Fact-check: Did Manmohan Singh touch Sonia Gandhi's feet? - Alt News
Pooja Chaudhuri
29th June 2018 / 5:37 pm / Last updated: 9th July 2018
Facebook page फिर एक बार मोदी सरकार (Phir ek bar Modi Sarkar) shared an image of a turbaned man touching Sonia’s Gandhi’s feet, claiming it to be former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The photograph with the text – “India’s greatest economist Dr. Manmohan Singh”, has nearly 2,000 likes and more than 8,500 shares.
चाटो चाटो चाटो यही तुम्हारी औकात है कांग्रेसी चमचो
Posted by फिर एक बार मोदी सरकार on Thursday, 28 June 2018
The image has been subsequently shared by numerous right-wing pages. BJP All India’s post drew nearly 4,000 likes and 3,000 shares.
Posted by Bjp All India on Thursday, 28 June 2018
The image was also shared by We Support Amit Shah Modi Mission 2019 and Vote 4 BJP, among others. In May, a user on social media tweeted the same image with an identical claim. It drew more than 200 likes.
pic.twitter.com/uYwTgRLC2i
— ಶಕುಂತಲ ರಾಜ್ (@Rajshakunthala) March 14, 2018
The photograph in question has been circulating across social media channels in recent years, either purported as an image of the former PM or Congress MLA Navjot Singh Siddhu touching Sonia Gandhi’s feet. Hoaxslayer reported last year on the two different contexts used to circulate the image.
@sherryontopp we knw u sold ur soul bt plz don’t disrespect #Sherry n #GuruGovind. True Sikh will never bent infront of anyone. pic.twitter.com/AuHboIM9VS
— Anti- Conversion (@anti_conversion) January 17, 2017
A simple reverse Google image search reveals that the photograph is of 2011 and the man touching Gandhi’s feet is a Congress representative. Getty images posted the photograph with the caption – “A representative touches the feet of Sonia Gandhi as Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi looks on during the Indian Youth Congress’ national level convention of Elected Office Bearers in New Delhi on Tuesday – November 29, 2011.”
Getty Images is an American stock photo agency that supplies licensed images to businesses, creative professionals and the media. Owing to its credibility, most media outlets across the world are subscribed to its database.
Old images often recirculate with false narratives for political propaganda. Former PM Manmohan Singh has often been in the crosshairs of rumour-mongers who have sought his continuous portrayal as Sonia Gandhi’s lackey.
Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News.
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