FACT CHECK BY FACTLY: A viral video claims to show the confession of Mallikarjun Kharge, the President of Congress, where he declares that Congress members will plunder homes and share the spoils with Muslims. The clip is being presented as though Kharge is confessing the party’s plans (here & here). This article examines the validity of the claims linked to this video. The alleged video grab of Kharge's speech The archived version of this post can be found here
Claim: Video showing Mallikarjun Kharge admitting to a Congress party scheme to plunder homes and share that wealth with Muslims.
Fact: Mallikarjun Kharge made these remarks to contextualise Modi’s assertions regarding the ‘हिस्सेदारी न्याय’ or Equity initiative outlined in the Congress manifesto. This segment of his speech was digitally clipped to falsely suggest that Congress plans to distribute wealth among Muslims. He emphasized that such actions would never be undertaken by their party. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral snippet originates from Mallikarjun Kharge’s election campaign in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on 04 May 2024. While Kharge did say these words during the event, it’s important to note that he did not present them as the party’s scheme.
A Google search using pertinent keywords led us to the complete video of Mallikarjun Kharge’s speech at a Congress party rally in Ahmedabad on 04 May 2024. During his address, Kharge discusses various policies and plans outlined in the Congress manifesto. Specifically, at the 21:55 mark, he attempts to explain the concept of ‘हिस्सेदारी न्याय’ or Equity, as proposed in the manifesto.
He attempts to clarify this initiative, stating that it involves conducting a national Socio-Economic and Caste Census to detail the various castes and sub-castes, along with their socio-economic status, including literacy rates, income levels, and per capita incomes.
Continuing, he asserts that Modi is propagating false information about the scheme. Regarding the scheme, Modi is asserting that “Congress members will enter your homes, confiscate all the money, and distribute it among everyone, including Muslims. Those with more children will receive a greater share.”
Furthermore, he elaborates by stating that they have no intention of carrying out the actions Modi is alleging. He emphasizes that it is unjust for Modi to spread such baseless propaganda. He goes onto say that such occurrences never transpired even during the British, Mughal, or Nizam rule, so why would they engage in such behaviour? He questions whether, in their 55 years of governance, they have ever resorted to such tactics. He concludes by expressing bewilderment at why Modi is inciting people with such claims.
He then proceeds to discuss other initiatives detailed in the Congress manifesto. The extended footage confirms that Kharge’s viral statements were in response to Modi’s accusations against the Congress. Moreover, this segment of his speech was digitally clipped to falsely suggest that Congress plans to distribute wealth among Muslims.
The Congress party previously lodged a complaint with the Election Commission regarding similar issues, specifically addressing remarks made by Modi that targeted the Congress party’s policies on wealth distribution. To sum up, the clipped video of Mallikarjun Kharge’s Speech is falsely shared as a confession to distribute wealth among Muslims.
(Disclaimer: This story was originally published by FACTLY, and republished by India TV as part of the Shakti Collective.)
