Fact Check: ANI video shows MDMK leader Vaiko alleging Congress betrayed Tamil Nadu, but there's more to the story

In the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has reignited the Katchatheevu dispute, alleging that the Congress governments, especially those led by Nehru and later Indira Gandhi, relinquished the island under pressure from Sri Lanka. Katchatheevu is a small uninhabited island situated in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka. Both countries have asserted their claims over the island since at least 1921.

In this context, a video featuring Tamil Nadu’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) founder Vaiko has gone viral on social media. In the video, Vaiko vehemently criticises the Congress party for its handling of the Katchatheevu issue, accusing it of betraying Tamil Nadu's interests. It's noteworthy that the MDMK is an ally of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu, which is part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc.

The video was initially shared by the news agency ANI (Archive) on X on April 3. Subsequently, it gained traction among other social media users. C.R. Kesavan, the national spokesperson of the BJP, further propagated the ANI video (Archive), highlighting Vaiko's condemnation of the Congress's alleged duplicity on the Katchatheevu matter.

Facebook users have also shared this video, accompanied by the caption, “Congress has betrayed Tamil Nadu in the Katchatheevu issue.”

Click here and here to see the posts.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that Vaiko accused both the Congress and the Modi-led government of betraying Tamil Nadu. However, the viral video only showcases his attack on Congress.

We ran a keyword search and found an extended version of it on X (Archive), shared by the Tamil media outlet Sun News on April 3. In this footage, Vaiko explicitly states, “Congress betrayed Tamil Nadu on every front at that time.” He further adds, “This 10 years was a testing time for Narendra Modi. He is a traitor; he betrayed Tamil Nadu. He betrayed India, and he betrayed Sri Lanka.”

We also found a report by The Times of India (Archive), published on April 4, titled, “Vaiko: Congress, Modi betrayed Tamil Nadu.” According to the newspaper, while campaigning for DMK leader Thamizachi Thangapandian in South Chennai, Vaiko accused both the Congress and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of betraying Tamil Nadu, in response to a question about Katchatheevu from ANI.

The Tamil Nadu-based news channel, Puthiya Thalaimurai TV, uploaded the video report featuring Vaiko on YouTube on April 3. This extended version, starting from the 0:12-second timestamp, shows Vaiko making serious allegations against both the Congress and Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the betrayal of Tamil Nadu.

Therefore, we conclude that the viral video of MDMK leader Vaiko is clipped, lacking the full context of criticism directed at both the Congress and PM Modi. Hence, the video is misleading.