Old Video of Rishi Sunak’s Temple Visit Goes Viral As Recent

Claim

The video shows the newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak performing Hindu religious rituals while entering (Graha Pravesh) 10 Downing Street, the official residence and the office of the British PM.

Fact Check

The viral claim is false. This video of Rishi Sunak is not recent but is over two months old. The video was shot when Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty visited Bhaktivedanta Manor temple in Watford town in England on the occasion of Janmashtami.

Rishi Sunak himself shared the photos of the visit on August 18, 2022, on his Facebook and Twitter pages. The photos show Rishi and Akshata wearing the same clothes as seen in the viral video. 

Pictures of Rishi Sunak and Akshata were also posted on the Facebook page of Bhaktivedanta Manor temple on August 18, 2022. On comparing these photos with the viral video, we can ascertain that they were shot during the same event. Many news outlets also reported on Rishi Sunak’s visit to Bhaktivedanta Manor temple, and carried similar images.

During the time of the visit, Rishi Sunak was in the fray to be Britain’s Prime Minister. He later lost to Liz Truss, who eventually stepped down 45-days into her government, paving way for Sunak to get the top job and become the first Indian-origin PM of the UK. 

Thus, our findings help us conclude that an old video of Rishi Sunak and his wife meeting with a Hindu priest in a temple has been falsely shared as a video showing the couple performing Hindu rituals while entering 10 Downing Street.

Result: False

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