There is a claim on the internet in which people are comparing the participation of Hindus and Muslim communities in India’s freedom struggle. Social media users are claiming that there are 95300 freedom fighters’ names written on India Gate, Delhi out of that 61945 are Muslim names which means 65% of freedom fighters were Muslims. Along with the picture a social media user wrote, “The whole Nation is indebted of #MuslimFreedomFighters if do like it Or dont.”
Moreover, there are also several reports on the internet claiming the same.
Fact Check
In the DFRAC analysis, it was found that there are many misleading and untrue facts in the viral image. We have factcheked each claim separately below.
False Claim 1:
There is a quote written in the viral image that “Indian Freedom struggle is written with Muslim blood.” And, the writer’s name is written Jaswant Singh.
FactCheck
On keyword search, the DFRAC desk found that the writer of this line is the famous journalist and writer Khushwant Singh not Jaswant Singh.
False Claim 2
There are 95300 Muslim freedom fighters’ names written on India Gate, Delhi out of that 61945 are Muslim
Fact Check
According to Commonwealth war graves commission , there are 13220 names are written on India Gate in the memory of soldiers who died in World War 1 and the third Anglo-Afghan war fighting for the British.
Hence, the claim that 61945 Muslim freedom fighter names are engraved in the India Gate war memorial is false.
Moreover, DFRAC analysis found that this is not the first time this claim got viral. In 2019 also such posts got viral widely on social media.
False Claim 3
There were zero names of Sanghi from RSS on India Gate.
Fact Check
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was formed by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925.
And World War 1 took place between 1914-18 and the third Anglo Afghan war in 1919.
The names written on India Gate was in the memory of the soldier died in WW1 and third Anglo Afghan war. At that time the organization have not even existed. Therefore, claiming the no names from RSS is written then is misleading.
