Fact Check: Clipped video of PM Modi speaking in Lok Sabha shared with misleading context
NewsMeter found the claim misleading as the video is clipped and does not show the PM correcting his pronunciation for ‘Muqabla’ (competition).
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 3 July 2024 2:08 PM GMT
Claim: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in Lok Sabha, said the speed of development we have achieved in the last ten years has blackened our face (brought shame to us).
Fact: The claim is misleading. PM Modi mispronounced "Muqabla" (competition) as "Mukala." The viral clip does not show him correcting the pronunciation.
A video clip from the speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in Lok Sabha is circulating on social media. The video depicts the PM speaking on the pace of development in the last 10 years.
Taking a dig at the PM, several social media users have shared the clip, claiming that the PM said, “The speed we have achieved in the last ten years has blackened our face (brought shame to us).” The PM is heard saying ‘Mukala’ in the video. However, the correct term for blackface or bringing shame in Hindi would be ‘Muhkala’ or ‘Muhkala Karna’.
Congress leader, Supriya Shrinate, shared the video and wrote, “The speed we have picked up over the last ten years, our ‘face blackened’!!!????- Narendra Modi.” (translated from Hindi) (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found the claim is misleading as the video is clipped and does not show the PM correcting his pronunciation for ‘Muqabla’ (competition).
We searched for PM Modi’s speech on the YouTube channel of Sansad TV and found it live-streamed on July 2, titled “Lok Sabha Live: PM Modi's reply to Motion of Thanks on President's address in Lok Sabha.” PM says after the 45:30 minute mark, “Today, India’s goals are very grand. And today, India has reached a position in 10 years where we have to compete with ourselves. We have to break our own previous records. We need to take our journey of development to the next level. The height of development that India has reached in the last 10 years has become a mark of our competition… it has become a benchmark. The speed we have achieved in the last 10 years… now our ‘Mukala’… now our ‘Muqabla” (competition/challenge) is to take that speed to an even higher level. And I believe we will fulfil the country's aspirations at that same pace.”
It is clear from the above excerpt that the PM mispronounced "Muqabla" as "Mukala" in the speech but promptly corrected himself. The viral clip circulating online omits the correction, giving a misleading impression.
Hence, we conclude that the viral post is misleading as the video in question is clipped to exclude the PM's correction of his mispronunciation.
