Fact-Check: No, Asif Aziz Did Not Donate Rs 5,000 Crore for Mosque in Ayodhya

Asif Aziz's representative told The Quint that the viral claim was "false and inaccurate."

The viral claim about Asif Aziz donating Rs 5,000 crore for the construction of a new mosque in Ayodhya is false.

(Source: Facebook/Altered by The Quint)

A claim which states that Asif Aziz, a Malawian billionaire based in London, has donated Rs 5,000 crore towards the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh is being widely shared on social media.

An archive of this post can be seen here.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

(Archives of more claims on social media can be seen here, here, and here.)

Is it true?: No, there is no credible information to support this claim.

• A representative for Asif Aziz confirmed to The Quint that the claim was "false and inaccurate."

How did we find out?: Using relevant keywords, we looked for information related to Aziz's involvement in the mosque's construction.

• We did not find any credible reports to corroborate the claim.

• However, we came across news reports, such as ones by The Evening Standard and the BBC, which mentioned that a part of London's Trocadero, an iconic landmark, would be converted into a mosque and community centre by Aziz Foundation.

Asif Aziz's foundation will work towards turning part of the Trocadero into a mosque and community centre.

• There was no mention of the billionaire donating money or supporting the construction of a mosque in India in any report.

• When The Quint reached out to Aziz Foundation over email to verify the claim, a representative wrote on behalf of Aziz, rubbishing the viral claim, calling them "false and inaccurate." 

"Mr Asif Aziz has not made any donations (or announcements) of Rs 5,000 crore towards the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya (India), nor has he been involved in its planning or funding in any capacity," they said, adding that the claims about "financial contribution to this project are completely unfounded."

Conclusion: The viral claim that London-based billionaire and entrepreneur Asif Aziz contributed a large sum of money towards to construction of a mosque in Ayodhya is false.

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