A graphic is viral on social media containing a purported statement issued by Rahul Gandhi. According to the image, Gandhi had stated that six or seven-year-old boys had complained to him that their names had been removed from the electoral roll.
Several pro-BJP accounts shared the graphic and attributed it to Gandhi. Among them were users like @BefittingFacts and @AmitLeliSlayer. It is worth noting that @BefittingFacts has been found by Alt News amplifying misinformation and pro-BJP propaganda on several occasions.
Fact Check
We performed a keyword search using terms related to the statement. This led us to a report published on Livemint’s website on August 24. It mentioned a statement made by Rahul Gandhi, in which the Congress chief targeted the government over SIR and said that children were now telling him, ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor’.
According to the report, in a press conference in Araria, Bihar, he stated that during the ‘Voter Rights Yatra’, children had begun coming up to him and whispering ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor’ in his ears. He also added that children from Bihar were also becoming politically active now. The report does not mention that Gandhi stated anything about the removal of the names of six and seven year old boys from the voter list.
We watched the full video of the press conference held by Rahul Gandhi in Araria, Bihar. At the 18:08 mark in the video, Gandhi states, “I went on the Bharat Jodo Yatra. After that I travelled from Manipur to Mumbai and now, this ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ is the third journey. One very interesting thing is being observed in this initiative which we did not see in the previous two journeys. It is a very strange phenomenon. Children are coming up to me and whispering ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor’ in my ears one after the other. These are not adults, they are children. Now, a small six-year-old child has come… and not just one, many have been coming up to me. Wherever I am travelling, thousands of them are saying, ‘Vote Chor Gaddi Chhor’. Now the Election Commission should go and talk to these children, and they will find out. However, this is a very unique phenomenon because it means that this sentiment has now penetrated inside. Think about it, the children of Bihar have become politically active, every child has become politically active. So, it is very interesting. This is a very interesting phenomenon and the Election Commission should think about it.”
Nowhere in the press meet did Rahul Gandhi state that the names of six and seven-year-old children had been removed from the voter list. Many BJP supporters and social media users made misleading claims by manipulating the Congress leader’s statement.
Independent journalism that speaks truth to power and is free of corporate and political control is possible only when people start contributing towards the same. Please consider donating towards this endeavour to fight fake news and misinformation.
