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| - Fact Check: Khadi India is not selling three masks for Rs 999
A viral post on social media claims that Khadi India has replaced Mahatma Gandhi's picture with that of PM Modi in its advertisement for face masks, three of which are being sold for Rs 999.
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India Today Fact Check
The ad with PM Modi’s image, a ‘Make in India’ logo and a ‘Charkha’ symbol, was misused by a firm. Khadi India is not selling three masks for Rs 999.
A purported advertisement by Khadi India has priced three masks at Rs 999! The poster, which has an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside a ‘Make in India’ logo and a lookalike of Khadi India’s trademark ‘Charkha’, is viral on social media. Netizens are not only criticising the government for “high prices of masks”, but also for “replacing” Mahatma Gandhi’s picture with that of PM Modi in the advert.
The caption along with the viral picture reads, “As institution upon institution caves in, what virus are you looking to protect ourselves from? Here’s the virus. Gandhi gone?! And, replaced by Modi??? As someone asked, what next? The charkha? To be replaced by a Ram Mandir silhouette? One is not even wondering at the efficacy and the pricing of these masks”
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the ad was by a company that had misused the picture of PM Modi, and put in ‘Make in India’ and ‘Vocal for Local’ logos, along with a ‘Charkha’ symbol, to give an impression that it was a government enterprise. Khadi India, the brand name for Khadi and Village Industries Commission, which operates under the MSME ministry, has confirmed that its masks are not being sold at high prices.
The archived versions of some of the posts can be seen here and here.
KVIC reacts
As posts that the government is selling masks at such high prices went viral, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) itself stepped in, and through a series of tweets, clarified that those masks are not being sold by them and they have taken action against the seller.
“#KVIC has filed a police complaint against Chandigarh resident Ms Khushboo for selling face masks in the name of Khadi with Hon'ble PM's photograph. Any misuse of brand name Khadi will be strictly dealt with,” it tweeted.
KVIC chairperson Vinai Kumar Saxena confirmed the same.
KVIC has taken a strict note of selling face masks fraudulently in the name of Khadi & unauthorizedly using Hon'ble PM's photograph. A police complaint has been filed in Chandigarh against the seller. Any attempt to misuse brand name Khadi will be strictly dealt with.@PMOIndia— Chairman KVIC (@ChairmanKvic) July 27, 2020
Khadi India had recently started the sale of khadi cotton and silk facemasks. As per the KVIC website, the masks are being sold between Rs 30 and Rs 100.
We found that one of the dealers of the mask is Guru Kripa Enterprises in Bharuch, Gujarat, on “IndiaMART”. But the company is not among IndiaMART’s verified dealers.
KVIC had earlier issued legal notices worth Rs 50 crore to three Delhi firms for allegedly using its brand name and registered trademark to sell personal protective equipment (PPE).
Therefore, it is confirmed that the masks seen in the viral image were not being sold by Khadi India. Also, since the advert was issued by a private seller, the question of Khadi India removing Mahatma Gandhi’s image and replacing it with PM Modi’s does not arise.
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