Fact Check: Did PM Modi ignore handshake from US president Joe Biden at G7 summit?

Hyderabad: The G7 Summit took place at Borgo Egnazia (Fasano) in Apulia, Italy, from June 13-15. The event brought together leaders from the seven member states, along with the president of the European Council and the president of the European Commission, who represented the European Union.

In this context, a pixelated video has been circulating on social media claiming that prime minister Narendra Modi ignored US president Joe Biden’s handshake during the summit.

An X user shared the video and wrote, “Modi ji did not shake hands with Joe Biden. Showed America its place. The consequences of interfering in our elections.” (Translated from Hindi) (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false as the man seen with PM Modi is not Biden. The video shows a support staff member guiding the PM to his next meeting.

We conducted a keyword search and found a video published by Firstpost’s YouTube channel on June 15, titled ‘Hello From Team Meloni: Selfie of PM Modi & Giorgia Meloni Goes Viral | PM Modi at G7 Summit 2024.’

The viral clip appeared at the beginning of the video. It clearly showed a support staff member guiding PM Modi towards a stage, where he was greeted by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.

For a better understanding, we have also embedded a slowed-down version of the video.

Here is a photo collage comparing the G7 staff member in the video and Joe Biden. The images clearly show that the staff member is bald in the front, whereas Biden has hair.

Hence, we conclude that the viral video does not show PM Modi ignoring a handshake from US president Joe Biden.