An image circulating on social media shows AITC leaders Mahua Moitra and Sayani Ghosh appearing to be asleep during a Parliament session (here & here). The post claims they fell asleep during the session. This article aims to fact-check that claim.
Claim: Viral image of AITC MP’s Mahua Moitra and Sayani Ghosh appearing to be asleep during a Parliament session.
Fact: The frame extracted the moment Mahua Moitra and Sayani Ghosh lowered their eyes while thumping the bench during Arvind Ganpat Sawant’s address in Parliament is being misrepresented as if they were caught napping. However, both leaders raised their heads immediately afterward. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral image depicts both MPs as napping. However, they were merely lowering their eyes while thumping the benches during a speech by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Ganpat Sawant. A YouTube search with relevant keywords provided the full footage of the Parliament session.
According to the footage, the viral excerpt is from the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, during which Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Ganpat Sawant congratulated Om Birla on being re-elected as Lok Sabha Speaker. At the 1:57 timestamp of his address, Sawant can be heard saying, “What we need is harmony, not hatred.” At this point, MPs seated behind Sawant, including Mahua Moitra and Sayani Ghosh, began thumping their desks. It was at this moment that Moitra and Ghosh lowered their eyes.
However, they immediately raised their heads. The moment when both leaders lowered their eyes was captured and shared with claims that they were caught napping in Parliament.
To sum up, the moment when Mahua Moitra and Sayani Ghosh lowered their eyes is being misrepresented as them taking a nap in Parliament.
