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| - Fact Check: Photo of PM Modi hugging Justin Trudeau is NOT from 2023 G20 Summit
India Today's investigation found that the photograph is more than five years old.
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India Today Fact Check
This photo is more than five years old. It was taken during Trudeau’s India visit in 2018.
Amid escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Canada regarding the killing of pro-Khalistan Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a photograph featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau, hugging surfaced on social media. Claims accompanying the photo suggest that it was shot during the recently concluded G20 Summit in New Delhi.
India Today found that the photograph is more than five years old. Most media reports note that while Modi and Trudeau behaved cordially during the G20 Summit, neither extended much warmth towards the other.
OUR INVESTIGATION
A reverse search of the photograph led us to multiple media reports from February 2018 that featured it with credits to Agence France-Presse. Further investigation brought us to the original image uploaded to the AFP website.
The photo was taken during a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on February 23, 2018. Trudeau and his family were on an official week-long trip to India. PM Modi, as per reports, met Trudeau six days after his arrival and signed several agreements reaffirming Indo-Canadian ties.
This proves that the photo in question is not from the G20 Summit in New Delhi at all.
But, did Modi and Trudeau hug at the G20?
On September 9, PM Modi personally greeted every head of state and other top dignitaries at the G20 Summit. Modi received his guests in a designated area featuring a prominent Konark Wheel inside the newly constructed Bharat Mandapam.
According to a Times of India report, leaders like US President Joe Biden and British PM Rishi Sunak were welcomed with warm hugs and smiles. In contrast, leaders of two countries with whom India currently has difficult relationships, China and Canada, were greeted formally.
Several media reports noted Modi's “reserved” reception of Canadian PM Trudeau and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who received only handshakes and smiles at the Bharat Mandapam. A video of Modi welcoming Trudeau at the Bharat Mandapam can be viewed below.
According to Reuters, Modi, who held bilateral meetings with many world leaders during the G20 Summit, did not hold one with Trudeau. However, on September 10, Modi tweeted that he had a discussion on India-Canada ties with Trudeau “on the sidelines of the G20 Summit”. According to Modi’s website, he also conveyed strong concerns about “anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada” during their meeting.
We were unable to locate any credible reports confirming Modi hugging his Canadian counterpart at the G20 Summit. Nonetheless, we were also unable to independently verify whether Modi extended any friendly gestures to the Canadian PM during the two-day event.
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