Fact Check: Was a hoarding comparing PM Modi with world leaders put up in Delhi ahead of G20 Summit?

As India hosts the Group of 20 (G20) Summit this weekend, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got into a spat over a poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Leaders of the Grand Old Party attacked the BJP for “disrespecting” global guests, leading to the saffron camp hitting back and accusing the Congress of peddling “fake news”. More than 40 heads of state of G20 nations and leaders of international organisations will gather in Delhi for the summit on 9 and 10 September. Just before these high-profile guests’ arrival, what was the poster controversy that erupted between the two national parties? Let’s understand. Congress slams BJP The row broke out on Thursday (7 September) after Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Shashi Tharoor shared a picture of a poster on their accounts on X, formerly Twitter, which congratulated Modi on being the world’s most popular leader. The hoarding showed the Indian prime minister towering over leaders of Mexico, Switzerland, Australia, Italy, Brazil and the United States. Khera, tagging BJP’s Vijay Goel, wrote on the social media platform, “Is this how we welcome our guests?” Tharoor said Indians practice “Atithi Devo Bhava” and called the poster “an insult” to “our guests”, a reference to the world leaders attending the G20 Summit in Delhi. Both the leaders later deleted their tweets. The hoarding in question The hoarding, which seems to have Goel’s name, was apparently put up after US-based business intelligence company Morning Consult’s global leader approval rating tracker revealed in early February this year that PM Modi is the most popular leader in the world with a 78 per cent approval rating. Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was second on the list with 68 per cent ratings, while Swiss president Alain Berset was third with 62 per cent approval ratings. Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese occupied the fourth position, followed by leaders of Italy and Brazil. United States president Joe Biden had a rating of 40 per cent, making him the seventh most popular global leader, as per Morning Consult. The existence of the hoarding can be traced back to at least April. The Associated Press image of the hoarding dates back to 6 April 2023. Another angle of what appears to be the same hoarding can be found in a Navbharat Times report on 12 April. BJP hits back Retweeting Khera’s post, BJP’s Goel accused him of spreading “fake news”. “This is fake news. No such hoarding has been put. Congress should desist from such petty politics at a time when India is hosting the world,” the BJP leader responded to Khera’s now-deleted tweet.

This is fake news. No such hoarding has been put. Congress should desist from such petty politics at a time when India is hosting the world. https://t.co/okbWbz9eQY

— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) September 7, 2023

Responding to Tharoor, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya tweeted, “Your colleague Pawan Khera has just been slammed for spreading fake news because no such poster has been put up”. “But it is not surprising that on the eve of the G20 summit, Congress uses image of an old hoarding to attack the Modi Govt,” he said, as per India Today. Dubbing Congress’ accusations “shameful”, Malviya said it “not only shows how bereft the Opposition is of any meaningful criticism but also underlines their scorched earth politics”. Delhi set for G20 Delhi is decked up to welcome the G20 guests. From murals to fountains, sculptures to posters, a dazzling National Capital is ready to host the world leaders. Banners bearing the G20 logo , the theme “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” — “One Earth. One Family. One Future” and some with PM Modi’s picture have also come up. In view of the VVIP movement, the Delhi Police have imposed certain curbs in the city, which will come into place 8 September. The G20 leaders will start arriving from today, with Biden reaching in the evening. He will hold bilateral talks with Modi soon after his arrival. [caption id=“attachment_13096492” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Delhi is decked up to host the G20 leaders over the weekend. AP File Photo[/caption] British prime minister Rishi Sunak, Canada prime minister Justin Trudeau and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida are among other leaders attending the two-day conclave. Russian president Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping will be skipping the gathering. Pedro Sánchez, the president of Spain – who was a special invitee of India – will be giving the summit a miss as he has tested positive for COVID-19. “This afternoon I have tested positive for COVID and will not be able to travel to New Delhi for the G20 Summit. I feel fine,” he wrote on X. Leaders of Bangladesh, Egypt, Netherlands, Mauritius, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman are the other special invitees. The G20 Summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan. With inputs from agencies