FACT CHECK: Modi sitting with some people are BJP Gujarat members, not peons
An image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sitting on stairs with a group of men is viral on social media. Users claim...
By Newsmeter Network Published on 28 Dec 2020 10:30 AM GMT
HYDERABAD: An image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sitting on stairs with a group of men is viral on social media. Users claim that he is sitting with his office staff some of whom are peons.
"The Prime Minister of India is sitting on stairs with his office staff. Four of them are peons. He is a world leader as well as a karma yogi. There is no inequality here. The message here is to sit with us, let us work together. Jai Hind (sic)," reads the English translation of caption. (Archive)
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1777901215700459&set=gm.389464948972762
FACT CHECK:
NewsMeter performed a reverse image search and found that the claim of the PM sitting with his staff is false. This image is from February 2014, a period before Modi became the Prime Minister.
We performed a reverse image search and found the same image was shared in February 2014 with the caption: "Real Leader Shri Narendra Modi Seat on Steps with BJP Gujarat office staff And Made Them Smile."
The same image was also shared on February 10, 2014, on the verified Twitter account of Majura (Surat) MLA, Harsh Sanghavi. The tweet reads: "Real Leader Hon @narendramodi Seat on Steps with BJP Gujarat office staff And Made Them Smile."
It should be noted that Narendra Modi assumed the charge of the office as a Prime Minister in May 2014. The viral picture has been available since February 2014 - before Modi became the PM.
Therefore, it is clear that the viral image has been passed on with a false claim. The picture was taken before Modi became the Prime Minister and the men are staff members of BJP's Gujarat state office in Gandhinagar.
