Photo falsely viral as PM Modi touched feet of IAS officer Aarti Dogra

A photo of PM Modi touching the feet of a dwarf woman has been shared with the claim that the woman is “Aarati Dogra, IAS Officer who was the chief architect behind renovation of Kashi Vishwanath Temple”.

Aarati Dogra, IAS Officer who was the chief architect behind renovation of Kashi Vishwanath Temple. She is rather too short (just Three Feet and 6 inches) BUT obtained 56th rank in the UPSC exam in her very first attempt; she is the daughter of sn Army Officer. pic.twitter.com/ul8qjtDDML

— BJP Barabanki (@bjp4bbk) December 20, 2021

BJP spokesperson Shaina NC also shared the claim.

Specially abled not physically challenged ,Aarati Dongra..IAS officer who was the chief architect behind the renovation of *Kashi Vishwanath temple* Modiji taking her blessings. संघ संस्कारीक , समॅपीॅत , संकल्पित स्वयंसेवक की नम्रता का दर्शन @narendramodi @blsanthosh @JPNadda pic.twitter.com/yeV6zksWyT

— Shaina NC (@ShainaNC) December 21, 2021

The photo has also been shared on Facebook pages and groups – Save Hindu Temples and ಕೊಡಕ್ಕಲ್ ಶಿವಪ್ರಸಾದ್ ಕೊಡಕ್ಕಲ್ (Kodakkal Shivaprasad Kodakkal).

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Furthermore, Alt News has received verification requests for the image and the accompanying claim on its WhatsApp helpline number (+91 7600011160).

False claim

The image was found on several news articles where the woman has been identified as Shikha Rastogi.

According to News18, PM Modi touched Rastogi’s feet when she bent down to touch his feet for blessings. Both the PM and UP CM Yogi Adityanath interacted with the woman. She also gave a bite to News18. The incident took place during the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.

The image has, therefore, been shared with the false claim that the woman is Aarti Dogra. The latter is an IAS officer of the 2006 Rajasthan cadre. She is 3-feet and six inches tall. Dogra is currently working as a Special Secretary in the CMO under the Government of Rajasthan. The architect of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor is Bimal Patel, who is also the centre’s consultant for the Central Vista Project.