Fact Check: Viral claim of Shirdi Sai Trust donates for the Hajj is Fake

Fact Check en Fake Featured
Siddharth Urmil

Claim

A viral image claims that the Shirdi Sai Baba Trust has donated 35 crore rupees to the Hajj. The caption further states that the Shirdi Sai Temple Trust has gifted 35 crore rupees to Muslims for the Hajj. The claimant is persuading the Hindus not to donate money to the Shirdi Sai Temple Trust, as the Temple Trust is donating cash to Muslims for the Hajj.

A social media post by the user 'PatrioticParav' claims that the Shirdi Sai Temple Trust has donated ₹35,00,00,000 (₹350 crore) to fund Hajj pilgrimages for Muslims. The post suggests that Hindu devotees' donated money is being redirected for this purpose and urges people not to donate at Sai’s shrine. Below the text, there is an attached screenshot of a Google search result showing a snippet stating 'Shirdi Sai Trust donates 35Cr to Hajj' from Twitter and a news result from Latestly. The post appears to spread a controversial claim, potentially fueling religious tensions. However, such claims often require verification, as misinformation can spread rapidly on social media. Fact-checking sources may be needed to confirm the authenticity of this donation claim.

Link; Archive Link

Fact Check

To investigate the claim, DFRAC conducted an advanced keyword search on X (formerly Twitter) for “Shirdi Sai Trust” along with the handle @kavita_tewari. However, we could not find Kavi’s tweet, which is quoted in the image shared by the claimant.

A screenshot of the Twitter (now X) profile of a user named 'Kavi' (@kavita_tewari) is displayed. The profile features an Indian flag emoji next to the name and a bio stating, 'Proud Bharatiya. Social activist. From Kolkata. Ex Communist. Blessed to be followed by @narendramodi ji.' The account was created in December 2014 and has 27.2K followers while following 484 accounts. The profile picture is pixelated, and the cover image shows a construction vehicle. The image has a DFRAC watermark, suggesting it is part of a fact-checking investigation. This account has been linked to viral misinformation claims, particularly regarding the alleged donation of ₹35 crore by the Shirdi Sai Trust for Hajj pilgrims, raising questions about the credibility of its posts.

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We searched the Shree Sai baba Sansthan Trust Shirdi’s X (formerly, Twitter) page regarding the Hajj donation. But there was nothing regarding the claim.

The image is a screenshot of a Twitter (now X) profile belonging to a user named "Kavi" with the handle @kavita_tewari. The profile displays an Indian flag emoji next to the name. The bio states: "Proud Bharatiya. Social activist. From Kolkata. Ex Communist. Blessed to be followed by @narendramodi ji." The account was created in December 2014, follows 484 accounts, and has 27.2K followers. The profile picture is pixelated, obscuring the user's face, and the cover image shows a construction vehicle. The image contains a "DFRAC" watermark, indicating that it is part of a fact-checking investigation. The profile has been linked to discussions about misinformation, particularly in relation to claims about the Shirdi Sai Trust allegedly donating ₹35 crore for Hajj pilgrims. The fact-checking context suggests scrutiny over the authenticity of tweets from this account

Link

Whilst searching for news regarding the misinformation on Shirdi Sai Trust donating for the Hajj, we got a news report from ETV Bharat Marathi. A report by ETV Bharat Marathi, dated 24 April 2023, states that such propaganda has spread in various regional languages. The news reports, also, state about the constitution of the Sai Temple Trust which does not provide for any such fund. The Trust is under the state government’s control and take prior permission from the state government since 2004, and from the High Court since 2013. The Trust works under the supervision of the High Court. Every decision is scrutinized by the High Court and state government and is made publicly available on their website. 

The image appears to be a fact-checking report from DFRAC regarding claims about the Shirdi Sai Sansthan donating money for Hajj. It includes a screenshot from ETV Bharat Maharashtra with a headline in both English and Marathi, discussing a defamation message related to the Shirdi Sai Trust. The highlighted date, April 24, 2023, 5:30 PM IST, suggests when this news was published. The lower part of the image contains a Marathi text banner with an image of Sai Baba, questioning whether the Shirdi Sai Trust is being defamed. The image implies that the claims about the trust donating ₹35 crore for Hajj may be misinformation. Would you like a detailed breakdown or a fact-check summary?

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Furthermore, the news report states that the trust’s CEO Rahul Jadhav has taken legal recourse against the defamers who are spreading misinformation against the Shirdi Sai Trust. 

We contacted Shirdi Sai Trust and they also confirmed the viral claim was fake and the trust has not donated any such fund for the Hajj Pilgrimage.

Conclusion

The viral claim regarding the Shirdi Sai Trusting donating money for the Hajj is Fake. 

The Trust works under the supervision of the High Court and state government. Each such decision goes under scrutiny. Each action in such a regard is made available on their website for better transparency. 

Analysis: Fake

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