Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Claim
Old photo of PM Narendra Modi with alleged conman Kiran Patel during a US visit
Fact
Man in the extreme left in the photo that was taken in 1994 is Union minister G Kishan Reddy and not Kiran Patel
Several social media users are circulating an old photo, claiming it to be of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Kiran Patel (extreme left), the alleged conman who was reportedly arrested by the J&K Police for posing as an additional director of the PMO. The viral photo is claimed to have been taken during Modi’s visit to the US in the 1990s.
The archived version of the tweet can be seen here.
Fact check
Newschecker first ran a reverse image search of the viral photo, which led us to multiple news reports featuring the same image. The reports can be seen here, here, here and here.
According to an Indian Express report, dated September 26, 2014, the viral photo shows “Narendra Modi (2nd from left) outside the White House in Washington in 1994 along with G Kishan Reddy (1st from left), currently BJP State President, Telangana.” The other reports, too, identify the man on the extreme left as G Kishan Reddy.
Taking a cue from this, we ran a keyword search for “G Kishan Reddy Modi Photo White House”, which led us to Reddy’s Facebook post. Secunderabad MP Reddy, who is Union Minister For Culture, Tourism And Development Of North Eastern Region, uploaded the photo on September 25, 2014, as part of a set of nine.
The Facebook post read, “20 years ago in 1994 Sri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, visited USA on the invitation of ACYPL (American Council of Young Political Leaders). I was part of his team along with Sri Ananth Kumar Union Minister for fertilizers and Chemicals and today he is visiting USA again as the proud Prime Minister of India. Let us greet him to make this historic movement in Indo-US relation. Here are a few pictures from my memory-lane which I feel to share with you to reminisce the occasion.”
Neither the news reports, nor Reddy’s Facebook post, mention Patel.
We reached out to Reddy, who said, “None of the persons in this picture is Mr. Kiran Bhai Patel, the alleged conman…”
UPDATE: This copy was updated on 24/03/2023 to include the quote of G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister For Culture, Tourism And Development Of North Eastern Region.
Conclusion
It is Union minister G Kishan Reddy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the photo taken outside the White House in 1994, not alleged conman Kiran Patel.
Result: False
Sources
Indian Express report, September 26, 2014
G Kishan Reddy’s Facebook post, September 25, 2014
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
