Founding editor of the leftist propaganda website The Wire, Siddharth Varadarajan on Tuesday tweeted that he was asked for proof of vaccination or a vaccination certificate in a Paris restaurant. In the tweet, Varadarajan also attempted to make fun of Prime Minister Modi.
Paris cafe. Waiter wants vaccination proof.
— Siddharth (@svaradarajan) September 21, 2021
I show my certificate from India. He looks at photo printed on it and says disapprovingly, ‘But this is not you’. ‘Quite right, that’s our Dear Leader’, I say. ‘But why is HIS photo on YOUR certificate?’ he asks.
I have no answer.
Varadarajan claimed that while at a cafe in Paris, a waiter asked him for his vaccination certificate. According to Varadarajan, the waiter ‘disapprovingly’ compared picture on the vaccination certificate with Varadarajan and exclaimed how it was Varadarajan himself. Varadarajan then said how it was ‘Dear Leader’ (PM Modi) on the certificate and the waiter then wondered why it did not have Varadarajan’s picture instead.
Essentially, Varadarajan, who is an American citizen, was asked to provide for his vaccine certificate in a cafe in Paris and he was able to show how he was fully (or partially) vaccinated in India. But of course, we are to believe the waiter discussed ‘Modi pic’ on the certificate with him instead.
Twitter users were left intrigued by the tweet but soon spotted that something might be wrong and they started suspecting that Varadarajan might be conjuring up fiction.
Even if this obviously concocted story were to be considered true – What kind of a Stone Age person are you?
— Sandeep Bangia 🇮🇳 (@sandeepbangia) September 21, 2021
You shud have shown him the ‘Fully Vaccinated’ certificate in the Digital format on your mobile.
And to which he wouldn’t have an answer. #Vaccination https://t.co/odE9Fqoib3
Since June, France has deployed a COVID pass/certificate for everyone above 18 (Passe Sanitaire) when it comes to accessing public places, which is the main health proof for vaccinations that works there, something you’d know even before boarding the flight.
— Rishap Vats (@VatsRishap) September 21, 2021
So…. https://t.co/Bf2LDmL1Xc
One user named Sandeep Bangia commented that he believed the story is concocted and questioned Varadarajan why he could not show his fully vaccinated certificate in a digital format. Another one called Rishap Vats mentioned that France issued Covid pass/certificate for everyone above 18 for accessing public places which is the main health proof for vaccinations.
@Twitter what is the procedure to get a manipulated news tag on a tweet.
— Vikas Sharma (@neogerot) September 21, 2021
This person @svaradarajan is spreading false manipulated stories to mock India’s fight with COVID. https://t.co/CrZqULgcHG
Yeh script toh copied hai
— Swathi Bellam (@BellamSwathi) September 21, 2021
Same WhatsApp group hai kya ? https://t.co/yQRH2FnZtF pic.twitter.com/oeEI61kLAh
US citizen Sid who has taken an Indian vaccine comes up with his own version of ” The vaccine photos ain’t mine ” fictional series which is a hit amongst the Left Liberal Cabal https://t.co/6n15XLxMLj
— Anoop (@AnoopChathoth) September 21, 2021
Whether Varadarajan was just spinning stories or indeed telling the truth is a not something we could fact-check till someone puts us in touch with that particular waiter from that cafe, here is what the French authorities say about vaccination certificates.
According to the French government website, in France, a COVID certificate is issued for non-European nationals entering France and non-European students. The certificate is issued to people who have tested negative or who have been fully vaccinated with one of the vaccines recognized by the European Medicines Agency or one of the equivalents to these vaccines. The COVID certificate is generated in digital DCC format which is recognized throughout the EU and in countries with agreements on mutual recognition with the EU. Apparently, no one in France asks for vaccination proof from non-European nationals. They only ask for the COVID certificate.
Apparently, either one has to show valid COVID vaccine certificate or they have to show their negative RT-PCR or antigen test taken – which also comes with a QR code, which one can access from their phones. That, plus for those who have been vaccinated with recognised vaccines, will get a ‘COVID certificate’ for their stay in French territory. France has recognised India-made Covishield for the vaccine pass.
It is very likely that the American citizen that Vardarajan is, who has Indian vaccines administered to him, would have either got himself the French equivalent of COVID certificate as per procudeure or he would have to show his negative RT-PCR or antigen test at the restaurant/cafe he visited.
In either of these cases, it is highly unlikely the waiter at the cafe would get to see PM Modi’s picture on the certificate.
