A viral photo purportedly showing social activist Anna Hazare attending the first press conference of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is doctored and fake. BOOM found that Hazare was not present at the event and was digitally inserted into the original photograph.
The CJP held its first-ever press conference on June 3, 2026, introducing its three newly appointed spokespersons. During the briefing, the party demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and announced a protest at Jantar Mantar on June 6, 2026, on the arrival of its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, from the United States.
The Claim:
The photo is being shared on X with the claim that it shows Hazare at the CJP press meet, along with claims that he has joined the party.
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What We Found:
1) Original Photo
We checked photos posted by journalists on X who attended the CJP press conference, as well as the event’s live stream. Hazare does not appear in any of the original photos or live-stream from the press meet.
The original visuals only show the three CJP spokespersons standing there. This can be seen below:
2) AI Tools used to edit photo
We then used ChatGPT to digitally insert a photograph of Hazare into an original image from the CJP press conference. The resulting AI-generated image closely resembled the viral photo, indicating that the circulating image was likely created by digitally adding Hazare to the original photograph using AI-powered editing tools.
3) Hazare's statement on CJP
On May 24, 2026, Hazare in a statement to the press had backed the CJP stating that the government should encourage such youth participation rather than ignore it.
