Fact Check by BOOM: A video is going viral on social media, with claims that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was insulted. In the video, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is seen holding the chair of senior leader Kharge on stage, with former party president Sonia Gandhi also present.
Users who shared the video believe that Rahul Gandhi is asking Mallikarjun Kharge to leave the chair. However, a fact check by BOOM revealed that the viral video was cropped. In the original video, Rahul Gandhi is actually seen helping Kharge get up from the chair and go to the podium. Some users have shared the video on Facebook, correctly noting that Rahul Gandhi was assisting Kharge.
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Fact Check
On reverse image search of the keyframes of the video, this video was found on the official Instagram of Congress's youth wing i.e. 'Indian Youth Congress'. Here the video was shared in a positive manner and it was described as the culture of Congress. It can be clearly seen that Rahul Gandhi pulls the chair back to make it easier for Kharge to get up. According to the caption, this video is of Indira Bhawan in Delhi. 'Indira Bhawan' is the new headquarters of the Congress party, which was inaugurated on January 15. We found that this viral video is of this inauguration programme.
With the help of related keywords, we found a live video of this inauguration ceremony of 15 January on the official YouTube channel of Congress.
At 46 minutes 30 seconds of this original video, the programme's host invites party president Kharge to address the event. At 46 minutes 45 seconds, Kharge gets up from the chair and Rahul Gandhi pulls the chair back as he gets up. After removing the chair for Kharge's convenience, when he walks towards the podium, Rahul puts the chair back in its place. At one hour 16 minutes 12 seconds of the video, Kharge can be seen finishing his speech and sitting back on the same chair. It is clear from this that the incomplete video has been shared with a misleading claim.
Congress inaugurated its new headquarters on January 15, 2025. This new headquarters located on Kotla Road in Delhi has been named 'Indira Bhawan'. It was inaugurated by former party president Sonia Gandhi. Many party leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were present at the inauguration ceremony.
Claim: Rahul Gandhi insulted Mallikarjun Kharge and lifted him from the chair.
Claimed by: Social media post
Conclusion: Misleading
(Disclaimer: This story was originally published by BOOM, and republished by India TV as part of the Shakti Collective.)
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