Did Merkel Ignore Modi’s Handshake Again? Here’s What Happened

One can’t call this a snub, as Merkel seemed to be leading Modi towards a photo-op spot where the two shook hands.

PM Minister Narendra Modi with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. (Photo: Reuters)

These days, a lot of focus seems to be on the hand language' of political leaders. First, it was US President Donald Trump apparently getting snubbed by his wife Melania Trump when trying to hold her hand during a visit to Israel last month. And now, it's our very own Prime Minister Narendra Modi! His handshake offer to German Chancellor Angela Merkel was not really reciprocated during a joint press conference in Germany. A video of the same has gone viral on social media.

However, one might not call this a "snub", as Merkel seemed to be leading Modi towards a spot in front of the flags of the two countries and that of the European Union. And there, the two happily shook hands!

Also Read: Modi’s Berlin Visit Signals Asian Pivot for Atlanticist Merkel

What more, the video looks eerily similar to one of Modi's trip to Germany in April 2015. At the time, many wondered whether the gesture could be inferred as Merkel snubbing Modi.

Reacting to the incident, Buzzfeed news, in an article, has even come up with a conspiracy theory about how political leaders may position themselves to the right, when shaking hands, to appear as the dominant figure.

Gaurav Pandhi, who is incharge of digital communications for the Congress according to his Twitter handle, shared a side-by-side video of the two incidents:

The Prime Minister visited Germany as part of his four-nation tour, with the countries being Spain, Russia and France. During his trip to Germany, issues such as terrorism, climate change and free trade were touched upon.

Also Read: PM Modi Pays Homage At St Petersburg’s WWII Cemetery