Fact Check: Rahul Gandhi admits to pushing BJP MPs in Parliament? No, here’s what happened
A video of Rahul Gandhi allegedly confessing to pushing BJP MPs in the Parliament has gone viral.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 19 Dec 2024 12:18 PM GMT
Claim: The video shows Rahul Gandhi admitting to manhandling BJP MPs during a recent scuffle in the Parliament.
Fact: The claim is false. The video shows Rahul replying to a media query about Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge being pushed during the tussle.
Hyderabad: On December 19, 2024, a scuffle erupted in the Parliament complex during protests over Union home minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar. BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi alleged that Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi pushed another MP, causing the latter to fall onto him, resulting in a head injury.
In this context, BJP MP Anurag Thakur shared a media byte of Rahul Gandhi, claiming it shows Gandhi admitting to manhandling MPs during the scuffle. Thakur shared the video and wrote, “Rahul Gandhi himself is admitting that he engaged in pushing and shoving, and shamelessly says that nothing happens due to pushing.”
He also alleged, “Due to his push, a senior MP’s head was injured and two MPs were hospitalised. Yet Rahul Ji is claiming that nothing happens from a push. Arrogance, tyranny and dictatorship run in the veins of the Gandhi family... Shameful.” (Archive)
Several BJP leaders, including Tejasvi Surya, Amit Malviya, and Shehzad Poonawala, shared the video, making the same allegation. Click here, here, and here to view the posts. (Archive 1) (Archive 2) (Archive 3)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The video shared by Thakur does not show Rahul Gandhi admitting to pushing BJP MPs. Instead, it captures him responding to a media query, in which he states that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was pushed.
The video shared by Thakur featured the ANI logo. Following this lead, NewsMeter found the longer version of the video, shared by ANI on December 19. When asked about the alleged manhandling of the BJP MPs, Rahul Gandhi responded, “No, this might be on your camera. I was trying to enter through the Parliament entrance, but BJP MPs were trying to stop me, push me, and threaten me. So this happened…”
The viral clip appeared after the 0:19-second timestamp when reporters asked Rahul Gandhi whether Mallikarjun Kharge was also pushed/shoved. Rahul Gandhi acknowledged, “Yes, this has happened.” He further stated, “But we do not get affected by jostling. This is the entrance, and we have the right to go in. BJP MPs were trying to stop us from entering... The central issue is that they are attacking the Constitution and insulting the memory of Ambedkar Ji.”
We also came across a report by ANI published on December 19, titled ‘“Was trying to go inside, BJP MPs pushed me…”: Rahul Gandhi after Pratap Sarangi’s allegations.”’
According to the report, Rahul Gandhi responded to Sarangi’s allegation of pushing, stating that the incident occurred when he was trying to enter Parliament and BJP MPs attempted to push him. The report also mentioned Rahul Gandhi’s assertion that Mallikarjun Kharge was pushed.
We also found a longer version of the video shared by PTI on December 19. The viral clip appeared in this video after the 0:17-second timestamp, when Rahul Gandhi responded to a media inquiry regarding Mallikarjun Kharge being pushed.
While NewsMeter does not confirm the allegations and counter-allegations of pushing and shoving by the BJP and Congress parties, we confirm that the video shared by Thakur and other accounts associated with the BJP does not show Rahul Gandhi admitting to manhandling BJP MPs during the recent scuffle in the Parliament.
