Clipped video shared to claim Mallikarjun Kharge called Rahul Gandhi a martyr

By: Annet Preethi Furtado
November 28 2023

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Screenshots of social media posts that shared a clipped video to claim Kharge called Rahul Gandhi a martyr. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

The northern Indian state of Rajasthan went to polls on November 25 and now awaits the results, which will be announced on December 3. The run-up to the elections saw political parties actively campaigning round the clock, with Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the incumbent Congress party, addressing rallies in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh, highlighting the state government's achievements.

What's the claim?

Against the backdrop of Kharge's rallies in Rajasthan, an 8-second-long video of his speech is circulating widely on social media. In this clip, Kharge can be heard saying, "Leaders like Rahul Gandhi gave their lives for the unity of this nation." Rahul Gandhi is the former president of the Congress and son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi—who was assassinated in a suicide bombing in 1991.

Amit Malviya, national convener of the IT cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), shared the video with the caption: "It is not right to speak like this about those who made you the President, Kharge ji." This post had over 30,000 views at the time of publishing. 

Another X user shared the video with a Hindi caption that translated to, "Rahul Gandhi gave his life for the unity of the country! When did this happen?" Archives of the post and similar others can be found here and here.

Screenshot of the viral X posts. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

The same video is also circulating on Facebook. An Assamese Facebook page named 'মোদীৰ সৈতে অসম' ( which translates to 'Assam with Modi' in English) shared a split-screen video. On the left side is the 8-second clip of Kharge, while on the right is Rahul Gandhi. After the Kharge segment plays, Gandhi is heard saying, "Rahul Gandhi, I have killed him in your mind, he is there, he is not in my mind, he is gone, he is gone (translated from Hindi)." The post included an Assamese caption, which, when translated to English, read, "Everyone's eyes will be on their forehead when they hear the words of senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge! (sic)"

Screenshot of a Facebook post sharing the clipped video. (Source: Facebook/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the viral video shared to mock Khrage for implying that Rahul Gandhi is dead is clipped and is being shared with a misleading context. While Kharge did make the statement, he soon corrected himself and apologized for the gaffe.

What are the facts?

Upon conducting a Google search, we found that several news outlets had covered the incident in question. On November 20, during a rally in Rajasthan, Kharge inadvertently referred to Rahul Gandhi as a martyr, reported India Today and Hindustan Times. However, after someone immediately alerted him about his slip of the tongue, Kharge corrected his mistake and mentioned Rajiv Gandhi. The Hindustan Times report highlighted that the BJP was swift to seize on this gaffe by the Congress president and mocked Kharge by sharing a clipped video of the latter's speech on its social media platform, accompanied by a caption that read, "When did this happen?".

We found an extended version of Kharge's speech on the official Congress YouTube channel. The video was shared on November 20 with a Hindi title that translated to "Mallikarjun Kharge got angry on stage, scolded PM Modi and BJP | Rajasthan Election." 

Around the 11:07 timestamp in the original video, which is over 23 minutes long, Kharge can be heard saying, "The Congress party is dedicated to advancing the nation, with prominent leaders such as Indira Gandhi, who made the ultimate sacrifice, and Rahul Gandhi, who laid down his life for the country's unity." Shortly after, he acknowledges an interruption on stage and corrects himself to take Rajiv Gandhi's name. He first apologizes by saying, "I'm sorry to my friends in the media and other people," and then says, "Rajiv Gandhi gave his life for the unity of the country, so Congress has people who sacrifice their lives..."

However, the video currently going viral is, in fact, an edited clip deliberately shared to mock the Congress leader. The video strategically omits Kharge's immediate correction and apology for the faux pas. While many posts simply mocked Kharge, some edited the video to include a statement from Rahul Gandhi from January 2023, where he responded to a reporter's question about his Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying, "Rahul Gandhi is in your head. I have killed him. He doesn't exist in my mind. He is gone, gone." 

The verdict

The viral video captures a verbal slip by the Congress leader but omits the part where Kharge corrects himself and names former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi while rectifying his mistake. While Kharge did make the viral statement, he was also quick to correct himself and apologize for the gaffe. Therefore, we have marked the claims as misleading.