At least 45 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in Gaza’s Rafah on Sunday, sparking global outrage against the Netanyahu government. In response, numerous social media users, including celebrities, shared an image with the words “All eyes on Rafah” to show solidarity with the victims. While the trend gained traction, several Indian celebrities faced backlash for posting the viral image.

Amid this, an alleged screengrab of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Instagram story stating “All Eyes on PoK” went viral. However, it was verified by Newschecker and was found that the image was fabricated and there was no evidence that the PM had posted any such story.

As the BJP looks forward to its third term at the centre, multiple top leaders of the party have vouched for the integration of PoK-Pakistan Occupied Kashmir with India if voted to power. In a recent public rally, Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that PoK is a part of India and “we will take it back.”

Verification by Newschecker

Newschecker skimmed through the social media accounts of Prime Minister Modi but failed to spot the widely circulated image.

No news reports on PM Modi’s alleged Instagram story

A keyword search for “All Eyes On PoK” and “PM Modi” did not yield any credible news reports indicating that such an image was shared on Narendra Modi’s social media profile, stated Newschecker. If authentic, the image would have been a major news event, prompting strong reactions from the opposition.

Furthermore, the government’s PIB and DD News did not report on any such story by the PM.

YouTuber Elvish Yadav is making headlines for posting an image saying “All eyes on PoK.”

“The popular YouTuber, known for his strong views on Hinduism, has now taken to social media to oppose the ‘All eyes on Rafah’ trend. Instead, he shared a similar template with the caption ‘All eyes on POK,’ referring to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” Newschecker quoted the Times of India.

The Origins

A Google Lens search on the viral image led to multiple posts by meme handles sharing the alleged screenshot of the PM’s Instagram story.

The phrases “All eyes on PoK,” and “Narendra Modi” were first found on X in the comment section of a post by @Incognito_qfs at 10:09 PM on May 28. 

The image was likely created by user @Incognito_qfs, who took inspiration from a comment on their post “calling out celebrities” by sharing the “All eyes on Rafah” image. 

This image was later shared on the Instagram handle of @Incognito_qfs on May 29. Another image based on the same template was spotted by Newschecker on the same Instagram account, showing a fabricated screengrab from Rahul Gandhi’s story, stating “All eyes on Thailand.”

‘All Eyes On Rafah’ Template distorted repeatedly on social media

As the ‘All Eyes on Rafah” trend gained momentum on social media platforms, we observed several Indian users sharing altered versions of the original template introduced in solidarity with the victims of Rafah. Some modified it to show “All eyes on PoK,” while others linked it to “Kashi,” “Mathura,” and even “Modi 3.0.”

Newschecker concluded that the viral image claiming to show PM Modi’s Instagram story is false and fabricated as there was no evidence to claim that the PM posted any image saying “All eyes on PoK.”