Fact Check: No, PM Modi Did Not Wave At Empty Train During Bogibeel Bridge Inauguration

On December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s longest railroad bridge and also flagged off Tinsukia-Naharlagun Express train which links Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh to Tinsukia in Assam.

A video clip of Modi, supposedly waving at an empty train on the Bogibeel railroad bridge went viral on social media. Many people on the social media which included Facebook pages with large followings and even opposition mocked the Prime Minister once the video surfaced.

The claim: Modi waved at an empty train

Alt News after conducting a fact check found that FekuExpress, a Facebook page had shared the video which had crossed over 3 lakh views and had been shared 11,000 times. The video has since then been removed by the page.

However, the video was in turn shared by others on Facebook as well as on Twitter.

The 27-seconds-long video which has an ANI logo shows Modi standing on the bridge while waving at the train which was stationed beneath it.

Shared by many

Brijesh Kalappa, spokesperson of Indian National Congress shared the same video on Twitter and suggested that there was “No one down there to be waved at.” Maharastra Congress Spokesperson, Sachin Sawant also posted a series of pictures of the inauguration ceremony and said, “Fake Photo-op at his best.”

Modi Wave exists. It does. Can you see an unusual character waving?! Just that there is no one down there to be waved at. That's the Modi Wave for you. pic.twitter.com/QwR0kbu2iT

— Brijesh Kalappa (@brijeshkalappa) December 26, 2018

If you see closely, there was nobody to whom @narendramodi ji is waving at. People were long under the #BogibeelBridge and people in train on the other side can not see anything from that angle.
Fake Photo-op at his best. pic.twitter.com/EY049bwNIx

— Sachin Sawant (@sachin_inc) December 26, 2018

Suggesting the PM was waving at an “imaginary crowd,” Khushbu Sundar, National Spokesperson of the Congress also tweeted the video.

Waving at an imaginary crowd @narendramodi ji??? Aale illadha kadaile yaarukku aiyya tea aathuringe??How much more due to intend to apend on self promotion???? Guys don't miss the trolley n camera shadow on the wall..always acting..when will you actually work PM ji??? pic.twitter.com/hX1AissJ9K

— Khushbu Sundar.. (BJPwaalon ab thoda araam karlo) (@khushsundar) December 25, 2018

The reality reveals the truth

The false claims by individuals as well as Facebook pages can easily be refuted by checking the full version of the videos which have already been posted on YouTube. The video shows people were indeed aboard the train. The official channel of PMO India uploaded a video on its Youtube channel where people can be seen waving at the Prime Minister from inside the train.

In the longer version of the edited video by ANI, similar visuals of people sitting inside the train can be seen.

Press Information Bureau (PIB) has also tweeted images of the train which refutes false claims.

PM @narendramodi flagging off the first passenger train passing through the #BogibeelBridge in Assam. pic.twitter.com/0ec7CAiy1v

— PIB India (@PIB_India) December 25, 2018

The Logical Indian take

As citizens of the country, we have a certain responsibility. While trolls and parody accounts have taken the responsibility upon themselves to share as much false information as possible, it is our responsibility to differentiate between what is true and what isn’t, while making others aware about the issue too.

Creating or sharing fake news is never justified. We have a responsibility to verify everything that we post on the internet. To ensure that our national debate is healthy and well-informed, each and every one of us has a responsibility of treating what we read with a pinch of salt, a spoonful of doubt, and a flood of research.

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