Pakistan-based accounts have shared the claim stating that Saudi Arabia has rejected India’s request for a meeting in New York. These accounts have further shared an article by India Today with a title, “Indian delegation requested for a meeting with Saudi officials on the sidelines of the UNGA session, but the request has not been entertained.”
Multiple users have shared the claim, which can be viewed here and here.
Fact Check
Upon investigation, we found the claim to be fake. This month, during the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, around 150 heads of state and government and representatives from nearly all UN member states gathered to address pressing global issues. However, there is no public statement from either India’s Ministry of External Affairs or the Saudi Foreign Ministry confirming a refusal to meet in New York.
We cross-checked the India Today website by searching keywords from the alleged headline, such as “Indian delegation,” “Saudi officials,” and “UNGA session.” No such article appeared in the results. To verify further, we checked the Wayback Machine, but again found no record of the claimed report. Additionally, we reached out to India Today journalist and fact-checker Jyoti Dwivedi, who confirmed that no such article was ever published. This indicates the circulated screenshot is fabricated.
Conclusion
The claim circulated by Pakistan-based accounts is fake. While both India and Saudi Arabia participated in the UNGA High-Level Week in New York, there is no evidence or official confirmation that Saudi Arabia rejected a meeting request from India. Also, the India Today article shared along with the claim is also fabricated.
