A viral social media post claiming veteran Congress politician Motilal Vora touched the feet of former Congress President Rahul Gandh, is false.
Vora, a former union minister, is in the news on the backdrop of Gandhi finally breaking his silence this week on stepping down as party president.
According to the party's internal rules, Vora who is the senior most general secretary, is supposed to chair meetings and perform the routine duties of the president if the party president resigns as reported by NDTV.
BOOM received the below message on its WhatsApp helpline number (7700906111).
Viral WhatsApp message
The caption accompanying the photo claims, 'new president of Congress Motilal Vora (90 years) taking blessings from king Rahul by touching his feet…ex prime minister Manmohan Singh holds the bouquet given to Rahul as an obedient house help"
Viral on Twitter
The image was also viral on Twitter with the same caption.
Misleading tweet
Click here to view, and here for an archive.
Same image viral on Twitter
Click here to view, and here for an archive.
Sunil Jain, managing editor of the Financial Express had also shared the same image with the caption, "Good to see @INCIndia breaking free from the Gandhis as @RahulGandhi wanted. New President #Motilal Vora is not touching Rahul's feet for his blessings, he just slipped."
Deleted tweet
He latter on deleted the tweet citing "some confusion over the picture".
FACT-CHECK
The same image was previously viral in December 2018 and BOOM had previously fact-checked the image which was taken during the swearing-in ceremony of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
The person seen bowing in the photo is TS Singh Deo and not Motilal Vora as being claimed in the viral post.
A side-by-side comparison of the black sandals worn by the man in the photo and by Deo in another photograph on his official Facebook page, confirm it is the same person.
TS Singh Deo in the viral picture
Hindi newspaper Patrika had reported that Deo had bent down to pick up a stray thread emanating from Manmohan Singh’s bouquet. (Click here to view)
Screenshot of Patrika's epaper
BOOM had also spoken at that time to a local reporter who was present at the ceremony who claimed that Deo did not touch Gandhi’s feet in the said photograph.