'Modi Masjid' in Bengaluru: Is Mosque Named After the Indian Prime Minister in Karnataka Capital?
A fact-check, however, has revealed that the mosque has not been named after the Indian PM. Instead, it is named after 19th century Muslim merchant Modi Abdul Ghafoor, who funded three mosques in Bengaluru during his lifetime.
Bengaluru, June 23: Social media is flooded with claims that a new mosque has been inaugurated in Bengaluru and named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The rumour mongers claim that "Modi Masjid" is named after the PM to honour the landslide mandate accorded to him by the electorate of the nation.
A fact-check, however, has revealed that the mosque has not been named after the Indian PM. Instead, it was named after 19th century Muslim merchant Modi Abdul Ghafoor, who funded three mosques in Bengaluru during his lifetime. PM Attends 'Ashara Mubaraka' Event Organised by Dawoodi Bohra Community
The mosque, which social media users erroneously referred to as one named after PM Modi, is located in Tasker Town in eastern part of the city. It was not inaugurated recently, but only renovated as the primary structure dates back to 1849.
In 2015, the mosque was partially closed down for prayers and repairation was undertaken due to the dilapidated condition of some parts of the worship hall.
Due to the vast size of the mosque, the renovation took nearly four years -- and the mosque was re-opened last month, coinciding with the landmark results of Lok Sabha elections 2019.
For fake news peddlers, it provided an instant recipe to share hoax on social media.
Here are Couple of Examples:
Modi Critics Jabbed
Similar messages went viral on WhatsApp as well, according to reports. The messages took jibe at the Opposition for projecting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as "communal" despite its "growing popularity" among the Muslim community.
The Imam of the mosque referred to in the above social media post has also cleared the air on the subject. "This mosque is almost 170 years old and our PM is approximately 69 years old. There is no connection between PM Modi and this mosque," Ghulam Rabbani was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Apart from the grand Modi Masjid at Tasker Town, two other smaller mosques with the same nare are also located at around Tannery Road. They were also funded by the family of Modi Abdul Ghafoor in the 19th century.
Fact check
Modi Masjid in Bengaluru Named After PM Modi.
False! The mosque dates back to 1849 and is named after 19th century Muslim philanthropic merchant Modi Abdul Ghafoor.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 23, 2019 04:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).