An image showing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sitting with members of the Sikh community is being widely shared on social media platforms claiming that it shows him participating in a protest with members of the Sikh community against the new farm laws in India.

A Facebook user named Surendra Singh shared the image with a caption in Hindi that can be roughly translated to, "Here is Canada's Prime Minister sitting in protest in support of farmer brothers."

Several other Facebook users are sharing this image with the same caption. 

The image is also being shared on Twitter with a similar claim.

The truth behind the claim 

In our investigation, we found this claim to be false. The viral image is not related to the ongoing farmers' protest in Delhi. The image dates back to  2015 when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attending a Diwali celebration at a Gurudwara in Ottawa.

With the help of reverse image search, we found this image published in a news story by the Hindustan Times on November 24, 2015 titled 'Canadian PM Justin Trudeau visits temple, Gurdwara on Diwali'. According to the report, Trudeau visited a Hindu temple and a Gurudwara in Ottawa to celebrate Diwali with the Indo-Canadian community.

The story credited Reuters for the photo and a search on the photo wire agency's website led us to results from 2015 with the caption saying the photo was shot by Patrik Doyle at the Gurdwara Sahib Ottawa Sikh Society in Ottawa, Canada. The photo was published on November 11, 2015, the same date the event was held

In conclusion, an old image of Justin Trudeau visiting a Gurudwara for the Diwali celebration in 2015 is being falsely shared to show him protesting against the farmers' protest in India. 

Justin Trudeau's image is being shared in the backdrop of his recent comments aimed at the Indian government for its handling of the protest. Trudeau who currently has three Sikh ministers in his Cabinet has been an active and vocal supporter of the community. On the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, Trudeau, in an online address, said, "We are all concerned about the family and friends of the protesters. I want to remind you that Canada has always been vigilant about the right to peaceful protest. We believe in the importance of dialogue. We have spoken directly with the Indian authorities about this."