Footwear Thrown at Tamil Nadu CM? The Truth Behind the Viral Photo

A viral photo claiming that footwear was thrown at Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin during a DMK event in Virudhunagar is digitally altered. Video footage from the event shows no such incident, confirming that the claim circulating on social media is false.

A photograph from a DMK event in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar on February 7 has triggered a buzz online, with social media users claiming it captures a dramatic moment involving Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during a public appearance. The image, widely shared across platforms, appears to show an object mid-air as Stalin walks on stage at the Youth Wing Southern Zone office-bearers’ conference, prompting speculation and sharp political commentary.

The picture quickly gathered traction, with many interpreting it as footwear being hurled at the chief minister and presenting it as evidence of dissent at a party event. The claim spread rapidly, amplified by partisan handles and WhatsApp forwards, even as no immediate clarification accompanied the viral posts.

A closer verification of the event, however, tells a different story. There were no credible reports from the venue or in the media of any such incident during the conference. Visual examination of the viral frame and checks with available footage indicate the image has been altered, and the claim that footwear was thrown at Stalin is unfounded.

What did the netizens share?

On February 7, a verified X (formerly Twitter) account, JD Trolls, shared an image with a caption, “ Slippers thrown at MK Stalin during Ramp walk.”

As of February 11, the post garnered 87,800 views, 2,100 likes, and 578 reposts.

Several users responded with the laughing emoji. A user tagged the Tamil Nadu Government’s official fact check unit, requesting to verify the image, while another user tagged the Tamil Nadu police’s official X account, urging them to take action against the account JD trolls for spreading fake news.

A Facebook user shared the same visual on February 7 with the same caption.

As of February 11, the post received 1,300 likes, 121 comments, and 86 shares.

Several users pointed out that the image is edited, but believing it to be true, a user commented, “The lady or man who threw the slipper on M.K. Stailin did a good job.” Another user responded, “Super”.

We found that the user Arya S R Tvk shared the photo in numerous Actor Vijay fan groups and also groups dedicated to his political party, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK).

How did we verify?

We analysed the viral claim and didn’t find any official or credible news reports regarding the incident where the audience threw footwear at M.K. Stalin at the DMK Youth wing conference held at Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu.

A keyword search revealed that the media organisation News 24X7 shared the video of MK Stalin’s ramp walk at the event. We carefully checked the video but didn’t find anybody throwing a footwear. At a timestamp of 1 minute 56 seconds, the video’s keyframe matches the viral image. A keyframe comparison clarified that the footwear visible in the viral image is edited into the original visual.

Additionally, we verified other videos showing the ramp walk at the conference and confirmed that no such incident occurred.

The analysis of the viral image revealed that netizens shared a digitally manipulated a visual that shows the audience throwing a footwear at the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin.