After the protest in Leh demanding full statehood, violence broke out. Several pictures and videos of this violence went viral on social media. Among them, one picture of a masked man carrying weapons was shared, claiming he was Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, along with several other users, shared this photo.
Amit Malviya posted the photo with a caption in English, which translates to Hindi as:
“The man rioting in Ladakh is Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag from Upper Leh ward. He can be clearly seen inciting the crowd and participating in the violence that targeted the BJP office and the Hill Council. Is this the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi envisions?”
Many other users also shared this picture, claiming it was the Congress councillor, which can be viewed here and here.
Fact Check
The DFRAC team investigated and found that the viral masked man is not Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag.
During the investigation, we found a video from Gulistan News Ladakh dated September 24. In this video, the face of the masked man can be seen. Similarly, Enquirer Today News also showed footage of this person. A comparison collage clearly shows that the man in the viral image and Congress councillor Tsepag are two different individuals.
Further investigation led us to a report by The Print, which quoted the police. According to Leh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Stanzin Norbu:
“The person seen in the video is not Tsepag.”
When asked if the man was a relative of Tsepag, the SSP said: “We have not yet confirmed his identity. For now, it appears his father was in the security forces, and he himself is a civilian. He is not Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag.”
The Congress party also issued a clarification from its official social media handle, posting a video of Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag. The party wrote:
“Once again, the BJP has spread fake news. BJP leaders shared a picture of a man from Ladakh and falsely claimed he was Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag. Media outlets also amplified this without verification. This is a deliberate conspiracy to defame Congress, create social unrest, and deepen divisions. We strongly condemn this and are pursuing legal action.”
Conclusion:
DFRAC’s fact check makes it clear that the viral photo of the masked man during the Ladakh violence is not of Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag. Therefore, the claims made by Amit Malviya and other users are false.
