Union Minister of Coal and Railways Piyush Goyal was trolled for posting ‘fake’ images on the electrification of villages in India. Union Minister of Coal and Railways Piyush Goyal was trolled for posting ‘fake’ images on the electrification of villages in India.

Union Minister of Coal and Railways Piyush Goyal on Monday brushed aside social media trolls accusing him of posting fake images on the electrification of all villages in the country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “decisive leadership”.Taking to Twitter, the minister’s office issued a clarification, stating that there was nothing fake about the images released by NASA to highlight the electrification of rural areas in India. Goyal’s office also provided links to the NASA website and a report published by National Geographic to corroborate its clarification.

“There is nothing fake about the latest NASA images depicting the humongous change in India’s brightness at night. National Geographic also analysed this data and credited rural electrification among other factors,” the tweet said.

There is nothing fake about the latest NASA images depicting the humongous change in India’s brightness at night. National Geographic also analysed this data and credited rural electrification among other factors.

Link1: https://t.co/kCIqdxCFV2

Link2: https://t.co/u806nZ5tSq pic.twitter.com/y19NwhD6hC — Piyush Goyal Office (@PiyushGoyalOffc) April 30, 2018

On Sunday, PM Modi had said that April 28 would be remembered as a “historic day in the development journey of India”. “Yesterday (APril 28), we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever! I am delighted that every single village of India now has access to electricity,” he had tweeted. While referring to a news report, Modi added, “Leisang village in Manipur, like the thousands of other villages across India has been powered and empowered!”

A day before, Goyal had applauded the PM for bringing light to the lives of several villagers. “Under the decisive leadership of PM @NarendraModi India has finally been able to electrify all its villages before the set target date. With the elimination of darkness from the lives of fellow Indian villagers, we commit ourselves to building a new and #PowerfulIndia,” he had tweeted.

Under the decisive leadership of PM @NarendraModi India has finally been able to electrify all its villages before the set target date. With the elimination of darkness from the lives of fellow Indian villagers, we commit ourselves to building a new and #PowerfulIndia pic.twitter.com/TJ8irmx4tk — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 29, 2018

Within hours, several Twitter users rushed to prove that the images posted were “old”.

#Hoax

Piyush Goyal sir the pictures you posted are old..

Pic1- Released by NASA in 2012

Pic2- Released by NASA in 2016 pic.twitter.com/O92eB8SKto — Amit Shah (@amitshaah_) April 29, 2018

This is the same fake image that is shared after every Diwali. 😂😂 https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1x1.png Entire BJP govt relies heavily on Photoshop and fake news. How about doing some real work.😒https://t.co/LcDfUlM4uf — Keerthi🌹 (@TheDesiEdge) April 29, 2018

And somehow, satellite image with no mention of when it was taken is given as proof. Please show something more concrete than this — Matt (@math_welime) April 29, 2018

Reacting to the BJP’s claims, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that it was the Congress that electrified 97 per cent of villages in the country but “did not boast”. “On 26th May,2014; only 18,452 villages were without electrification. BJP Govt took 46 months to complete this at an average of 4,813 villages per year. This is – ‘celebrating inefficiencies’ & taking ‘fake credit’ for Congress work,” he said on Twitter.

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