No, video doesn't show Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam

By: Rajini KG
January 31 2024

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Screenshot of the viral video of Rahul Gandhi. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

Context

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, a mass outreach initiative led by Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi, commenced in Manipur on January 14, 2024. This extensive walkathon is set to span over 6,700 kilometers, crossing 110 districts in 15 states. As outlined on the Congress website, the endeavor seeks to cast light on myriad challenges confronting India's youth, including unemployment, while underlining the importance of social and political justice in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections slated for later this year. The Yatra is scheduled to conclude in Mumbai on March 20, 2024.

What is the claim?

On January 25, 2024, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra made its way into West Bengal, following its segment in Assam. In this context, a video surfaced on social media depicting Gandhi atop a truck, greeting a vast assembly of onlookers, purportedly during the Yatra's stint in Assam. Archives of similar claims can be accessed here and here.

Screenshot of the viral video of Rahul Gandhi. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, contrary to these claims, the footage in question actually dates back to a campaign rally for the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh in 2023, thus bearing no relation to the 2024 Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

How did we verify this?

A reverse image search of keyframes from the video revealed its historical context. An extended cut of the viral snippet was discovered on the Indian National Congress (INC) YouTube channel, uploaded on November 13, 2023. The description of the video clarifies it showcases a roadshow in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh's capital. At the 29:42 mark, the now-familiar visuals emerge, identifiable by a blue sign with the Hindi inscription for ‘Marriage Card (शादी कार्ड)', alongside the truck's distinctive design and color scheme.

Screenshot of the Indian National Congress YouTube channel. (Source: YouTube/Screenshot)

Additionally, TV9's news channel broadcasted the Bhopal rally live on its regional outlet, 'TV9 Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh,' on November 13, 2023.

The Deccan Chronicle reported that Gandhi, along with Congress leaders Arif Masood, then MLA from Bhopal Central, and Suresh Pachouri, a member of the Madhya Pradesh Congress, led a two-kilometer roadshow spanning from the Bhopal North to the Bhopal Central Assembly constituencies. That day, Gandhi also addressed election rallies in Neemuch and Jabad, all part of Congress's campaign for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections that took place on November 17, 2023.

The verdict

The claim that a two-month-old video from Madhya Pradesh represents footage of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam is incorrect. This claim is thus marked as false.