Did the Modi government spend 400 crores to buy 50 armoured cars? Read More
Claim
In today’s shocking news: For a 2 day PR event for PM Modi in the run up to the 2024 elections, the Modi Govt is spending Rs. 400 crores for buying 50 armored cars. Get this: Rs. 400 crores for cars to be used for JUST 2 days? This would’ve been much cheaper if existing or leased cars were taken & refurbished & reinforced. But the Indian taxpayer will spend Rs. 400 crores for PM Modi’s vanity just so that he can please visiting G20 foreign dignitaries & use their photo-ops for his election PR.
Rating
Explanation
The above viral tweet was shared by Saket Gokhale, National spokesperson of All India Trinamool Congress, along with a screenshot of a DNA article. The DNA article title reads “Indian government buying 50 bulletproof Audi cars for G20 Summit, may cost over Rs 400 crore.”
Sakhet Gokhale, went on to claim that Rs. 400 crores are being spent for buying 50 armoured cars for a two-day PR event for PM Modi in the 2024 elections. He went on to add, that this would have been cheaper if leased cars were taken and then refurbished & reinforced. This same claim was also shared widely on social media with similar claims which can be seen here and here. Come, let’s check the veracity of this sensational claim.
What’s the truth?
When we started our research, with the relevant keywords, we found out that PIB had already marked that particular claim tweet as fake. Moreover, it said that the government is not buying 50 bulletproof Audi cars for the G20 Summit, instead they have leased 20 such cars for Rs 18 crore.
The PIB, further added that the provision of bulletproof cars is a standard protocol for all Heads of State/Heads of Government visits.
✔️ The Government of India has leased 20 Audi Bullet Resistant cars for 18 crores to accommodate the security needs of #G20 visiting Leaders. No cars have been purchased.
✔️Provision of BR cars is a standard protocol procedure for all HoS/HoG visits.
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— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) August 25, 2023
Coming to the article published by the DNA with a title, “Indian government buying 50 bulletproof Audi cars for G20 Summit, may cost over Rs 400 crore”, it has been removed and they have issued a Corrigendum, and changed the title to “G20 Summit 2023 preparations in full swing in Delhi, details inside”.
Moreover, the article has also gone under some alteration after the PIB report and now it clearly states, that “The G20 Summit 2023 in New Delhi is also a critical event from a security point of view and that is why the government of India has leased 20 Audi Bullet Resistant cars for Rs 18 crores to accommodate the security needs of visiting leaders.”
Thus, according to the PIB it is cleary proven that the claim of Modi government buying 50 armoured cars spending Rs 400 crores is false.
Conclusion:
Therefore, through our investigation we conclude that the above viral tweet is ciculated with false and misleading claims. Meantime, the Indian government has not purchased any cars but they have leased 20 Audi Bulletproof cars for Rs 18 crores to accommodate the security needs and it is said to be the standard protocol procedure.
