A viral photo depicting President Droupadi Murmu standing while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani are seated has sparked misleading claims online, alleging disrespect toward the president by the PM and Advani. However, the India TV Fact Check team has debunked these claims, revealing that other photos from the same event show President Murmu comfortably seated alongside PM Modi and LK Advani.
Bharat Ratna ceremony
Recently, LK Advani was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, by President Droupadi Murmu in the presence of dignitaries including PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar. The ceremony was conducted at Advani’s residence due to his health constraints and mobility issues.
Misleading claims
Despite the actual seating arrangement captured in multiple photos from the event, a caption accompanying the viral photo criticizes PM Modi for purportedly sitting while the president stands, insinuating disrespect toward her authority. This false narrative has garnered attention on social media platforms.
Response from social media
Deputy Leader of the Shiv Sena and Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi shared the misleading photo, inviting viewers to caption it. Similarly, another user on Facebook shared the image with a similar misleading caption.
Debunking the misinformation
India TV Fact Check team’s investigation uncovered the truth behind the viral photo. While a video from the event does depict President Murmu standing, subsequent clips clearly show her seated alongside PM Modi and LK Advani after presenting Advani with the Bharat Ratna medal.
Contextual analysis
During the award conferral, other esteemed guests, including Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, were also seated, providing further context to the seating arrangements and debunking the false claims of disrespect toward President Murmu.
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