By Sk Badiruddin
An image of a non-binary model wearing a saree is circulating on social media, misidentifying the former as a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University.
BOOM found the image shows Pushpak Sen, a student of fashion marketing and communication in Milan, Italy. Sen identifies as a non-binary individual and works as a celebrity styling manager in an agency. Sen's LinkedIn profile also does not state that he has ever studied at JNU.
The image is being shared in the backdrop of defacement of walls of the School of International Studies- II building with anti-Brahmin slogans in the Jawaharlal University campus. The incident happened on Thursday December 1, 2022. The administration has sought a report following the inquiry from the School of International Studies and Grievances Committee.
The image has been shared with a caption in Hindi which translates to, "This is the category of Jawaharlal Nehru University of Delhi which has problem with Brahmins and Baniyas."
View the Facebook Post here.
(Original Post in Hindi: दिल्ली के जवाहरलाल नेहरू विश्वविद्यालय की यही वो कैटेगरी है जिसे ब्राह्मण और बनियों से दिक्कत है।।)
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FactCheck
BOOM ran a reverse image search and found the image reported on India.com on July 25, 2022.
The article has been titled as, "Men In Sarees: Why Is Gender Neutral Fashion The Need Of Hour And How Indian Men Are Acing It". The report identified the person as Pushpak Sen.
Sen's fashion statement has been covered by other media outlets.
We found the viral image was posted onSen's personal Instagram account (@thebongmunda) on May 22, 2022. The location of the post has been tagged as Lalit Great Eastern Hotel, in Kolkata.
According to Pusphak Sen's LinkedIn profile, he has a Masters degree in Fashion Marketing and Communication from Polimoda, an Italy based fashion school. Sen works as a celebrity styling and influencer marketing manager of a foreign agency. Sen's LinkedIn profile does not show any association with JNU.
Sen identifies them as a non-binary person, said in an interview with The Telegraph.
In 2021, when the senate voted down an anti-homophobic violence bill in Italy, Sen's images in a saree and red bindi roaming in Milan's streets took the internet by storm.
BOOM has reached out to Pushpak Sen. The fact check will be updated as and when he responds.
