Social media has increasingly become a major source of spreading fake news, and looks like an utterly false news on former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee has now gone viral.
A picture that suggests Vajpayee's ashes being available for sale on Amazon has been doing rounds on Whatsapp and social media. The image is printed with words like "Atal Ji's original ashes and a copper kalsh with a book on our great leader Shree Narendra Modi ji's journey" along with pictures of the two mentioned BJP leaders.
Many people fell prey to the fake news and shared it on social media, criticizing the online site as well as the BJP. Bahujan Samaj Party member, Devashish Jarariya, also apparently fell for it and shared it on Twitter. However, when he realised that it was a fake news, he deleted the tweet.
Many others have also been sharing the image with words slamming the political party and Amazon. While some realised that it is not genuine, others apparently remained uninformed.
A simple search on Amazon clearly shows that no such product like "Atal Bihari Vajpayee ashes" are available for sale on the site.
Apparently, one Twitter handle by the name "Yo Yo Modi" shared the image on Twitter first. On realising that the image is morphed, the same Twitter handle responded to Jarariya's tweet saying it is fake and it was shared by this handle first.
Nonetheless, the fake news has been spreading like wildfire, and many without verifying, have been sharing the post on social media.
So now Ashes of late Vajpayee ji are on sale. This can only happen in India. And is even allowed? https://t.co/xDMU9EgATq
— kamaljit sandhu (@kamaljitsandhu) August 30, 2018
So this is the way to pay respect to #AtalBihariVajpayee!!
— Ashish Raghuvanshi (@ash_rag) August 27, 2018
Shame on @amazon.You are playing with the sentiments of millions of people across the world.
Death can be a business for you, it is proved.
How can you do this? @PMOIndia @narendramodi @rajnathsingh @JeffBezos @amazonIN pic.twitter.com/SAms99Q7mI
Bumper Dhamaka
— Muck Fodi #UrbanNaxal (@DrSaniaMaan) August 27, 2018
Save ₹100 on @amazonIN with Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes & get complimentary book called 'Fool's Paradise'.
Also,certificate of nationalism will be rewarded. pic.twitter.com/fsAUmKULdD
Former PM Vajpayee passed away on August 16 at AIIMS in Delhi. His death was followed by nation-wide grief.