Sambit Patra Shares Cropped Video of Priyanka, Cong Social Media Head of Modi
Both BJP and Congress have longer versions of the cropped videos on their YouTube channels showing that the viral posts are misleading
Politicians of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) shared misleading videos of each other's leaders on social media this week.
On October 14, 2021, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra tweeted a cropped video collage of an INC rally addressed by Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on October 10, 2021 in Varanasi, where the azan (Islamic call to prayer) can be heard playing from the podium where Congress leaders were seated. The second video in the collage shows a reporter speaking to a group of men complaining about the azan being played at the rally,
"So, Priyanka Vadra and Congress... did this in their Varanasi Rally on 14 Oct to appease …" tweeted Patra.
Although Patra did not mention the religious community, the video became viral with the claim that the Congress party played the azan to appease the Muslim community. The BJP spokesperson also shared this video on his Facebook page.
Prayers of Other Faiths Also Recited
This video is misleading. The complete video of the INC rally has been uploaded on the official YouTube page of INC titled, "LIVE: Smt Priyanka Gandhi addresses Kisan Nyay Rally in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh". Here are the timestamps of the event:
In this video, the audio of the first 30 seconds cannot be heard. During the start of the first minute of the video, a Congress worker can be heard saying, "First of all, it has been our tradition… Congress party has always believed that all religions are equal. So, I would like my Hindu friends from the Hindu religion who have come here to recite the mantras… then our Muslim brothers, then our Sikh brothers and then the Christian brothers will come over here and meet."
Following this, the video is not audible between timestamps 1:53 and 5:03. At 5.04, chants of 'Har har Mahadev' can be heard. Shortly after this, the azan begins at 5:44 which is then followed by a Sikh prayer, which is later followed by Vadra's welcome address.
Additionally, Mukesh Pandey, a Hindu priest who presided over the rituals at the rally confirmed to BOOM that the event has begun with the recital of mantras. "This is the tradition of Kashi —that of Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb — --in which people from all four faiths perform prayers. There were 11 priests from Kashi who recited the mantras in the beginning of the event which was followed by the Muslim community and Sikh community," Pandey told BOOM. "These prayers were done for bringing peace upon Kashi and the world," he added.
Modi Quoted Pak PM
On October 19, 2021, INC's social media head, Rohan Gupta tweeted a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that he is a "child of a Pathan".
"I am the child of a Pathan. I speak the truth. I work honestly," the 9-second video clip shows Modi saying. Gupta, in his tweet, questions the PM about his silence over the recent civilian killings in Kashmir. "Why is Pathan's Child not speaking the truth on the Kashmir issue?" read Gupta's tweet when translated.
The "child of a Pathan" quote comes from a 2019 rally addressed by PM Modi at Tonk in Rajasthan. To put it in context, he had paid his tributes to the CRPF personnel who were killed in a terrorist attack on February 12, 2019 in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.
In the original video, Modi said as per protocol he had called and congratulated Imran Khan who had then become the prime minister of Pakistan. "I called him and said that there have been enough of these fights between India and Pakistan. Pakistan has not achieved anything out of it. I told him to let India and Pakistan together fight poverty and illiteracy," Modi said in his speech.
"He told me something after this. He said, 'Modiji, I am the child of a Pathan. I speak the truth. I work honestly'," Modi continued. "Today the time has come to test the words of the Pakistani PM. I will see whether he stands by his words."
The part where PM Modi quoting PM Imran Khan can be seen at 59:40 minutes timestamp and can be viewed on BJP's official YouTube channel.
FactChecker tried contacting Patra and Gupta via email for their clarification on the videos but neither of them had responded by the time this article was published. We shall update the story as and when they respond.
