A photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi touching the feet of a differently-abled woman in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, state government officials is circulating on social media with netizens misidentifying the woman as IAS officer Arti Dogra.
BOOM found that the image shows Modi touching the feet of Shikha Rastogi, who met the PM shortly after he inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project on December 13 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati's part-time board member and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shaina Nana Chudasama tweeted the viral photo with a caption saying this is how PM Modi took "blessings" of "IAS officer who was the chief architect behind the renovation of Kashi Vishwanath temple" "Aarati Dongra".
Click here to view an archive version of the tweet.
The photo is being shared with a similar caption on Facebook.
Click here to view the post.
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Fact Check
BOOM performed a reverse image search on the viral photo and found the image on an Amar Ujala article published on December 16, 2021. The article mentioned the woman as Shikha Rastogi, a resident of Sigra area of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
We also found the same photo on a ZEE news report published on December 16, 2021. An excerpt from the article reads, "On seeing the woman, the PM immediately asked about her well-being, and when she stepped forward to take the Prime Minister's blessings, the PM stopped her and instead touched the woman's feet."
Speaking to AajTak, Shikha Rastogi shared her experience after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The interview can be seen below.
Who is IAS Officer Arti Dogra?
Arti Dogra, who hails from Uttarakhand, is a 2006 batch IAS Officer. She is known for her inspirational journey overcoming challenges to be part of the Indian bureaucracy. According to Rajasthan Government's website, Dogra is working as Special Secretary to Chief Minister of Rajasthan. She won national award for Inclusive Voter Education and Outreach in 2018 and motivated the citizens to cast their vote for the election.
Chief Architect of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor
BOOM did a keyword search to know about the chief architect of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project and found a DD India tweet posted on December 12, 2021. The tweet mentioned Dr. Bimal Patel as the chief architect of the mega facelift project. His interview about Kashi Vishwanath Dham can be seen on DD News' YouTube channel uploaded on December 12, 2021.
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