Fact Check: PM Modi Did Not Share ‘All Eyes On PoK’ On His Instagram Story

Following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza‘s refugee camp of Rafah, causing the death of at least 45 individuals, global condemnation targeted the Netanyahu government. Concurrently, social media witnessed a viral image reading ‘All Eyes On Rafah’ in support of the victims of the airstrike. The trend gained traction among users worldwide, with several Indian celebrities facing a backlash for sharing the image.

Amidst this backdrop, a screenshot emerged purporting to show Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharing the words ‘All Eyes on PoK‘ on his Instagram story. However, a fact-check by Newschecker revealed that the screenshot was manipulated, and there is no substantial evidence to suggest that the PM posted such a story.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) eyeing its third term, key party leaders have advocated for the integration of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) with India if they secure power. Home Minister Amit Shah affirmed in a recent rally that PoK is an integral part of India and vowed to reclaim it. BJP Chief Ministers of several states have echoed similar sentiments about the integration of PoK with India in the envisioned Modi 3.0.

A thorough search of the Prime Minister’s social media accounts failed to locate the alleged image. Additionally, scrutiny of the alleged Instagram story posted by PM Modi revealed that the template had been used extensively on the platform, with no distinct references to any ‘All Eyes On PoK’ image.

There are no credible news reports to substantiate the claim of PM Modi posting the ‘All Eyes on PoK’ image on social media. Such an action would likely have triggered significant reactions from political opponents and prominent media outlets, further corroborating the lack of authenticity of the viral image.

While the specific post by PM Modi remains unverified, a popular YouTuber, Elvish Yadav, made headlines by sharing an image titled ‘All Eyes on PoK’ as a counter-narrative to the ‘All Eyes On Rafah’ trend. Yadav, known for his vocal stance on Hinduism, expressed his stance by sharing a similar template to oppose the Gaza-focused trend.

Examining the origins of the viral image, it was traced back to social media posts by meme handles, with several users adapting the template to create fabricated screen grabs supposedly shared by political figures. The trend of distorting the ‘All Eyes On Rafah’ template extended to various topics beyond the original intent, further highlighting the prevalence of such manipulative practices on online platforms.