Fact Check: Viral Image Is Of Sudha Murty Doing Seva, Not Selling Vegetables

Sudha Murty, author and Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, is one of India's richest women with a reported net worth of over Rs 2,480 crore. And yet, stories of her humility precede those of her wealth. Along that line, recently an image of her surfaced online, in which Murty was pictured smiling amidst mounds of vegetables with the

Every year Sudha Murthy, wife of founder Infosys, spends one year selling vegetables to get rid of Ego.

How one doesn’t let money change their values. pic.twitter.com/9MbkpZcVoc

— Surbhi (@surbhig_) September 12, 2020 that she spends a day every year selling vegetables to get rid of her "ego" and stay grounded. While the picture is true, the claim is false.

A fact check shows that the image undoubtedly is of Murty, but she is not sitting to sell vegetables. A journalist from ET NOW who claimed to have asked Murty about the picture

We asked Infosys Foundation about this picture. It is Sudha Murty , but she is not selling veggies. She helps out in the Raghavendra Swamy temple Jayanagar kitchen at times as a form of service. Also not a recent picture. https://t.co/d5qkqaGrBj

— Chandra R. Srikanth (@chandrarsrikant) September 13, 2020 "She helps out in the Raghavendra Swamy temple Jayanagar kitchen at times as a form of service. Also not a recent picture."

We asked Infosys Foundation about this picture. It is Sudha Murty , but she is not selling veggies. She helps out in the Raghavendra Swamy temple Jayanagar kitchen at times as a form of service. Also not a recent picture. https://t.co/d5qkqaGrBj

— Chandra R. Srikanth (@chandrarsrikant) September 13, 2020

Also Read: Bengaluru Zoo Names Elephant Calf After Infosys’ Sudha Murthy

Sudha Murty And Her Belief In Seva

Wife of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, she is known for the philanthropic work she does, powering through in her trademark simple clothes and a million-dollar smile. This viral image is proof of her unwavering faith in her ideas of seva. 

https://www.facebook.com/779077195456828/videos/663523177810132/?__so__=channel_tab&__rv__=all_videos_card

In an interview with Bangalore Mirror in 2013, Murty had expounded upon her belief in the practice of seva. She said that three days a year, she wakes up at 4 am and heads to the Raghavendra Swamy temple near her house in Jayanagar, Bengaluru. For the next few hours, she reportedly cleans the kitchen and the adjoining rooms; washes the dirty utensils, dusts the shelves, chops vegetables, takes inventory of stock, sweeps the yard and empties the trash cans."
“Giving money is easy, because it is a simple transaction. But doing physical seva is not... In the eyes of God we all are equal, but not in the eyes of the society," she was quoted saying.

Also Read: Sudha Murthy Offers Help to Karnataka Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Murty Offers Help During Coronavirus

In March this year, Murty had offered help in Karnataka during the coronavirus outbreak. In a letter she wrote to CM B. S. Yediyurappa, Murty suggested compulsory closing down of schools and colleges with immediate effect. She also asked for the closure of malls and theatres, and said, "We would like to work with the government proactively so that we can prevent this (virus) as early as possible."

Murty has been vocal about the class difference and prejudices prevalent in the world. In an interview, she recalled how she had been called "cattle class" at Heathrow Airport by a woman who judged Murty by her simple clothes. Later in the day, the woman encountered Murty again at a business meet. This was the same meeting where Murty was pitching Infosys Foundation to sponsor funds for a government institution. The woman was naturally shocked to see Murty chairing the event.