This is a Photo of PM Modi at the Entrance of a Gurudwara, Not Inside a Washroom

The photograph was from December 2020, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.

Fact-Check | A photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi washing his hands has gone viral with a misleading claim.

(Source: Altered by The Quint)

A photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi washing his hands is going viral with a claim that he took a cameraperson and his personal security inside a washroom with him.

The claims tried to take a dig at the prime minister by claiming he did a photo shoot inside the washroom.

However, we found that the claims were misleading. The photograph was from December 2020, when PM Modi visited Gurudwara Shri Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi. We looked at pictures and videos of the place and noticed that the washbasin, where PM Modi was washing his hands, was an open area at the entrance of the Gurudwara.

CLAIM

The photograph was shared by several people online with a caption that read, "70 साल में पहली बार किसी PM के वॉशरूम में भी कैमरामैन और सिक्युरिटी साथ रहता है!".

[Translation: For the first time in 70 years, a cameraman and security also go into the washroom with the PM.]

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

Archives of more such posts on Facebook and Twitter can be found here and here.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

We conducted a keyword search and found several news reports carrying photographs of the prime minister in a similar attire.

A report in The Quint published on 20 December 2020 said that the photos were taken when PM Modi visited Gurudwara Rakab Ganj in Delhi and paid tribute to Guru Tegh Bahadur.

A link to the article can be found here. 

(Photo: The Quint/Screenshot)

While going through the search results, we found the same photograph on Shutterstock, a stock images website. We noticed that the washbasin was next to a flight of stairs and didn't seem to be inside a closed washroom.

A link to the photograph can be found here. 

(Source: Shutterstock/Screenshot)

Taking a cue from the news reports, we looked for photographs/videos of the Gurudwara.

We found a 2017 video published on a United Kingdom-based Punjabi TV channel called Akaal Channel.

The video showed interviews with Sikh groups who opposed "kar sewa" in the Gurudwara. While the reporter was walking through the Gurudwara, we spotted the washbasin that PM Modi was using in the viral video at around the 8:14 mark. We compared the two and noticed a few similarities.

Comparison of the viral image with Akaal TV.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

We also found a photograph on Google that showed the washbasin at the entrance of the Gurudwara. 

Image of the entrace found on Google.

(Source: Google Images/Screenshot)

It's important to note that it is a usual practise to wash one’s hands and feet before entering a Gurudwara, which explains the washbasin at the entrance.

Evidently, a photograph of PM Modi washing his hands at a washbasin present at the entrance of a Gurudwara was shared with a misleading claim that he took a cameraperson and a security guard inside the washroom for a photo opportunity.

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