Edited video shared to claim pro-Modi slogans raised at Rahul Gandhi rally

By: Rahul Adhikari
March 21 2024

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Social media posts claim pro-Modi slogans were raised at a Rahul Gandhi rally. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

What is the claim?

A video circulating on social media claims that 'Modi Modi' slogans, in support of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were raised at a recent rally led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The video depicts former party leader Alpesh Thakor addressing a large crowd from a stage and urging them to chant "Rahul Gandhi Zindabad" (long live Rahul Gandhi). However, when he prompts the crowd to say "zindabad," chants of "Modi Modi" seem to emerge from the crowd, despite Gandhi being present on stage. Thakor then attempts to quieten the chants.

One user shared the post on X (formerly Twitter) and asserted that the video depicted Congress and Gandhi being insulted at a 'crowded meeting' in Gujarat's Ahmednagar. The post, shared on March 19, has garnered over 63,500 views and 1,200 likes. Archived versions of such posts can be found here, here, here, and here.

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

However, the video has been altered, and slogans in favor of PM Modi were not raised at the rally in question.

What did we find? 

Firstly, Thakor moved from Congress to the BJP in 2019, suggesting that the rally depicted in the video occurred before this switch.

Next, we carefully watched the viral video and observed that the stage banner displayed images of Thakor, Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi. A translation of the Gujarati text on the banner revealed the rally's name as “Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan,” dated October 23, 2017.

Taking a cue from this, we located the original footage of the rally on the Gujarat Congress YouTube channel. The full-length video, spanning 1 hour and 29 minutes, was uploaded on October 24, 2017, under the title "Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan at Gandhinagar."

Additionally, the Congress party shared several highlights of the rally on their official X account on October 23, 2017.

According to a report by BBC Hindi from the same date, Gandhi addressed the Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan rally in Gandhinagar ahead of the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections. Thakor formally joined the Congress at this rally.

Does the original video feature ‘Modi Modi’ chants?

To determine if the original rally video included pro-Modi chants, we analyzed the segments used in the viral 41-second clip. This clip was not extracted from a continuous segment but assembled from various parts of the original footage.

The first 19 seconds have been taken from various moments between the 33:03-minute and 33:45-minute time frame of the video of the rally. However, we noted that the crowd raised no pro-Modi slogans; instead, when Thakor asks the crowd to say “zindabad” after shouting “Rahul Gandhi,” the crowd complies, loudly crying out “zindabad zindabad.” 

The subsequent 22 seconds of the viral clip are from the original video's 12:09 to 12:35 segment, well before Thakor's call for chants supporting Gandhi.

During this period, Thakor is seen requesting the crowd to refrain from noise and disruption, aligning with the viral video's content. He specifically addresses the crowd's left side, demanding quiet. The original video shows that he then introduces Gandhi and the Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan rally.

While the viral video suggests "Modi Modi" chants at this juncture, the original video depicts the crowd in relative silence during Thakor's Gujarati speech. Although Thakor seems to be addressing murmurs in the crowd, no distinct chants are audible.

This analysis proves that the pro-Modi slogans were sourced elsewhere and edited into the viral clip.

The verdict

Edited footage from a 2017 Congress rally has been shared with the false claim that "Modi Modi" chants were raised in Rahul Gandhi’s presence. However, our review of the original footage shows that no such slogans were raised; instead, the crowd voiced their support with pro-Gandhi chants.