Amid the preparations for the upcoming grand opening ceremony of Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, News channel ‘News24’ runs misleading news stating that the idols of Lord Rama for the temple are being crafted by a Muslim duo of Father and Son from West Bengal.

News 24’s news on X

While Posting an image on X(Twitter), the official account of News 24 wrote:

“Ramlala is ready to sit in the Ram temple of Ayodhya in January.

• The idols were prepared by Mohammad Jamaluddin of Bengal and his son Bittu.

• The father-son duo has been doing craftsmanship for a long time”

The news has garnered more than one thousand likes while it has been viewed by more than one lakh users on X(Twitter).

Fact-Check

To verify the authenticity of the news, the DFRAC team conducted a keyword search and found some media reports from various media organizations.

Media reports by TOI and The New Indian Express

As per media reports of Times of India and The New Indian Express, the Idols of Lord Rama to be installed in the sanctum sanctorum are being made by three Hindu sculptors named Ganesh Bhatt, Arun Yogiraj, and Satyanarayan Pandey.

Media reports of India Today and News18Hindi

Furthermore, according to media reports of India Today and News18 Hindi, Two Muslim sculptors Mohammed Jamaluddin and his son Bittu have crafted idols of Lord Rama which will be placed outside the temple for worship by devotees.

Conclusion

It is clear from DFRAC’s Fact-Check that News 24’s news claiming idols of Lord Rama are being crafted by Muslim sculptors is misleading. The idols of lord Rama to be placed sanctum sanctorum are being crafted by Hindu Sculptors while the Muslim duo have crafted the idols of Lord Rama which will be placed outside the temple.

Analysis: Misleading