Two pictures of a lady cutting a tricoloured cake are widely shared on social media. It is being claimed that she is Facebook India's Public Policy Director, Ankhi Das, disrespecting the national flag. Das has been in the news after an investigative report published by The Wall Street Journal revealed that she blocked applying Facebook's hate speech rules to Hindu nationalists and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Many users said that if an Indian Muslim had cut a tricoloured cake, the act would've received immense outrage and condemnation. Facebook user Abdul Najeeb Khan shared these pictures with the same claim, which was shared 3,300 times. (Archive)

Across Twitter and Facebook, these pictures are being shared with the same caption: "เคฆेเคถ เค•ा เค…เคชเคฎाเคจ เคจเคนीं เคธเคนेเค—ा เคนिंเคฆुเคธ्เคคाเคจ เค•ी เค†ंเค–ी เคฆाเคธ เคจे เคคिเคฐंเค—े เค•ा เค•ेเค• เคฌเคจाเค•เคฐ เค•ाเคŸा เค…เค—เคฐ เคฏเคนी เค•ाเคฎ เค•िเคธी เคฎुเคธเคฒเคฎाเคจ เคจे เค•िเคฏा เคนोเคคा เคฎीเคกिเคฏा เคธे เคฒेเค•เคฐ เคจेเคคा เคคเค• เคตिเคงเคตा เคตिเคฒाเคช เค•เคฐเคจे เคฒเค—เคคे।"

Alt News also received multiple requests on WhatsApp (+91 7600011160) to verify these claims.

Fact-check

Upon conducting a reverse-image search, we found a post from August 16 by Sangeeta Bahadur, who is the Indian Ambassador to Belarus. The post mentioned that the Indian Embassy in Minsk celebrated the 74th Independence Day. "In the midst of the ongoing turmoil in Belarus, we celebrated India's 74th Independence Day at the Embassy in Minsk. Our fears that the very difficult situation in the city would keep most people away proved, however, to be unfounded. Not only did the miniscule but very patriotic Indian community and students turn out in full force; even our Belarusian friends joined us in substantial numbers and participated in the event with affectionate enthusiasm," she wrote in a post dated August 16. It includes the same picture of Bahadur cutting the cake.

In the midst of the ongoing turmoil in Belarus, we celebrated India's 74th Independence Day at the Embassy in Minsk. Our...

Posted by Sangeeta Bahadur on Saturday, 15 August 2020

Apart from this, Sangeeta Bahadur and Ankhi Das have facial dissimilarities especially the eyes and nose.

The website of the Indian Embassy in Belarus had also shared pictures of the recent independence day celebrations. Sangeeta Bahadur can be seen in these pictures.

Pictures Indian Ambassador to Belarus Sangeeta Bahadur cutting a tricoloured cake during independence day celebrations was shared with the false claim that she is Facebook India's Public Policy Director, Ankhi Das.