CLAIM
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Thursday, 21 February, claimed Union Minister for Tourism KJ Alphons took a selfie with a Pulwama martyr's coffin.
At 15.00 minutes in the following video, Surjewala can be heard saying:
"He took a selfie with the dead body of a shaheed. Can there be anything more shameful than this? This is the behaviour PM Modi and his ministers indulge in."
That's not all. On 16 February, after the martyr's funeral, Alphons faced a lot of flak for this photo, with people lashing out at him for taking a selfie, which he had posted on his Facebook with the caption: "The final rites of our brave jawan VV Vasanth Kumar, who lost his life in Pulwama terror attack, got over at his residence. It is because of the sacrifices of brave jawans like Vasanth Kumar that we are are safe today."
The post was deleted half an hour later. The Quint, however, accessed a screenshot of the same.
TRUE OR FALSE?
Well, Alphons never did take a selfie by the coffin, as claimed by Surjewala, and several sections of the media.
The Quint accessed two photos of the event, where Alphons is seen facing the camera. While in the first photo the angle makes it appear as though it might have been a selfie, in the second photo it is quite apparent that it is not a selfie as claimed, as both his hands are visible.
- 01/02(Photo: The Quint)
- 02/02(Photo: The Quint)
Speaking to The Quint, Alphons clarified:
“If you see the photo, it’s clear that it’s not a selfie. My hands are visible, and the fact is that I don’t even know how to take a selfie. I was there at the funeral for over eight hours, managing the crowd and helping out. There are a lot of shots of me from that day with the media.”
Media footage from the day too, which can be viewed here, shows Alphons managing the crowd at the funeral.
Further, the minister also took to Facebook on 17 February to clarify the fact that he never had taken any selfie as claimed by the media.
In his post, Alphons had written that as the son of a soldier himself, he understood the sacrifice made by the jawans for the country.
“There were many photographs on social media of me participating in the last rites of martyred CRPF jawan VV Vasantkumar. It was alleged that one of the photographs in the post was a selfie and it had created a controversy. The photograph in question was forwarded to my social media office by someone at the event who took a picture as I was moving ahead after paying my respects. If you look closely, you will realise it is not a selfie. I don’t take selfies, have never taken one. Many channels telecast the live videos of the funeral, things are clear from these videos too. What I want to tell those who are questioning my patriotism is that I have been working in the public sector in different departments for the last 40 years, with just one aim – development of the nation. I haven’t been particular about wanting a minister chair or collector post. I have worked in the slums of Delhi for a long time without any official post, for the welfare of the people in that area. My father was a soldier. Hence, I began to understand the sacrifice and greatness of their lives from childhood. The youth of this country should work towards nation building rather than create unnecessary controversies and play into the hands of politics.”
Meanwhile, according to a report in The Indian Express, the minister has also written to the DGP, requesting for legal action to be taken against the culprits who may have circulated a false narrative.
(Not convinced of a story you came across on social media and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9910181818 and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)