Edited news report used to claim human feces found near statue of Hindu deity in Canada

What is the claim?

An image of a news report circulating on social media claims that human feces were discovered near the statue of a Hindu deity in Brampton, Canada. The viral report, dated December 15, 2023, credits Denette Wilford as the author. Its headline asserts, “Numerous piles of human feces appear in the area around the Hindu god statue in Brampton.” The article supposedly originates from the Toronto Sun and features a prominent image of the Hindu deity Hanuman. The caption beneath the image claims, “Local Hindu priest says open defecation is an ancient Hindu custom.”

This report has been widely shared on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. One X post has garnered over 1,000 views, while a similar Facebook post has received 132 reactions and 13 shares. An archived version of the post can be accessed here.

Screenshot of the viral posts on X and Facebook. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

The viral image, however, does not depict an authentic headline. The Toronto Sun's news report was manipulated to present false information. The outlet has published no such report.

What did we find?

A reverse image search directed us to the original report from the Toronto Sun, dated December 15, 2023. A comparison between the viral news report and the authentic version confirmed that while the date, byline, and other details remained consistent, the headline had been altered to fabricate the false claim. The original headline of the report read, “Massive statue of Hindu god being built in Brampton.” This title was manipulated to wrongly suggest the discovery of human feces near a Hindu god statue in Brampton.

Additionally, the statement, “Local Hindu priest says open defecation is an ancient Hindu custom,” was digitally inserted into the edited version. The original report's initial line simply mentioned the construction of a Hindu deity's statue in Brampton.

A comparative image below highlights the discrepancies between the reports.

(Source: Facebook/Toronto Sun/Modified by Logically Facts)

Moreover, our search did not uncover any news report, from Canadian or international media outlets, verifying the claim of human feces found near a Hindu god statue.

The Hanuman statue 

According to a news report by The Indian Express dated December 11, 2023, a 55-foot-tall statue of the Hindu deity Hanuman is under construction at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton. The image in the viral post matches the same statue, set to be unveiled on Hanuman Jayanti on April 23, 2024.

The verdict

The headline of a news report published by the Toronto Sun was doctored to falsely suggest the presence of human feces near a Hindu god statue in Brampton. No credible news sources have reported such an incident, and the original article's headline was digitally manipulated.