Fact Check: Video showing AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge admitting Congress’ role in dividing country along caste lines is edited
Video showing AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge admitting Congress’ role in dividing country along caste lines is edited
A video clip circulating on social media alleges that the AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge admitted his party's role in dividing the country along caste lines. In the clip, Kharge is heard saying in Hindi, "The Congress party has always divided the country in the name of caste." The caption accompanying the clip implies that Kharge's statement is a confession of Congress's caste-based divisive politics, with the hashtag #WhyModi.
["खरगे साहब भी कह रहा है कि कॉंग्रेस जाति के नाम पर देश को डिवाइड कर रही है That's #WhyModi"]
This post is circulating amid the ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra organized by the Congress party. The journey, initiated in Manipur and scheduled to conclude in Mumbai on March 20, 2024, is the second leg of the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi.
Fact Check:
We have verified that the claims suggesting Mallikarjun Kharge admitted that his party, the Indian National Congress, divided the country along caste lines are false. Upon further investigation, a more extended version of the video reveals that Kharge was attributing the statement to PM Modi and criticizing him for his views.
We conducted a reverse image search using key frames from the viral video and identified a post on X, shared by the news agency ANI on February 15, 2021. The video excerpt featured Mallikarjun Kharge's public address and aligned with the content in the viral video. The caption indicated that the video was captured in Aurangabad.
Additionally, we ran a targeted Google keyword search ‘Mallikarjun Kharge’s speech in Bihar’ and found the official YouTube channel of the Congress showing the video of a public meeting held during the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Aurangabad, Bihar, on February 15, 2024. Upon listening to the full video, it becomes evident that Kharge was addressing the Congress' demand for a caste census and responding to Prime Minister Modi's remarks on the same. Around the 30:00 timestamp, Kharge is heard speaking about the benefits of a caste census. "What is wrong with our demand for a caste census? Some people... even Modi, says, 'Congress party is dividing the country in the name of caste. But what have we done? We are trying to give people justice."
He clarified, "Brothers, Rahul Gandhi, and our party share the same demand: a caste census. If our party comes to power, we will conduct it. This census will provide valuable information on the distribution and conditions of people from various castes and communities since Independence. It will help us understand the educational and economic progress of different groups, including backward communities, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, minorities, and those below the poverty line. We have requested a caste census for this purpose.” Kharge's speech on the official website of the Indian National Congress mentions this perspective.
The byte where Kharge attributes statements to PM Modi saying "Modi says..." has been deliberately cropped from the viral video. The full context of Kharge's statement makes it clear that he was referring Modi's remarks on the demand for a caste census and countering those claims. It has become evident that the original video has been edited between the timestamps 13:13 and 13:18, to spread misinformation.
We also found news reports that covered Mallikarjun Kharge's speech in Aurangabad, Bihar.
The video from Aurangabad taken on February 15, 2024, during the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' has been edited. Kharge, in the uncut version, advocates for a caste census, challenging PM Modi's claim of Congress dividing based on caste. The edited clip distorts Kharge's message, revealing that the claim is false.Claim: At a public meeting, Mallikarjun Kharge said, "As always, Congress divides the country. It divides the country in the name of caste."