A screengrab showing union home minister Amit Shah walking along with president Ram Nath Kovind in Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave is viral with misleading claims that the former disrespected the president of India by walking on the red carpet, while he walked on bare ground.
Netizens have misleadingly linked the narrative viral with the screengrab to the renaming of the Motera stadium to Narendra Modi stadium. Ram Nath Kovind was on a two-day visit to Gujarat to inaugurate the cricket stadium renamed after prime minister Narendra Modi on February 24. Kovind also performed 'bhumi pujan' of the Sardar Patel Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave; Narendra Modi stadium is part of the sports enclave.
The ceremony was attended by Union home minister Amit Shah and Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju.
The caption on Facebook takes a dig at the 'disrespect' shown by the Bharatiya Janata Party, to the head of state of India. It reads, "Ahmedabad: Modi government accorded respect to Sardar Patel by naming a stadium after Narendra Modi. The same day home minister Amit Shah showed his respect towards president Kovind when he walked the red carpet and made the president walk off the carpet..only BJP can shower so much respect."
(Original text in Hindi: अहमदाबाद: मोदी सरकार ने स्टेडियम का नाम अपने नाम करके सरदार पटेल को सम्मान दिया उसी दिन गृहमंत्री शाह ने भी रेड कार्पेट पर चलकर और राष्ट्रपति कोविंद जी को रेड कार्पेट से बाहर चलवाकर भरपूर सम्मान दिया .....इतना सम्मान भाजपा ही दे सकती है)
The image has been widely shared on Facebook with similar caption. See a post below.
The tweet is archived here.
BOOM also received the screengrab on its helpline number.
Fact Check
The viral image features a logo of NDTV. A video report by NDTV that was broadcast on February 24 captures the same viral visuals when President Kovind and Amit Shah can be seen walking together. (See 3 Mins 11 seconds)
BOOM also checked the footage uploaded by DD News.
After starting off the prayers of bhumi pujan, Kovind along with Amit Shah went to inaugurate the Narendra Modi stadium. From 4 minute 46 second onwards Kovind can be seen walking on the red carpet along with Amit Shah. According to the voiceover, they then move to another section of the sports enclave to digitally inaugurate the stadium.