Fact-Check: Did Italian PM Refuse to Shake Hands With PM Modi?

We found a longer version of the video where we saw PM Modi shaking hands with Giorgia Meloni in New Delhi.

Fact-Check: PM Modi's photo with PM Meloni shared with misleading claim.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently visited India for a state visit. But a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting with his Italian counterpart is being shared online with a false claim.

The claim: Those sharing the photo claimed that PM Meloni refused to shake hands with PM Modi.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

(The same claim was also shared on Facebook.)

The truth: The claim is misleading. The photograph was taken when PM Meloni had her hands folded while PM Modi offered his hands for a handshake. However, after looking at PM Modi's hand, PM Meloni immediately shook his hand.

How did we find that out:

• We looked for videos of PM Modi welcoming PM Meloni and found a video on PMO India's official handle.

• The footage showed PM Modi and PM Meloni during the Ceremonial Reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

• The video began with PM Meloni arriving in a car and PM Modi receiving her, following which the two shook hands for the first time.

• She also meets with other cabinet ministers and shakes their hands.

• The viral image was taken around the 7:56 min mark in the video, just before PM Meloni was about to leave in the car.

Screenshot from the Ceremonial Reception.

(Source: YouTube/Screenshot)

• For a second, PM Meloni had her hands folded while PM Modi offered his hands for a handshake, but the confusion was soon cleared and both shook each other's hands.

Conclusion: It's clear that a false claim was shared with an image of PM Modi meeting his Italian counterpart in New Delhi.

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