Fact Check: ‘Italian’ remark on Rahul Gandhi made by BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma, not MP CM
The claim is false as the video does not show MP CM Mohan Yadav but BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma from the Huzur Assembly Constituency of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 6 July 2024 10:16 AM GMT
Claim: Madhya Pradesh chief minister called Rahul Gandhi ‘son of Italian mother and grandson of Feroze Khan’ in viral video.
Fact: The claim is false. The person making the comment is BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma from Bhopal’s Huzur Assembly Constituency.
Hyderabad: A video has been circulating on social media claiming that it shows Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav calling Leader of Opposition (LOP) Rahul Gandhi ‘son of Italian mother and grandson of Feroze Khan’ and as someone who does not understand Indian and Hindu religion.
The comment comes in the backdrop of an accusation by the BJP that Gandhi insulted Hindus during his inaugural speech as LOP in the Lok Sabha.
“Listen to what Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yadav ji has said about Rahul Gandhi,” wrote an X user who shared the video. (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false as the video does not show MP CM Mohan Yadav but BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma from the Huzur Assembly Constituency of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Upon performing a reverse image search of the video’s keyframe, we found it published by the YouTube channel Bharat Express Madhya Pradesh on July 2.
The channel reported that BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma reacted strongly to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s statement in Parliament, accusing Gandhi of having ‘a dirty mindset.’ Sharma demanded that Gandhi apologise; otherwise, there would be protests against him, and his effigies would be thrown into the drain.
We also found a similar statement given by Sharma in another video published by Zee Business on July 3 titled ‘BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma Controversial Statement on Rahul Gandhi.’ This video also depicts Sharma calling Rahul Gandhi ‘son of Italian Mother and grandson of Feroze Khan’.
Who was Rahul Gandhi’s grandfather?
We also checked on BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma’s claim about Rahul Gandhi’s grandfather. We found that Rahul Gandhi’s grandfather was Feroze Gandhi. He was born on September 12, 1912, into a Parsi family, following the Zoroastrian religion.
He was a prominent Indian politician and journalist. Feroze Gandhi served as a member of the Indian Parliament and was known for his fearless advocacy against corruption. He played a significant role in exposing financial scandals, earning respect across party lines. Feroze Gandhi passed away on September 8, 1960.
Hence, we conclude that the claim of MP CM Mohan Yadav calling Rahul Gandhi ‘son of Italian Mother and grandson of Feroze Khan’ is false.
