An altered video purporting to show Rahul Gandhi addressing a rally and making a simple mathematic miscalculation by saying 50+15=73 is viral online.
BOOM found that the video has been clipped to make the false claim, the original video shows Gandhi saying 50+15+8=73.
Rahul Gandhi is currently spearheading the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the second leg of his original Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he is travelling from Manipur to Mumbai, covering 14 states across a distance of a6,200 kilometers.
The viral video shows Gandhi saying, "How much is it? 50+15. It's 73." The video was shared on X with the caption, "50+15 = 73 😎"
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
The video is also being shared on Facebook with the caption, "According to Rahul Gandhi, 50+15=73 😂"
Click here to view the post.
FACT CHECK
BOOM found that the video has been cropped and shared with the false claim. The original video shows Gandhi speaking about the distribution of OBC, Dalits, and Adivasi individuals in the country, saying each of them form about 50%, 15%, and 8% of the population respectively. He then says that all three of these combines represent 73% of the population.
We went through the Indian National Congress' official YouTube channel and looked for any recent public address by Rahul Gandhi. A livestream from February 8, 2024 where Gandhi is addressing a crowd in Chhattisgarh had visuals similar to the viral video. The video was titled "LIVE | Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra | Jharsuguda to Raigarh | Chhattisgarh | Rahul Gandhi"
In this speech, Gandhi is heard narrating how a journalist asked him about the effectiveness of implementing a caste census, an initiative that has been one of the main highlights of Gandhi's Yatra. When asked whether a caste census would create further divide, Gandhi asked the journalist if they knew how many OBCs, Adivasis, and Dalits owned newspapers in the country. Continuing this, he is heard saying from the 19:50 mark, "It is estimated that about 50-55% (of people in the country) are from backward castes. 15% are Dalits. 8% are Adivasis. How much is it (total)? How much is 50+15+8? 73."
He then talks about how this population of 73% is not represented in the media or the government.
The part where he adds 8 to 50+15 has been clipped from the viral video to claim that Gandhi made a calculation mistake.
Watch the full video here: