Fact Check: Khan Sir slams Rambhadracharya ji for criticising reservations? No, video is AI-manipulated

Hyderabad: A video featuring two clips of spiritual leader Rambhadracharya ji and popular educator Khan Sir has gone viral on social media.

The video presents contrasting viewpoints on reservation policies for marginalised communities. The video is being shared, claiming Khan Sir is allegedly using crude language against Rambhadracharya ji.

In the first clip, Rambhadracharya ji questions the reservation system, stating, “Why reservation in the race of talent? A Brahmin boy worked hard and scored 99 per cent marks, while another scored only 4 per cent. You pressured the system and made the 4 per cent scorer a collector, while the 99 per cent scorer is now selling shoes.”

The second clip shows Khan Sir allegedly responding with sharp criticism of such arguments, “It is pointless to argue with such foolish people, but it is necessary to highlight when they claim to be blind. How do they suddenly notice that the 99 per cent scorer failed while the 4 per cent scorer passed? This exposes their Manuvadi and regressive mindset.”

Khan Sir continues his defence of the reservation system in the clip: “Consider this—any student from SC, ST or OBC communities who gains college admission through reservation receives that assistance only for entry. Once inside, they must pass every examination through their own study, effort and intellect. The reservation provides no support during academics. When these students graduate as doctors or engineers, their competencies match those of students from general categories or upper-caste families.”

He concludes with pointed remarks, “People should not be affected by the words of such fraudulent Baba and narrow-minded individuals. SC community members are the original inhabitants of this nation, while those with Manuvadi thinking represent a blend of colonial and foreign mentalities.”

An X user shared the video with the caption, “One should respond in the language that is understood!” (Archive)

NewsMeter found that the claim is false, as the video of Khan Sir had been manipulated. The famous educator has not called out or criticised Rambhadracharya ji for his opinions on reservation.

What did Rambhadracharya ji say in the podcast?

We searched for the podcast featuring Rambhadracharya ji’s recent appearance and found his interview with journalist Shubhkaran Mishra on his YouTube channel, dated August 23.

The viral clip of the spiritual leader appears at the 56:20-minute mark, where he can be seen critiquing the reservation system using exactly the same words as in the viral video, which confirms that his statement is authentic and has not been manipulated.

He also states that reservation is an insult to talent and argues that this is why talent is migrating (brain-drain) from India.

Similarly, we searched for the podcast featuring Khan Sir and found his interview with famous podcaster Raj Shamani, published on Shamani’s YouTube channel on April 17. Khan Sir appears in the same outfit as seen in the viral video.

Khan Sir’s podcast predates the clips featuring Rambhadracharya ji, proving that the educator could not have criticised the spiritual leader for his statement made in August.

What did Khan Sir say in the podcast?

In the approximately two-hour-long podcast, Khan Sir discusses a wide range of topics covering complex geopolitical and domestic issues concerning India.

These topics include a comparative analysis of India and China’s development trajectories, an examination of Pakistan’s internal instability and its relationship with India, and India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Khan Sir also addresses critical flaws in the Indian education system, criticising the rise of ‘coaching mafias’ and poor educational standards, particularly in North India. The discussion further covers the influence of social media on global events, the importance of technological independence and personal anecdotes about his journey as an educator and his aspirations to help underprivileged students and farmers.

However, we found no instance of Khan Sir speaking about or harshly criticising Rambhadracharya ji in the podcast. He does discuss divisions in India based on caste, alongside divisions based on poverty, which lead to unequal opportunities, particularly in the education and health sectors.

This confirms that Khan Sir’s viral clip has been digitally manipulated.

Discrepancies in Khan Sir’s clip

We listened to the viral clip and the original podcast. While the educator’s voice matches, it does not sound natural. The tonality and pacing are different, and there is also a noticeable mismatch in lip-syncing.

Tools result

We analysed the audio in the video using the deepfake detection tool Resemble AI, which determined that the audio is fake. This confirms that the audio has been manipulated using AI technology.

Therefore, we conclude that the claim of Khan Sir criticising Rambhadracharya ji over his opinion on the reservation policy is false. The viral clip of Khan Sir is AI-manipulated.