Fact Check: Arvind Kejriwal says Ambedkar was drunk while drafting Constitution? No, viral video is clipped
A video of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is viral with the claim that he said Dr BR Ambedkar was drunk while drafting the Indian Constitution.
By Sibahathulla Sakib Published on 23 Dec 2024 4:03 PM GMT
Claim: The video shows Arvind Kejriwal saying that Dr BR Ambedkar was drunk while drafting the Indian Constitution.
Fact: The claim is false. The viral clip was clipped. The extended video shows Kejriwal mocking a clause in the Congress partyās constitution about a āno consuming alcoholā policy for its members.
Hyderabad: The legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar recently became a topic of heated debate after remarks by Home Minister Amit Shah stirred controversy. In this context, a video clip featuring AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is viral on social media with the claim that Kejriwal insulted Dr Ambedkar by saying that the latter was drunk while drafting the Constitution.
An X user shared the video with the caption, āBR Ambedkar was drunk while writing the Constitution: @ArvindKejriwal.ā (Archive)
In the nine-second black-and-white video clip, Kejriwal can be seen saying in Hindi, āWe were talking about how whoever wrote the constitution must have written it after drinking (alcohol).ā
Similar posts can be seen here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The video was clipped to misrepresent Kejriwalās complete statement.
Responding to the post with the viral video, AAP Rajasthan spokesperson Devender Yadav shared a video in the comments stating that it is the original version of Kejriwalās speech.
In the 22-second colour video, Kejriwal can be heard saying, āI have read the constitutions of all (political) parties. Congress constitution states that no Congress member will drink alcohol (sounds of laughter from the crowd). We were talking about how whoever wrote the constitution must have written it after drinking (alcohol).ā
There is no reference to Dr Ambedkar or the Indian Constitution in the video.
Using the information gathered so far, we found a video published on the YouTube channel of the Aam Aadmi Party with the title āArvind Kejriwal @ Rajghatā dated December 3, 2012.
According to its description, the video showed Arvind Kejriwal making a public speech at Rajghat on November 25, 2012. In the video, at the 4:38-minute timestamp, Kejriwal can be heard making the same statement about the Congress' constitution.
We also found a report titled, āSay Cheers! Congress axes āabstention from alcoholā clauseā, published in The New Indian Express on February 26, 2023. According to the report, the Congress Party revised its constitution, removing the requirement for members to abstain from alcohol. Additionally, the party made wearing khadi a choice rather than a mandate. These changes were announced by party general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala during the AICC plenary in Raipur.
We found similar reports published by The Times of India and Times Now.
Therefore, the claim that Arvind Kejriwal insulted Dr BR Ambedkar by stating that he wrote the Indian Constitution while being drunk is false. The viral video clip was edited. Kejriwalās original remark was a critique of a former āno alcoholā clause in the Congress Partyās constitution.
