Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Ruby leads editorial, operations and initiatives at Newschecker. In her former avatar at New Delhi Television (NDTV), India’s leading national news network, she was a news anchor, supervising producer and senior output editor. Her over a decade-long career encompasses ground-breaking reportage from conflict zones and reporting on terror incidents, election campaigns, and gender issues. Ruby is an Emmy-nominated producer and has handled both local and international assignments, including the coverage of Arab Spring in 2011, the US Presidential elections in 2016, and ground reportage on the Kashmir issue since 2009.
Claim
Prime Minister Modi dancing Garba
We also received the same claim on our WhatsApp tipline (+91 9999499044) requesting it to be fact checked.
Also read: Viral Photo Of Shubman Gill With Sara Tendulkar Found To Be Doctored
Fact
Newschecker began by conducting a keyword search on X (formerly Twitter) and found that many people have shared the same video, claiming to show the prime minister modi dancing garba. While scanning through the conversations, we found one response that shared a screenshot of what appeared to be an Instagram story, with the text ‘someone else’.
The screenshot posted on the platform showed a man dressed like PM Modi, in his iconic white beard, jacket, kurta and shawl, standing in front of a microphone, while women, dressed in the same attire as the viral video, are seen standing a little distance away, applauding.
The name of the page that posted the story was observed to be ‘vikas_mahante’. Newschecker looked up the page on Instagram, and found that the creator of the page was an actor who impersonated Modi for entertainment purposes. “Actor | Businessman | Social Worker,” the bio of the page read. We also found a video posted one day ago, which showed the actor in the same clothes as seen in the video. It also showed him greeting the dancers seen in the viral video. The caption of the post read ‘Chief guest at London Diwali mela’.
We further contacted the public relations manager of the actor, who confirmed that it was indeed Mahante in the viral video.
He also shared with us, more images from the event.
Vikas Mahante, who hails from Mumbai’s Malad locality, is a doppelganger of the prime minister and the 52-year-old is a favourite for political parties during the campaigns, a report on the Hindustan Times read. “Recounting his first ever encounter with the premier, Mahante shares how Modi checked him out from head to toe and kept laughing non-stop.” the article further noted.
Thus, we find that the viral video does not show Prime Minister Modi dancing garba, but his doppleganger and actor Vikas Mahante.
Result: False
Our Sources
Response on X by @devg311988, dated November 8, 2023
Video post on Instagram by Vikas Mahante, dated November 8, 2023
Telephone conversation with Pratik Mahante, son & public relations manager of Vikas Mahante
Report by Hindustan Times on Vikas Mahante, dated Feb 21, 2017
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Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Ruby leads editorial, operations and initiatives at Newschecker. In her former avatar at New Delhi Television (NDTV), India’s leading national news network, she was a news anchor, supervising producer and senior output editor. Her over a decade-long career encompasses ground-breaking reportage from conflict zones and reporting on terror incidents, election campaigns, and gender issues. Ruby is an Emmy-nominated producer and has handled both local and international assignments, including the coverage of Arab Spring in 2011, the US Presidential elections in 2016, and ground reportage on the Kashmir issue since 2009.
