Amidst the assembly polls in Maharashtra, a newspaper clipping attributed to Rashtriya Ujala, a Hindi newspaper, has gone viral on social media, claiming that Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray met with Muslim leaders ahead of the elections.
The clipping alleges that Thackeray apologised for the 1992 riots during this meeting, reportedly attended by leaders like Sajjad Nomani and Mufti Mohammad Ismail.
The above post can be seen here (archive). More such posts can be seen here, here and here.
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the viral newspaper clipping, and found it to be MISLEADING.
A thorough keyword search yielded no credible reports about Uddhav Thackeray holding such a meeting or making the alleged statement.
Further investigation into the website and social media handles of Rashtriya Ujala also revealed no such article. On November 19, 2024, Rashtriya Ujala issued a clarification, categorically denying the publication of the article and calling it as fabricated.
The newspaper also announced that they were initiating strict legal action against individuals and entities responsible for creating, disseminating, and propagating the false news, which maligned their reputation.
Therefore, the newspaper clipping, claiming that Uddhav Thackeray apologised for the 1992 riots during a meeting with Muslim leaders, is fabricated.
