Ahead of the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, a purported image of a Rs 500 note depicting Lord Ram replacing Mahatma Gandhi has surfaced online. Earlier, there were rumors that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will release these notes on January 22, during the inauguration ceremony of the Ram temple. However, it is important to note that these rumors have been denied and there is no basis for making such a statement.
The fake note showed Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir in place of the Red Fort, along with an image of a bow and arrow. First shared by user X named Raghun Murthy on January 14, 2024, the video gained traction and false allegations were shared all over the internet. Knowing the consequences, the user clarified all the rumours, urging people not to use his creative work to spread false information.
Edited by my friend @raghunmurthy07, this piece is a product of creativity and not intended to be presented as notes. Please refrain from spreading misinformation. https://t.co/9yazUKOWsW
— Divya Kamat (@divi_tatatal) January 16, 2024
Taking to his X handle, the user wrote: “Someone misused my creative work to spread wrong information on Twitter. I want to make it clear that I do not support or have any incorrect information they mentioned in my service. It is important to me that my creations are not distorted in any way.
Another X user quoted a post on the banknotes with the viral claim and mentioned, “Edited by my friend @raghunmurthy07, this piece is a product of creativity and not intended to be presented as notes. Please refrain from spreading misinformation.”
Someone has misused my creative work to spread misinformation on Twitter. I want to clarify that I do not support or own any of the misinformation they have attributed to my work. It's important to me that my creativity is not misrepresented in any way. #misinformation… pic.twitter.com/sHEmTlnR0m
— wHatNext 🚩 (@raghunmurthy07) January 17, 2024
Although the statement is enough to refute these claims, after a closer look, one can find many arguments that continue to claim that the image has been digitally altered. From the blurred areas around the image of Lord Rama in the temple to the ‘X Raghunmurthy 07’ watermark near the left side of the note, all these points point to the use of the image do something.
Furthermore, it is important to note that the official website of the Reserve Bank of India does not contain any formal details or updates pertaining to the viral claim in question.
