In a recent social media frenzy, a video purportedly showcasing a golden statue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been widely circulated, with claims that it was crafted in Saudi Arabia. This viral content gained traction following the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India, where he attended the G20 summit in New Delhi and subsequently embarked on a state visit. During this visit, both nations emphasised their commitment to strengthening cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, and defense.
India TV did a fact check
To discern the authenticity of this viral video, India TV Fact Check team conducted a thorough investigation. Initially, we conducted a keyword search using phrases like "Narendra Modi statue gold Saudi Arabia," but no credible news reports emerged from this inquiry.
Subsequently, we performed a reverse image search on keyframes extracted from the viral video, leading us to a YouTube video dated January 11, 2023, entitled "156 gm Wax Gold Statue of Narendra Modi."
Further research led us to an ANI News report dated January 21, 2023, which revealed, "To commemorate the landslide victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Gujarat assembly elections, a jewelry manufacturing company from Surat city has carved a gold idol of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As the BJP won 156 out of 182 seats, the weight of the idol was kept at 156 gm."
Multiple news reports corroborated this information, confirming that the gold statue of PM Narendra Modi was crafted by a jeweler in Surat, not in Saudi Arabia.
"The jeweler, Basant Bohra, who hails from Rajasthan and had been settled in Surat for the last 20 years, is the owner of Radhika chains, a product by Veli Beli brand. The bust with 4.5-inch length and 3-inch width weighs 156g, which according to Bohra, was a reference to the 156 seats won by the BJP in the recently-concluded Assembly elections," reported the NDTV on January 20, 2023. The viral video also prominently displays the brand name.
Conclusion
Contrary to the claims circulating on social media, the alleged golden statue of PM Narendra Modi purportedly made in Saudi Arabia has been conclusively debunked. The statue was, in fact, crafted by a jeweler in Surat to commemorate the BJP's victory in the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections. This incident underscores the importance of fact-checking and verifying information in the age of digital misinformation.
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