photo, it was discovered that the image had been altered. A reverse-image search led to a similar Times Square photo found on The Clio, a reputable source. When compared with the viral photo, showed that the image of Chief Minister MK Stalin had been edited over existing advertisements of other companies.
Further research unearthed a 2015 photo from the Nantucket Preservation website featuring Times Square but with different advertisements. The analysis suggests that the original photo, likely taken during a New Year’s Ball Drop event at Times Square, had been digitally manipulated to include Stalin’s portrait.
This doctored image has been circulating online for several years, misleading many.
The evidence clearly indicates that the viral photo claiming to show MK Stalin’s image in Times Square is fabricated, and Dravidianist media outlets like News 18 Tamil Nadu, IBC Tamil, and Puthiya Thalaimurai have unfortunately contributed to spreading this misinformation.
Amplified By DMK Members
The fake post was shared by a DMK handle and amplified by DMK MLA and minister for industries TRB Rajaa.
Industries Minister and DMK IT Wing head Retweeting a fake image 🤦 pic.twitter.com/KtfoneAr4q
— Indhavaainko (இந்தாவாய்ங்கோ) 👊 (@indhavaainko) August 29, 2024
Abusive speaker, Sivaji Krishnamurthy also shared the fake news.
This fake news was also shared by Dravidianist handles as well as other party members of the INDI alliance.
முதலமைச்சர் முத்துவேல் கருணாநிதி ஸ்டாலினுக்கு
அமெரிக்காவின்
TIME SQUARE-ல் கொடுக்கப்பட்ட வரவேற்பு.#CMStalinInUS #stalininusa #mksInUsa pic.twitter.com/3nBooFV2sD— Siva Thennarasu (@SIVATHENNARASU) August 29, 2024
Don't be surprised to see Stalin's life size picture on New York's Times Square. Today the entire Indian diaspora is standing to welcome him because the one who has defeated Modi not once but three times in Tamil Nadu and who does not allow an inch of… pic.twitter.com/Y6uYpJZQmc
— Mr Vishal (@SimplyMeVishal) August 29, 2024
आज न्यूयॉर्क के टाइम स्क्वायर पर तमिलनाडु के मुख्यमंत्री श्री MK स्टालिन की आदम कद तस्वीर छाई हुई है।
भक्त ध्यान से देख लें। pic.twitter.com/zVo7a9HC3D
— I.P. Singh (@IPSinghSp) August 29, 2024
Some Dravidianists went one step further to post videos of Stalin speaking at Times Square!
ஸ்டாலின் அமெரிக்காவில் காலடி வைத்ததை அறிந்து,
இன்றைய மாலைப் பொழுதை ஆரவாரித்து மகிழ்வுடன் கொண்டாடிய அமெரிக்கர்கள் .#CMStalinInUS #அமெரிக்கா #ஸ்டாலின்📍Times Square, New York. pic.twitter.com/He0Uv9hCgC
— இரத்தினராசா /இரட்ணா (@RatnaKing20) August 28, 2024
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