Priti Gandhi, national in-charge of social media, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mahila Morcha, tweeted a video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi where he can be heard saying, \u201cWill install such a machine that if a potato is inserted from one end, gold will come out from the other end. (\u0910\u0938\u0940 \u092e\u0936\u0940\u0928 \u0932\u0917\u093e\u090a\u0902\u0917\u093e \u0907\u0938 \u0938\u093e\u0907\u0921 \u0938\u0947 \u0906\u0932\u0942 \u0918\u0941\u0938\u0947\u0917\u093e \u0909\u0938 \u0938\u093e\u0907\u0921 \u0938\u0947 \u0938\u094b\u0928\u093e \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947\u0917\u093e.)”<\/p>\n
\nThe real danger to the Congress isn\u2019t that Rahul Gandhi doesn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the fact that nobody around him has the guts to tell him. #PappuScientist<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/tVqrsK254G<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ZAnG4Zsp8A<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Priti Gandhi – \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0940\u0924\u093f \u0917\u093e\u0902\u0927\u0940 (@MrsGandhi) October 9, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Rahul Gandhi has been in the news since his condemnation of the Uttar Pradesh government’s handling of the Hathras case where a Dalit woman was allegedly raped.<\/p>\n
The same video was earlier shared in reference to the Congress leader’s criticism of the Modi government’s three new farm bills which aim to do away with government interference by creating trading areas free of middlemen. The bills are facing staunch protests from farmer groups and opposition parties. Farmers are concerned they will no longer be protected under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) provision due to the legislation. The ruling party did not consult any stakeholders involved, including farmers, leading to a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha where the bills were passed via a voice vote. Modi government released a full-page advertisement<\/a> in newspapers accusing the opposition of misleading farmers.<\/p>\n
On September 20, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Modi government’s ego makes those farmers cry blood tears who grow gold on the land. (\u091c\u094b \u0915\u093f\u0938\u093e\u0928 \u0927\u0930\u0924\u0940 \u0938\u0947 \u0938\u094b\u0928\u093e \u0909\u0917\u093e\u0924\u093e \u0939\u0948, \u092e\u094b\u0926\u0940 \u0938\u0930\u0915\u093e\u0930 \u0915\u093e \u0918\u092e\u0902\u0921 \u0909\u0938\u0947 \u0916\u093c\u0942\u0928 \u0915\u0947 \u0906\u0901\u0938\u0942 \u0930\u0941\u0932\u093e\u0924\u093e \u0939\u0948\u0964)”<\/p>\n
\n\u091c\u094b \u0915\u093f\u0938\u093e\u0928 \u0927\u0930\u0924\u0940 \u0938\u0947 \u0938\u094b\u0928\u093e \u0909\u0917\u093e\u0924\u093e \u0939\u0948,
\n\u092e\u094b\u0926\u0940 \u0938\u0930\u0915\u093e\u0930 \u0915\u093e \u0918\u092e\u0902\u0921 \u0909\u0938\u0947 \u0916\u093c\u0942\u0928 \u0915\u0947 \u0906\u0901\u0938\u0942 \u0930\u0941\u0932\u093e\u0924\u093e \u0939\u0948\u0964<\/p>\n\u0930\u093e\u091c\u094d\u092f\u0938\u092d\u093e \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0906\u091c \u091c\u093f\u0938 \u0924\u0930\u0939 \u0915\u0943\u0937\u093f \u0935\u093f\u0927\u0947\u092f\u0915 \u0915\u0947 \u0930\u0942\u092a \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0938\u0930\u0915\u093e\u0930 \u0928\u0947 \u0915\u093f\u0938\u093e\u0928\u094b\u0902 \u0915\u0947 \u0916\u093c\u093f\u0932\u093e\u092b\u093c \u092e\u094c\u0924 \u0915\u093e \u092b\u093c\u0930\u092e\u093e\u0928 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u093e\u0932\u093e, \u0909\u0938\u0938\u0947 \u0932\u094b\u0915\u0924\u0902\u0924\u094d\u0930 \u0936\u0930\u094d\u092e\u093f\u0902\u0926\u093e \u0939\u0948\u0964<\/p>\n
\u2014 Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 20, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Soon after, several individuals began to mock Gandhi while referring to a ‘potato-gold’ machine statement. Author Bhaava Arora’s tweet garnered over 4,400 likes.<\/p>\n
\n\u092f\u0947 \u0924\u094b \u092b\u093f\u0930 \u092d\u0940 \u0920\u0940\u0915 \u0939\u0948 Sir,
\n\u0906\u092a \u0924\u094b \u0906\u0932\u0942 \u0938\u0947 \u0938\u094b\u0928\u093e \u0928\u093f\u0915\u093e\u0932 \u0930\u0939\u0947 \u0925\u0947! pic.twitter.com\/RKQCiuB2Fn<\/a><\/p>\n\u2014 bhaavna arora (@BhaavnaArora) September 21, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The same reference was earlier used by BJP UP state vice president Vijay Bahadur Pathak. “Congress has been unemployed since the business of producing gold from potato was shut down. (\u0906\u0932\u0941 \u0938\u0947 \u0938\u094b\u0928\u093e \u092c\u0928\u093e\u0928\u0947 \u0915\u093e \u0927\u0902\u0927\u093e \u091c\u092c \u0938\u0947 \u0939\u0941\u0906 \u092e\u0902\u0926\u093e \u0924\u092c \u0938\u0947 #\u0915\u093e\u0901\u0917\u094d\u0930\u0947\u0938_\u092c\u0947\u0930\u094b\u091c\u0917\u093e\u0930_\u0939\u0948.)”<\/p>\n
\n\u0906\u0932\u0941 \u0938\u0947 \u0938\u094b\u0928\u093e \u092c\u0928\u093e\u0928\u0947 \u0915\u093e \u0927\u0902\u0927\u093e \u091c\u092c \u0938\u0947 \u0939\u0941\u0906 \u092e\u0902\u0926\u093e
\n\u0924\u092c \u0938\u0947 #\u0915\u093e\u0901\u0917\u094d\u0930\u0947\u0938_\u092c\u0947\u0930\u094b\u091c\u0917\u093e\u0930_\u0939\u0948<\/a><\/p>\n\u2014 Vijay Bahadur Pathak (@vijaypathakbjp) September 17, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Indian economy has heavily suffered due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gross Domestic Product growth rate contracted by 23.9%<\/a> for the April to June quarter and 41 lakh youth lost jobs<\/a> in the same period. Congress had started an online campaign<\/a> against the Modi government over unemployment in the country.<\/p>\n
Several people have since been mocking Congress for expressing concerns over joblessness.<\/p>\n
\n\u091a\u0932\u0947 \u0906\u0932\u0942 \u0938\u0947 \u0938\u094b\u0928\u093e \u092c\u0928\u093e\u0928\u0947 \u092f\u0939 \u0926\u0947\u0916\u094b #\u0915\u093e\u0901\u0917\u094d\u0930\u0947\u0938_\u092c\u0947\u0930\u094b\u091c\u0917\u093e\u0930_\u0939\u0948<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/fZEbu9Usg1<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Saumya Prakash ( StayHome Stay Safe)\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3 (@saumyaprakash90) September 17, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Previously debunked misinformation<\/h4>\n
The same video was shared by BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya in 2017 (archive<\/a>).<\/p>\n
\nPeople are sending this to me and asking in disbelief if he actually said this.. Of course he did! pic.twitter.com\/rgdTf26ARv<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) November 15, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The \u2018remark\u2019 was also referred by an ANI reporter<\/a> while questioning BJP MP Hema Malini last year and by Sambit Patra<\/a> in a tweet earlier in May.<\/p>\n
The statement was a part of a clipped video of a much longer speech where Gandhi was actually taking a dig at Prime Minister Modi during an address in Gujarat\u2019s Patan on November 12, 2017.<\/p>\n
The complete video was uploaded on the Congrees leader\u2019s YouTube channel where at 17:50 minutes he can be heard saying, \u201cA few months ago there was a flood here and he [PM Modi] said he will give Rs 500 crore but not even a rupee was given. He told potato farmers, will install such a machine that if a potato is inserted from one end, gold will come out from the other end\u2026these are not my words but Narendra Modiji\u2019s words.\u201d<\/p>\n
[Translated from: \u0915\u0941\u091b \u092e\u0939\u0940\u0928\u0947 \u092a\u0939\u0932\u0947 \u092f\u0939\u093e\u0901 \u092c\u093e\u095d \u0906\u092f\u0940 \u096b\u0966\u0966 \u0915\u0930\u094b\u095c \u0930\u0941\u092a\u092f\u0947 \u0926\u0942\u0902\u0917\u093e, (\u092a\u0940\u090f\u092e \u092e\u094b\u0926\u0940 \u0928\u0947) \u090f\u0915 \u092d\u0940 \u0930\u0942\u092a\u092f\u093e \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0926\u093f\u092f\u093e. \u0906\u0932\u0942 \u0915\u0947 \u0915\u093f\u0938\u093e\u0928\u094b \u0915\u094b \u0915\u0939\u093e \u0910\u0938\u0940 \u092e\u0936\u0940\u0928 \u0932\u0917\u093e\u090a\u0902\u0917\u093e \u0907\u0938 \u0938\u093e\u0907\u0921 \u0938\u0947 \u0906\u0932\u0942 \u0918\u0941\u0938\u0947\u0917\u093e \u0909\u0938 \u0938\u093e\u0907\u0921 \u0938\u0947 \u0938\u094b\u0928\u093e \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947\u0917\u093e\u2026\u092e\u0947\u0930\u0947 \u0936\u092c\u094d\u0926 \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0939\u0948 \u0928\u0930\u0947\u0902\u0926\u094d\u0930 \u092e\u094b\u0926\u0940\u091c\u0940 \u0915\u0947 \u0936\u092c\u094d\u0926]<\/p>\n