In an attempt to attack the Nehru-Gandhi family, Union minister Vijay Sampla on Friday tweeted a picture of Narendra Modi’s nonagenarian mother modestly choosing to ride an autorickshaw. Around Heeraben’s arm is someone’s hand holding her – except that, as Twitter users soon pointed out, the hand does not have a body.

“A ghost is holding her hand,” suggested one user in jest. Most Twitterati said the picture was edited with Photoshop, while some said it was not – speculating instead that it was a photograph from four years ago. Curiously though, the original photograph, said to be clicked in 2014, has the same mysterious hand in it.

The picture from May 2014 was attributed by most media outlets to news agency PTI, claiming it showed Heeraben riding an autorickshaw to cast her vote in Gandhinagar.

“Our Beloved PM Shri @narendramodi’s Mother is still travelling in Auto, While @RahulGandhi’s Mother is the World’s 4th Wealthiest Politician,” the tweet by Vijay Sampla had said, triggering a series of witty responses and attempts at a fact-check:

Our Beloved PM Shri @narendramodi 's Mother is still travelling in Auto, While @RahulGandhi 's Mother is the World's 4th Wealthiest Politician!#NarendraModi pic.twitter.com/HsLuTBYUaI — Vijay Sampla MoS (@vijay_sampla) May 4, 2018

See the "hand of Godse" — Punster® (@Pun_Starr) May 5, 2018

Many here were questioning about the hand holding Narendra Modi's Mother. But no, it's not Photoshoped. Looks like the hand is of the lady in pic (2,3) pic.twitter.com/AiW9eYryrC — Unofficial Sususwamy (@swamv39) May 5, 2018

How proud these BJP leaders feel sharing photoshopped photos. Not their fault actually, sycophancy is the only way one can rise in Modi’s BJP. pic.twitter.com/Rkgm8vYcgn — Jas Oberoi (@iJasOberoi) May 5, 2018

Actually, it would be nice if the respected PM could ensure his mom traveled in as much comfort as he does. — Kiran Manral (@KiranManral) May 6, 2018

Atleast use a better photoshop professional for ur next tweet! I mean seriously! 😂😂 — Arpit Bikram Das (@abdas452) May 5, 2018

What a 'fake-full' weekend this is turning out to be!😠

First @ShashiTharoor and now @vijay_sampla😱

Maybe the social media team handling his account & @PiyushGoyal is the same; but using a 4 year old pic of @narendramodi's mother to score political points is just not cool 🤒 pic.twitter.com/zB0LLU5vvc — Akash Banerjee (@akashbanerjee) May 6, 2018

And it seems photoshopped .. you have a disembodied hand clutching her upper arm — Gargi Rawat (@GargiRawat) May 6, 2018