Footage from a primetime news debate is viral on social media. In the video, the anchor asks a panellist whether Rahul Gandhi would be able to woo Hindu voters as Narendra Modi did with the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. The panellist states, “That would be difficult not just for Rahul Gandhi, but for anyone. Narendra Modi is a hero. Even today there must be 10-15 crore people who revere him like a god, and don’t want to hear about his failures. And as far as Kashi is concerned, whatever has been done in Kashi has been simply amazing…” It has been claimed that the panellist praising PM Modi is a spokesperson for the Congress party.

Twitter handle ‘@VishalRuhelaIND’ shared the video with this claim. (Archive link)

Another Twitter user promoted the video and accompanying claim. (Archive link)

The clip is widespread on Facebook and Twitter.

Fact-check

The logo of the news channel which aired the debate is not clearly visible. However, the words ‘First News India’ do appear on the bottom of the screen. This is a local news outlet from Rajasthan.

Alt News performed a keyword search on YouTube using this information. We discovered that the video has been taken from a live debate aired by the channel on December 14. Scenes from the viral clip appear at the 55:36 mark. In addition, at the start of the segment, the anchor introduces the panellist as channel head Jagdish Chandra.

Upon further research about Chandra on the First India News website, we found another video report about the outlet completing eight years in the news business. He also appears in this video to offer congratulations. This is indeed the same man who appears in the viral video.

To sum it up, a video featuring Jagdish Chandra, Channel Head of First India News, praising Narendra Modi, was falsely circulated as a Congress spokesperson speaking in favour of the prime minister.

Donate to Alt News!
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.

Donate Now

About the Author

Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization.