Fact Check: No, Priyanka Chaturvedi did not object to BJP MP's Marathi speech in RS

Hyderabad: A video of Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi presiding over the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha has been circulating on social media.

The footage shows Chaturvedi instructing BJP MP Dr Medha Kulkarni to adhere to her speech on the Union Budget while she was delivering her maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha. Additionally, it shows Chaturvedi instructing NCP MP Praful Patel to be seated and addressing a ‘Point of Order’ from AAP MP Raghav Chadha.

An X user shared the video claiming that Chaturvedi while presiding over the Rajya Sabha, was continuously shouting at Kulkarni because she was speaking in Marathi.

“Priyanka Chaturvedi is a member of Shiv Sena which is a Maharashtra-based Marathi party, but she has a problem with the Marathi language. She was continuously shouting at Dr Medha Kulkarni because she was speaking in Marathi. Medha Ji is an MP from Pune, Maharashtra,” wrote the user.

Fact Check

NewsMeter has found that the claim is false. Kulkarni clarified to NewsMeter that Chaturvedi did not object to her speaking in Marathi in the Rajya Sabha.

We conducted a keyword search on YouTube and found a 30-minute speech by Kulkarni in Marathi, published by Sansad TV on July 25. Kulkarni begins her speech by stating she will speak in Marathi, to which Chaturvedi, presiding over the session, responds with a smile and a folded hands gesture, saying she understands Marathi.

At around the 17:43-minute mark, the viral clip appears and shows Chaturvedi instructing Kulkarni to focus on the Union Budget rather than matters related to the Assembly. Chaturvedi also instructs Praful Patel to be seated and addresses a ‘Point of Order’ from Raghav Chadha. We did not find any instance of Chaturvedi objecting to Kulkarni speaking in Marathi. In fact, Chaturvedi allotted an extra five minutes for Kulkarni to complete her speech upon her request.

We also found Kulkarni’s 30-minute speech posted on her X account on July 25. In the caption, she mentioned that during the Rajya Sabha debate, she countered the Opposition’s allegations that the Central government did not allocate funds to Maharashtra in the Union Budget. However, we did not find any indication that she mentioned being objected to for speaking in Marathi.

NewsMeter reached out to Kulkarni for clarification. She explained that, although she was discussing the Union Budget, she was directed by Chaturvedi to stick to the topic of the Union Budget. When asked if she objected to speaking in Marathi, she firmly stated, “No.”

Chaturvedi also dismissed the viral post's claim through an X post, stating that both Dr. Medha Kulkarni and Rajni Patil spoke in Marathi.

Hence, we conclude that the claim that Priyanka Chaturvedi, while presiding over the proceeding of Rajya Sabha, objected to fellow MP Medha Kulkarni speaking in Marathi is false.