A video of Rahul Gandhi speaking at a public meeting in Tamil Nadu went viral on social media with the allegation that the Congress leader had proposed replacing the Indian army with workers, farmers and workers on the volatile China border.
In the 26-second video, Gandhi is heard saying: ‘You are using the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force to protect India from China. If you use Indian laborers, Indian farmers, Indian workers, you do not have to leave the army, navy and air force there. China will not have the courage to enter. ”
The caption along with one such video says: ‘Since Rahul Gandhi thinks the Indian army can be replaced by farmers and laborers, we request #NarendraModi ji #AmitShah ji, please remove the VIP security provided to #rahulgandhi is and replaced it by Indian farmers and laborers. . ”
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found that the viral cut was taken out of context from a lengthy speech Gandhi gave on BJP’s economic policy. He accuses the center of favoring some big industrialists instead of helping the farmers and laborers in the country. Gandhi said China had gathered the strength to invade India due to the weakening economy in the country.
The archived versions of similar posts can be seen here, here and here here.
AFWA investigation
Using keyword searches, we found the longer version of the video uploaded on Rahul Gandhi’s official YouTube channel on January 24, 2021. The description of the video says: “Interaction with weaving community in Odanilai, Erode”.
After listening to this hour-long interaction, it can be clearly understood that Gandhi spoke in the context of the Indian economy and did not propose to replace the Indian army with laborers or farmers.
In his speech, Gandhi accused the center of favoring some big industrialists. He said if the government had rather focused on making the country’s economy self – sustaining by strengthening farmers, weavers and laborers, China would not have gained the confidence to invade Indian territory. The Congress leader responded to a demand from one of the weavers for special protection policies for the power weaving sector.
‘China has seen the Indian economy on its knees. China can see that every action of the Indian government is aimed at strengthening five or six businessmen and weakening the real power of India, the laborers and the weavers. “I can guarantee you that if India’s workers, farmers and weavers were strong, protected and given opportunities, China would never dare to enter India,” Gandhi is heard in the video.
He goes on to say that if farmers, small and medium enterprises were strong, China, including its president, would use products made in India.
‘I can also guarantee you that if India’s farmers, laborers, small and medium enterprises were strong, the President of China would wear a shirt in India. I can guarantee you that Chinese people would drive Indian cars, that Chinese people would fly Indian planes, that Chinese houses would have Indian carpets. Why does this not happen? “Because our government insists on helping five to six of India’s wealthy businessmen and killing and destroying India’s real power,” he added.
Only then did Gandhi say: ‘You are using the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force to protect India from China. If you use Indian laborers, Indian farmers, Indian workers, you do not need the army, navy and air force to stand there. China will not have the courage to enter. It can be heard in 17 minutes and 12 seconds in the original video.
Several media houses also reported on Gandhi’s interaction with the weavers in Erode. The Congress leader was on a three-day campaign by Tamil Nadu for the upcoming general election.
It is therefore clear that the viral video was taken out of context. Gandhi blames India’s ‘weak economy’ for Chinese invasion and does not suggest that the Indian army be replaced by laborers, farmers and workers.
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ClaimRahul Gandhi thinks that the Indian army can be replaced by laborers and farmers.ClosureThis statement is taken out of context from a lengthy speech where Gandhi said that if farmers and laborers were independent, the Indian economy would strengthen, and China would not dare to enter India.
JHOOTH BOLE KAUVA KAATE
The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.
- 1 Crow: Half true
- 2 crows: mostly lies
- 3 crows: absolutely false
