A video is getting viral where people are sitting at a long table for a feast and eating with their hands. Social media users are claiming that it showed UK PM Rishi Sunak’s office staff enjoying a traditional Pongal feast hosted by the prime minister in London.
Many Media Houses like Zee News Kannada, The New Indian, and India TV etc also shared the video with the same claim. Times Now too shared a similar claim but later corrected it.
Many Twitter users too shared the video praising Rishi Sunak for organizing Pongal lunch.
https://twitter.com/WeekendInvestng/status/1615213417517944832?s=20&t=8m-K78bqCHmwm6sTnZoe5g
Fact Check:
To investigate the viral video DFRAC team tried to search the video by using specific keywords like “police” “banana leaf” “eating with hand” etc and found an original video on the Facebook uploaded by the Tamil culture association.
Further, we found a tweet by the mayor of Waterloo, Dorothy McCabe, posted on 15 January with the caption that said, “Thank you to the local @waterlootamils community for a wonderful evening of entertainment, enjoyment and delicious food!
https://twitter.com/DorothyMcCabe/status/1614495374697238529?s=20&t=xf9ZvH4VfBzcN5nLOaGENA
Then we too found a tweet of Rishi Sunak where he wished everyone on the occasion of Pongal but he did not host any meal for the same.
https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1614195918177439750?s=20&t=xMI4eeyoSatN95vktCOyzQ
Conclusion:
The claim made by many media houses and social media users is fake as Rishi Sunak did not organise and meal on the occasion of Pongal.
