Fact Check: Viral video of Rahul Gandhi talking about fair share of minorities alone is edited

Hyderabad: During a public rally in Rajasthan, prime minister Narendra Modi claimed that a Congress government would distribute the nation’s wealth among ‘infiltrators’ and ‘those who have more children’, allegedly indicating the Muslim community.

Against this backdrop, a video featuring Rahul Gandhi talking about conducting an ‘X-ray (survey)’ to ascertain the fair share specifically allocated to minorities is circulating on social media.

He could be heard saying, “We will conduct an X-ray which will filter out milk and water. This will help minorities know how much their fair share is there in this country. Next, we will do a financial and institutional survey to find who and which class is hoarding the wealth of India. After this historic move, we will take a revolutionary work of giving you what you owe and deserve.”

“‘Desh ka X-Ray kar dengey. Minorities ko pata chal jayega unki bhagidari kitni hai.’ Rahul Gandhi is not hiding his Hinduphobia and Marxist-Islamist ideas anymore. Just listen to this openly communal speech, #WealthRedistributionPlan” wrote journalist Abhijit Majumder while sharing the video. (Archive)

Several other right-wing X handles shared the video amplifying the claim. Click here, here and here for the archived versions.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the viral video was edited. In the original version, Gandhi talked about conducting an X-ray (survey) to ascertain the fair share allocated to Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and minorities.

An X premium handle shared the original video countering the edited version being shared by the BJP supporters. The user stated that the video shows Rahul Gandhi talking about the fair share for the ‘Dalit, Adivasi, Gareeb General Caste aur Minorities’ through a survey.

After a widened search, we also found that the viral video has been clipped from Rahul Gandhi’s speech during the launch of the Congress Manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Hyderabad.

India Today published the speech on April 6, titled ‘Rahul Gandhi In Hyderabad: Rahul Gandhi Launches Congress Manifesto For 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.’ The viral clip appears at 23:21-minute timestamp.

However, it does not show Gandhi speaking specifically on finding the share allocated to only minorities. He could be heard saying, “We will conduct an X-ray which will filter out milk and water. This will help Backward, Dalit, Adivasi, poor General Caste aur Minorities know how much their fair share is there in this country. Next, we will do a financial and institutional survey to find who and which class is hoarding the wealth of India. After this historic move, we will take a revolutionary work of giving you what you owe and deserve.”

He further goes on to say that he will ensure the participation of these classes in media, bureaucracy and other institutions of India.

We also found Gandhi’s speech live-streamed on his YouTube channel on April 6 titled ‘Nyay Patra - Congress Manifesto Launch Rally | Hyderabad, Telangana.’ The viral clip appears at the 31:56-minute timestamp. It shows Gandhi talking about finding a fair share of OBC, SC, ST, EWS and not only minorities.

Hence, we conclude that the viral video of Rahul Gandhi is edited and misleading.