No, Modi did not take photographers with him while going to a toilet

Claim

Rating

Explanation

A picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being shared virally in social media claiming that he had taken 37 photos even when visiting washroom whereas a man visiting moon takes just 5 photos. An accusation is made that the PM is taking photographers with him even when visiting the toilet. This was even shared by T.R.B.Raja, a DMK MLA from Tamil Nadu.

What’s the truth?

When we searched online for the source image, we found that it was taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in New Delhi near the Parliament House. It was constructed in 1783 on the cremation site of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, who was martyred in 1675 on the orders of Aurangzeb. Prime Minister’s visit to the Gurudwara can be confirmed using his tweet made on 20^th December 2020.

This morning, I prayed at the historic Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, where the pious body of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji was cremated. I felt extremely blessed. I, like millions around the world, am deeply inspired by the kindnesses of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji. pic.twitter.com/ECveWV9JjR

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 20, 2020

With the images attached in the tweet, we can confirm that the virally shared image was taken on that day. We further searched online using keywords which led us to an article from The Free Press Journal. In the article, we can find the full image that was cropped to create the viral image. With the image, we can confirm that it was taken at the Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib with staircase visible on the left side of the image.

When we further searched from the user uploaded images on Google Maps tagged to the Gurudwara, we found several images confirming that it was taken at the Gurudwara. It is an open area which is accessible to all for washing themselves. It is a custom to wash one’s hands and feet before entering religious sites such as Gurudwaras, Temples or Mosques.

In addition to that, a vlog uploaded on YouTube on the channel named ‘Gurpreet Kaur’ shows the hand wash area in the Gurudwara that is located near the staircase.

Conclusion

In our search, we find that the viral claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took photographers even when he visited a toilet is false. It is a public wash area located in the open area of the Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.