Visuals from 2017 viral as Punjab CM met Mukesh Ambani amid farmers’ protest

Several social media users have been sharing a picture and video of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh meeting Mukesh Ambani. They are being circulated with different captions. Many users are accusing Singh of indulging in politics instead of supporting the protesting farmers.

On December 7, Facebook page ‘Bhindi Bazaar’ shared this image and wrote, “A day before the Bharat Bandh, Mukesh Ambani met Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh in Mumbai. Mr. Singh has already supported Home Minister Amit Shah’s proposals regarding the farmers’ protests. The Punjab CM said that he had a conversation with Mr. Ambani about industrial and investment projects in Punjab. On the one hand, Congress is supporting the farmers’ protests and the Bharat Bandh and on the other, the CM of Punjab is meeting Ambani. What kind of politics is this?” (Archive link)

Similarly, several others also shared the video of Singh’s meeting with Ambani. Some alleged that this meeting was regarding the purchase of grain from farmers.

A few Twitter users also shared this video. (First tweet, second tweet)

Capt Amrinder Singh (Congress CM) meeting Mukesh Ambani in his own office to bring Reliance in farm sector to buy crops directly from them.
When same thing BJP did, they started feeling indigestion.
Pundin Hara le lo #गीता_भाटी_का_सैंडल_वापस_करो pic.twitter.com/so4VoOvPju

— Suyash Deep Rai (@suyashdeep) December 7, 2020

Fact-check

Photo

Alt News performed a keyword search on Google and found a link to Punjab Chief Minister’s tweet from October 31, 2017. He shared a picture with Mukesh Ambani and wrote that he was hoping to have a discussion about investment and industrial development opportunities for Punjab.

Happy to meet Mukesh Ambani Ji in Mumbai. Hope to discuss various investment and industrial development opportunities for Punjab. pic.twitter.com/L3xiiBCZds

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 31, 2017

Hindustan Times had also covered their meeting in a story dated October 31.

Video

A keyword search on YouTube led us to a video story by Zee Punjab Haryana Himachal (ZPHH). It was uploaded on October 31, 2017, and contains the same visuals which appear in the viral video.

We have compared the viral clip and video report below, which confirms that both were taken at the same meeting.

Apart from this, a Facebook page called News Hookah also shared the clip on October 31, 2017. Both videos have the same audio.

Therefore, the video and image in question are both three years old. The accompanying viral claim about Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh meeting Mukesh Ambani amid the ongoing farmer protests is completely false.