A video clip of Congress President Mallika Arjun Kharge, former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rahul Gandhi is going viral on social media. In this, Rahul Gandhi can be seen lifting Kharge from a chair, with claims that Rahul Gandhi forcefully lifted the Congress President from his seat.
Vishvas News investigated the viral post and found it to be misleading. The original video was tampered with and an incomplete clip was shared with a false claim. The investigation revealed that when Mallika Arjun Kharge stood up to give a speech, Rahul Gandhi moved the chair back to help him. After the speech, Kharge returned to his seat.
Claim:
A Facebook user Kunwar Prashant Pratap Singh posted a clip with the caption, “Such a huge insult. Get up and vacate the seat. Who knows from where they come and sit here? No one can sit here except us two.”
Many users are sharing the viral post believing the claim to be true. The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Investigation:
Vishvas News extracted several keyframes from the viral clip to verify its authenticity. We found the live video on the official YouTube channel of Congress, uploaded on January 15, 2025. After watching the full video, we uncovered the truth behind the viral clip.
At the 46:30-minute mark in the original video, the same moment can be seen in which Rahul Gandhi is seen assisting Kharge. When Mallikarjun Kharge was invited to give a speech during the inauguration of the new office of Congress, Rahul Gandhi helped him stand up, which is visible in the video. Later, at the 1.16-hour mark, Kharge can be seen returning to his seat. The viral clip was edited to mislead the viewers and the claim proved to be fake.
Vishwas News furthered the investigation and contacted Girish Kumar, a member of Congress’s social media team. After reviewing the viral clip, he confirmed that it had been edited. In the original video, Rahul Gandhi was assisting Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, but the footage was altered to spread misleading claims.
We finally reviewed the Facebook account of the user who posted the fake post and found that the user has around 4900 followers.
Conclusion: Vishvas News investigated the viral claim and found it to be fake. The investigation revealed that Rahul Gandhi was helping Mallikarjun Kharge, but a part of the original video was edited and shared with a misleading claim.
(The fact-check story was originally published by Vishvas News and has been republished by Lighthouse Journalism as a part of Shakti Collective.)
