Edited image claims Rahul Gandhi was identified as ‘Rahul Rajiv Feroz’ at Cambridge University

Context

Twitter user Tathvam-asi shared a picture on July 10 that shows Congress leader Rahul Gandhi behind a table at an event with a name card that reads, “Rahul Rajiv Feroz, Gold from Potato expert, Wayanad, Kerala.” The user shared this image with the caption, “This nameplate is Correct. Everyone should use his original name. Rahul Rajiv Feroz.” At the time of writing, the tweet had 9,019 views, 362 tweets and 972 likes. This was also shared on Facebook, with a post in Telugu saying, “Cambridge University has clarity, it's we, who are saying Pandit and Gandhi (translated).”

However, this claim is false. 

In Fact

A close look at the image indicated that the text on the name card could have been added or edited onto the picture, as the designation is a jibe at Gandhi. A reverse image search for the viral photo led us to a news report by ABP, published on March 2 this year, which contained the original photo of Gandhi. The article reported Gandhi’s speech at Cambridge University in London in March 2023. In this photo, the name card kept on the table is blank. 

The images of Gandhi and his presentation from the conference were shared by Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, on March 1, 2023. Pitroda wrote, “Some pictures from Rahul Gandhi’s great lecture at Cambridge MBA during his visit to a fellow of Cambridge University on “Learning to Listen in the 21st Century.” The images he shared show that the name card is blank and does not hold any name.

In a following tweet, Pitroda also shared pictures from the presentation Gandhi gave, where the slide reads, “Learning to listen in the 21st Century, Lecture by Rahul Gandhi at Cambridge Judge Business School.” This indicates that Gandhi mentioned his name as ‘Rahul Gandhi’ at the lecture.

A livestream of the event was also uploaded by MoJo Story, a news outlet led by journalist Barkha Dutt, on March 3. A closer look at the video shows the name cards placed in front of him were blank. 

The Verdict

The image of Rahul Gandhi’s name card reading “Rahul Rajiv Feroz” has been digitally edited. The original image showed that the name card placed before him was blank.