An old photo of Malabar Gold & Diamonds showroom in Mumbai, was shared by right wing X users falsely claiming it shows customers boycotting the jewellery chain, after calls to boycott it online.
Kerala-based jewellery brand Malabar Gold & Diamonds has faced boycott calls from right-wing social media users ahead of Dhanteras and Diwali. The backlash began after the brand collaborated with Alishba Khalid, a London-based Pakistani influencer who had previously mocked India’s Operation Sindoor. In response, Malabar Gold & Diamonds moved the Bombay High Court seeking action against posts and videos on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google that linked the company to Pakistan.
The Claim: Photo shows Malabar gold showroom empty after #BoycottMalabarGold campaign
The viral photo was posted on X with the caption, "Looks like #BoycottMalabarGold actually worked their showrooms are empty. This is the unity of Hindus"
Click here to view an archive.
What We Found:
1) Photo from October 2022
We ran a reverse image search on Google Lens and found that same photo dates back to October 2022. We found the identical photo used in articles by jewellery and retail websites, including The Indian Retailer.
The headline of the article read, "Malabar Gold & Diamonds relaunches its Andheri showroom".
Click here to view.