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| - Fact Check: Did Rahul Gandhi share altered video to target BJP MLA?
An investigation by India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the clip Rahul Gandhi shared has been trimmed in a manner so that it alters the meaning of what BJP candidate from Haryana's Assandh constituency, Bakshish Singh Virk said about the EVMs.
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India Today Fact Check
The video has been edited to alter the meaning of Virk’s statement
Did sitting MLA and BJP candidate from Haryana’s Assandh constituency, Bakshish Singh Virk, claim in a public meeting that EVMs were tampered to ensure a BJP victory? Haryana went to polls on October 21.
A video clip is going viral on social media in which Virk seems to suggest that whichever button is pressed on the EVM, the vote will go to the flower.
The video clip gained further traction on social media after Rahul Gandhi tweeted it. The Congress leader termed Virk the most honest man in the BJP while sharing the video.
Rahul Gandhi's tweet has already been viewed by more than 3.4 lakh users and retweeted almost 13,000 times till the filing of this story. Various media portals have also reported the story based on his tweet.
The most honest man in the BJP. pic.twitter.com/6Q4D43uo0d Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 21, 2019
An investigation by India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the clip Rahul Gandhi shared has been trimmed in a manner so that it alters the meaning of what BJP candidate from Haryana’s Assandh constituency, Bakshish Singh Virk said about the EVMs.
The claim
In the 39-second viral video, one can see Virk speaking in Punjabi in a public meeting. His speech, when translated to English, means, "We will get to know which person has voted where, there should be no misunderstanding about it. We deliberately don’t tell you. If someone asks, we can tell where they voted. Because Modi is very sharp, Manohar Lal is very sharp."
At 22nd second in the video, an abrupt cut in the video suggests discontinuity. Virk then goes on to say, "Vote for whoever you want, it will go to the flower (BJP). Whichever button you press, it will go to the BJP. There is a tool fixed in the machines."
The video, according to a PTI report, went viral a day before polling (Sunday, October 20). Taking note of the issue, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had also issued a notice to Virk.
The BJP MLA has categorically denied the allegations and claimed that the video is fake.
Fact Check
AFWA accessed a bigger clip (7 minutes 10 seconds) of the same video and found that Rahul Gandhi, among many, had shared an edited version of the video, which altered the meaning of the speech made by Virk. The speech was delivered on October 18.
At about 2 minutes and 14 seconds in the original video, Virk starts the alleged EVM tampering remark.
The speech in Punjabi says, "Hun pata hai ki kehnde ne o? Aandey ne vote jitthe marzi paa leo, nikalni phul dii ee aa button jehda marzi daba leo nikalna phul da ee ai machine ch purja fit kitta hoya ai."
Translation: "You know what they are saying now? They say that wherever you vote, it will go to the flower (BJP). Whichever button you press, the vote will go to the BJP. There is a tool fixed in the (EVM) machines."
However, it is to be noted that though this particular statement was edited, others were heard in the original video too. Virk did actually say they will get to know who people vote for.
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