On October 30, national in-charge of social media for BJP Mahila Morcha Priti Gandhi shared a part of an ABP News broadcast and wrote, “Especially for those who have been going ga-ga about the crowds at @yadavtejashwi’s rallies in Bihar!! That crowd is present there only for their entertainment…They are extremely clear that their vote is reserved only for PM @narendramodi!!”
In the video, an ABP News reporter questions people whom they’ll vote for in the elections and several in the crowd can be heard saying “BJP”. Gandhi has shared the video against the backdrop of the ongoing Bihar assembly elections.
The clip that carries a watermark of Gandhi’s Twitter handle (@MrsGandhi) also found its way to Facebook. It was shared by the page ‘India with Namo’.
Fact-check
A quick glance at the video itself establishes that it does not represent a recent event. For starters, nobody can be seen adorning masks. Moreover, a ticker on the screen reads, “Fastest result on May 23 only on ABP News. (23 मई को सबसे तेज़ नतीजे सिर्फ़ ABP न्यूज़ पर.)”
A keyword search on YouTube took us to the ABP News broadcast uploaded on May 9, 2019 ahead of Lok Sabha elections. The rally was held in Champaran district’s Kesariya. The part shared by Priti Gandhi can be watched 4:25 minutes onward. In the later part of the broadcast, people can also be heard stating that they will cast votes for Tejashwi Yadav and advice others to do the same.
Thus, a clipped portion of an ABP News broadcast from last year was shared by BJP’s Priti Gandhi with the false claim that people at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s rally said that they will vote for the BJP in Bihar elections. Reporter Utkarsh Singh questioning the crowd in the broadcast also clarified on Twitter that the clip is from last year.
This article was first published in Altnews.