Claim: Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar was asked to move to the back during Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration.
Fact: This claim is false. The full video reveals that the woman in the viral clip was asking a cameraperson, not S Jaishankar, to move to the back.
The Viral Claim
A video clip from Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration on January 20, when he was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, has gone viral. Social media users allege that a woman approached Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, who represented India at the event, and asked him to move to the back. The clip further claims Jaishankar refused the request, leading to widespread criticism of him online.
One such post read:
“Jaishankar was asked to stand in the back row at the presidential ceremony and he shamelessly refused. What more shame can he bring to the world’s largest democracy!”
The Reality: What Really Happened
Our investigation revealed that the viral claims are misleading. Here’s what actually occurred:
- Source of the Clip:
The viral clip features a watermark reading “JICCC,” which stands for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. The committee live-streamed the inauguration on its official YouTube channel. - Jaishankar’s Position:
From the beginning of the ceremony, S Jaishankar was seated in the front row alongside other dignitaries. - The Viral Moment in Context:
- At 3:08:19 in the live-streamed video, a cameraperson can be seen sitting beside Jaishankar while others were standing.
- The cameraperson then moved directly in front of Jaishankar to take photos of the stage.
- At 3:08:53, a woman approached the cameraperson, tapped her shoulder, and gestured for her to move to the back.
- By 3:09:18, the cameraperson had relocated to the back, leaving Jaishankar undisturbed in his front-row seat.
- Independent Verification:
Videos from multiple sources, including other news portals, confirm that Jaishankar remained in the front row throughout the ceremony.
Conclusion
The viral claims suggesting that S Jaishankar was asked to move to the back during Donald Trump’s inauguration are false. The woman in the clip was addressing a cameraperson, not Jaishankar. He remained seated in the front row throughout the event.
This misleading claim highlights the importance of verifying information before sharing it online.