Fact Check: Did Prime Minister touch feet of IAS officer Aarti Dogra?

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Fact Check

The claim is False.

NewsMeter began its investigation by performing a Google Reverse Image Search which led us to a report published by Zee News on December 16, 2021. The report had published a collage of two images.

The title of the report read: "Unforgettable moments! PM Narendra Modi touches the feet of a divyang woman in Varanasi, wins million hearts."

"A differently-abled woman named Shikha Rastogi had come to meet PM Modi shortly after he inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project in Varanasi on December 13. On seeing the woman, the PM immediately asked about her well-being, and when she stepped forward to take the Prime Minister's blessings, the PM stopped her and instead touched the woman's feet," read the report.

A similar report published on the website 'The Chhattisgarh' had a similar picture.

"The girl was herself deeply touched by the PM's heart-warning gesture and was seen standing with folded hands, expressing her gratitude to the PM. After this, UP CM Yogi Adityanath went ahead and greeted the lady. The image of the PM touching the feet of the lady went viral and was extensively shared on social media platforms," the report read.

Lastly, the team found a video report aired on the YouTube channel of News 18 on December 14, 2021. The description of the video read, "PM Modi launched his dream project Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor inaugurated. During this, a divyang woman met him and touched his feet. The PM then stopped him from touching and he himself touched her feet."

The viral image can be seen in the video at 0:08 seconds.

It is therefore evident that the claim made through the viral post is False.

The woman in the viral image is not an IAS officer Aarti Dogra, but a divyang woman Shikha Rastogi.