Experts warn that such content, if unchecked, can further polarise communities and fuel hate crimes
NEW DELHI – In an apparent attempt to exploit communal stereotypes for political mileage and to push Islamophobic narratives, a Hindutva man has been exposed for digitally altering an old photograph of himself. The original image showed him standing beside a male friend, but in the doctored version he replaced his companion with a burqa-clad woman.
The man was identified as Amit Singh Rathore, a resident of Gaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and a self-proclaimed “Hindu Sher”. Rathore posted the edited picture on his Instagram handle @hindu_amit_singh_rathore three days ago. The post is captioned “I love Ayesha”.
The manipulated photo quickly spread across social media platforms, with many users pointing out the crude editing and the communal undertones behind it. A fact check done by Alt News later retrieved the genuine image, confirming that the supposed “woman” was originally a male acquaintance.
Several derogatory posts have been uploaded on Rathore’s Instagram against minorities. He is also seen with Dasna Devi Temple priest Yati Narsinghanand.
At a time when scores of people in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been booked and imprisoned for putting up “I love Muhammad” banners during Eid Milad-un Nabi celebrations earlier this month, Rathore tries to denigrate Muslims and captioned the photograph as ” I love Aysha.”
Observers say the doctored picture is not a harmless prank but part of a disturbing pattern where digital tools are weaponised to humiliate Muslims and reinforce negative stereotypes.
“This is not just about a fake picture—it is about weaponising technology to humiliate an entire community,” said a social media researcher who has been tracking online hate campaigns.
“By erasing his friend and inserting a woman in burqa, the intention was clearly to tarnish the image of Muslim women and push a communal narrative,” said an observer.
The case adds to the growing list of fake visuals circulated by Hindutva supporters in recent months, ranging from fabricated interfaith marriage photos to staged communal incidents. Experts warn that such content, if unchecked, can further polarise communities and fuel hate crimes.
Authorities should investigate the incident properly under laws related to digital forgery and communal incitement and to ascertain the motive behind it.
