Fact Check: AI-Generated Image And Varanasi Air Show Photos Falsely Linked To Delhi’s ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ Rally
The viral images falsely claimed to show the November 1, 2026 rally at Ramlila Maidan are fake. The first image was created using AI, while the second image was taken at an air show organised by the Indian Air Forcein Varanasi.
- By: Ashish Maharishi
- Published: Nov 3, 2026 at 05:52 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News): On November 1, 2026, several opposition parties, including the Congress, organised the ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. The rally was attended by prominent opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav, and Farooq Abdullah. After this rally, two photos showing massive crowds began circulating widely on social media, with several users claiming that they depicted the gathering at Ramlila Maidan.
Vishvas News conducted an in-depth investigation and found that the first photo is AI-generated, while the second is from an air show that took place in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh a few days earlier. Neither of these photos is related to the rally at Ramlila Maidan. Therefore, the viral post is misleading.
What Is Going Viral?
Facebook user ‘Alok Bajpai’ shared a photo collage on November 1, 2026, claiming it was from Ramlila Maidan rally. Similarly, another Facebook user ‘M. Danish Quamar’ shared an image on November 1, 2026 and wrote, “A sea of people gathered in Delhi on Rahul Gandhi’s call!”
Investigation
Vishvas News divided its investigation into two parts and examined each photograph independently.
Investigation of the First Image
First, we examined the photo showing Rahul Gandhi and the stage. The words ‘Indian National Congress’ were displayed on the stage. However, the November 1, 2026 rally was jointly organized by the alliance of several opposition parties. This raised questions about the authenticity of the image, as only the Congress party’s name appeared on the stage.
Vishvas News then scanned the Congress party’s official X account and found a video uploaded on November 1, 2026. The actual stage shown in this video was completely different from the one in the viral image, suggesting that the circulating photo was fabricated.
During our investigation, we also came across a post on X by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, published on November 1, 2026. Sharing the viral image, Rijiju remarked that the Congress party should at least have generated a proper AI image to make it appear that a huge crowd had gathered at Ramlila Maidan.
Vishvas News further analyzed the first viral image using AI detection tools:
Google ‘SynthID’: The analysis indicated that the photo was created by using OpenAI tools
The ‘Pangram’ deepfake detection tool confirmed a very high probability of the image being completely AI-generated.
Testing via the ‘Hive Moderation’ tool determined the image to be more than 99.6% AI-generated.
Investigation of the Second Image
To verify the second photo, Vishvas News conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. The original photograph was found on the official X handle of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak. It was posted on October 25, 2026. The post confirmed that the viral image was from an air show organised by the Indian Air Force in Varanasi.
Following this lead, we scanned the October 26, 2026 edition of ‘Dainik Jagran’ for Varanasi. The viral photo was featured in the e-paper, with credit given to the District Administration. The caption read, “A massive crowd gathered in the Domri area for the air show.”
Vishvas News also contacted Sanjay Mishra, Editorial In-Charge, Dainik Jagran, Varanasi and shared the image with him. He confirmed that the viral photograph was taken during the Varanasi air show.
Context
Several opposition parties have been protesting against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. As part of these protests, a large rally titled ‘Vote Bachao, Samvidhan Bachao, Desh Bachao’ was organised at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on November 1, 2026. It was attended by opposition leaders and party cadre, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav, and Farooq Abdullah. ‘PTI’ posted a video report of the rally on November 1, 2026.
A review of the profile of the user who shared the misleading post revealed that the Facebook user had approximately 7,000 followers. The account operates from Lakhimpur Kheri, and it was created in 2010.
Conclusion
The viral images falsely claimed to show the November 1, 2026 rally at Ramlila Maidan are fake. The first image was created using AI, while the second image was taken at an air show organised by the Indian Air Forcein Varanasi. Both photos are being falsely shared as the images of the Delhi rally.
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