Amit Shah makes false claim that no BJP leader said protestors in Shaheen Bagh will rape women

On February 13, Home Minister Amit Shah was interviewed by journalist Navika Kumar in the Times Now Summit. Kumar pointed out the provocative slogans raised by BJP leaders during pro-CAA rallies such as ‘traitors of the country, should be shot down’, labelling the Delhi elections as ‘India vs Pakistan’ and the allegations that Shaheen Bagh protestors would enter homes and rape women and daughters. Shah acknowledged that the first two statements were made but denied that his party members made the ‘rape’ comment about Shaheen Bagh protestors.

What did Amit Shah say?

Times Now tweeted (archive link) a 4:30 minute video and said, “#TimesNowSummit | BJP condemns the hate comments made by its netas & doesn’t endorse them: Union Home Minister @AmitShah tells Navika Kumar at TIMES NOW SUMMIT 2020 ” The relevant portion can be viewed onward the 2:58 mark.

#TimesNowSummit | BJP condemns the hate comments made by its netas & doesn’t endorse them: Union Home Minister @AmitShah tells Navika Kumar at TIMES NOW SUMMIT 2020. pic.twitter.com/PZHoyK64oo

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) February 13, 2020

While wrapping up her question Kumar said, “Protestors in Shaheen Bagh will rape daughters-in-law and daughters by sneaking into people’s houses … Such sentences…” [Translated from शाहीन बाग़ में जो प्रोटेस्टर्स बैठे हैं वो लोगों के घर में घुस के बहू बेटियों का बलात्कार करे देंगे… इस तरह के वाक्यों…]

Before Kumar could finish her question, Shah interjected and said, “No one has given such a statement… that daughter will be raped … But everything else that you said, they should not have given any statement …” [Translated from ऐसा बयान नहीं दिया किसी ने… बहू-बेटियों का बलात्कार करेंगे… मगर बाकी सब जो आपने कहा, वो भी बयान नहीं देने चाहिए थे…]

FACT-CHECK

Alt News did a keyword search on Twitter and found a tweet by ANI from January 28. The tweet (archive link) posted a 90-second byte of BJP MP Parvesh Verma along with the text, “#WATCH: BJP MP Parvesh Verma says, “…Lakhs of people gather there (Shaheen Bagh). People of Delhi will have to think & take a decision. They’ll enter your houses, rape your sisters&daughters, kill them. There’s time today, Modi ji & Amit Shah won’t come to save you tomorrow…”

#WATCH: BJP MP Parvesh Verma says, “…Lakhs of people gather there (Shaheen Bagh). People of Delhi will have to think & take a decision. They’ll enter your houses, rape your sisters&daughters, kill them. There’s time today, Modi ji & Amit Shah won’t come to save you tomorrow…” pic.twitter.com/1G801z5ZbM

— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2020

Therefore, Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that no BJP leader said that Shaheen Bagh protestors will rape women and daughters is false.