Right-wing news website Swarajya and news portal News Track Live ran articles claiming that Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan had said he would 'take jalsamadhi' if he was not invited for the Bhumi Pujan of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 5, 2020.
BOOM found that the statement was not made by the SP leader but his namesake who also happens to be the national president of Muslim Karsevak Manch. The body has been a vocal supporter of construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Khan's statement comes ahead of the foundation laying ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. According to news reports Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the temple on August 5.
Also read Claims Of Ayodhya Being Painted Saffron Ahead Of August 5 Are False
"Jalsamadhi" means water-burial or water entombment and is considered by Hindus as one of three ways of disposing bodies. In this case, it is a reference to voluntarily immersing oneself in water.
"Will Take 'Jal Samadhi' If Not Invited To Bhoomi Pujan Of Ram Mandir: SP Leader Azam Khan Turns 'Ram Bhakt'", the Swarajya article's headline read.
The News Track Live article stated in the lede 'Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Azam Khan has made a big statement. He said that if he is not called in Bhoomi Pujan, he will take water-tomb'.
Both the articles carried photos of SP leader Azam Khan as featured image.
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra had also shared the News Track Live article from his official Twitter handle.
Patra later shared another tweet with a revised article by News Track Live.
In his tweet in Hindi, Patra says 'I think this agency has published the wrong Azam Khan's news...that's why I thought that this Azam Khan is concerned only with corruption...when did he become a devotee of Lord Ram?'
(Hindi: लगता है इस एजेन्सी ने ग़लत आज़म खान की ख़बर छाप रखी है ..वही मैं कहूँ की इस आज़म खान का तो सरोकार केवल भ्रष्टाचार से है ..ये भगवान राम के भक्त कब हो गए?
Several Facebook users also fell for the misreporting by News Track Live and shared the piece of news as authentic.
Fact Check
BOOM did a keyword search with terms "Azam Khan jalsamadhi" and came across several articles about the Muslim Karsevak Manch national president who goes by the name Kunwar Mohammed Azam Khan.
Khan had on July 25 stated that he would commit "jalsamadhi" if he is not invited to the Bhumi Pujan Divas on August 5.
Articles by News18, and Aaj Tak ran stories on Khan's comment, and carried his image as well. The image shared in the news report clearly shows that this is not the Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.
Both Swarajya and News track Live later edited their story and headline to rectify the mistake but without issuing any clarification in the edited version.
BOOM also came across Khan's website and saw several newspaper articles wherein his devotion for Lord Ram is mentioned.