Fact Check: Was Boris Johnson the first British PM to visit Gujarat? News sites fall for faulty info
India Today
Boris Johnson was the second UK PM to visit Gujarat. In 1978, then PM James Callaghan visited Gujarat as a guest of then Indian PM Morarji Desai.
Following Boris Johnson’s recent Gujarat visit, many national and international media outlets claimed that he was the first British Prime Minister to visit the western Indian state.
Among the ones calling him “the first UK PM to visit Gujarat” were publications like the BBC, The Times of India, and The Economic Times.
Industrialist Gautam Adani too amplified this claim. The archived version of his tweet can be seen here.
Honoured to host @BorisJohnson, the first UK PM to visit Gujarat, at Adani HQ. Delighted to support climate & sustainability agenda with focus on renewables, green H2 & new energy. Will also work with UK companies to co-create defence & aerospace technologies. #AtmanirbharBharat pic.twitter.com/IzoRpIV6ns
The India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found the claim was untrue. The British High Commission confirmed to India Today that in 1978, then British PM James Callaghan visited Ahmedabad as a guest of then Indian PM Morarji Desai.
