A photo has been shared hundreds of times in multiple social media posts alongside a claim that it shows dozens of Muslim families who had converted to Hinduism in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh after the religious conversion of a local Islamic leader. However, the photo has been shared in a false context. It has circulated since 2016 in news reports about a Muslim community in Uttar Pradesh protesting a fatal attack on Indian soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The photo was posted on Facebook here on December 13, 2021.

It had been shared more than 490 times before it was removed.

The picture appeared to show a Hindu priest surrounded by a group of men, with some wearing taqiyah caps, which are often worn by Muslim men.

The post's Hindi-language caption translates to English as: "After the return of Waseem Rizvi to Sanatan Dharma, Muslims are growing more fearful and [converting] to Hinduism voluntarily. 34 Muslim families in Uttar Pradesh return to Sanatan Hinduism. Hail Shri Ram."

Rizvi, former chairman of the Shia Central Waqf Board of Uttar Pradesh, changed his name to Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi after he converted to Hinduism in early December 2021, Indian news agency the Press Trust of India reported.

"Sanatan", or "Sanatana Dharma", is a Hindi-language expression generally used to denote Hinduism’s central idea of life and duty.

"Shri Ram", also known as "Rama", is a widely worshipped Hindu deity.

The photo has been shared more than 360 times...

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