Fact Check: Photo of Modi and Sonia sitting together makes a false claim of secret meeting between BJP and Congress
A photograph of PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sitting together is being shared with the claim that it is proof of a secret meeting between the BJP and Congress.
Hyderabad: A photograph of PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sitting together is being shared with the claim that it is proof of a secret meeting between the BJP and Congress.
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Fact Check:
The claim is false.
Using relevant keyword searches we found a report by Hindustan Times dated August 12, 2021, titled ‘PM Modi, Sonia Gandhi at Speaker’s meet with parties post Lok Sabha adjournment.’
The report stated: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi joined other party leaders in Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s chamber after the acrimonious monsoon session was adjourned sine die… The two leaders, however, didn’t speak to each other, according to two leaders present in the meeting.”
This meeting was reported by multiple reputed news outlets such as The Tribune and NDTV, which stated that leaders from different parties were present at the meeting, including Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and leaders from Akali Dal, BJD, Trinamool Congress, and the YSR Congress. These reports also stated that Prime Minister Modi and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi did not speak to each other during the meeting.
The Tribune report elaborated, “After days of disruptions and bad blood between the government and the opposition in the monsoon session of Parliament, there were happy faces today at a meeting of leaders called by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla post the adjournment of the House this morning… Also present in the meeting held at the Speaker’s chamber were Home Minister Amit Shah and leaders of all Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha.”
Hence, the claim is false. The claim that the photograph is proof of a secret meeting between the BJP and Congress is not true.
The photograph was from a meeting called by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla which was aimed to de-escalate tensions between the ruling and opposition parties after the acrimonious monsoon session of the Parliament.