An old interview of Rahul Gandhi suggesting how one should change their jacket and shoes in order to make a difference in the country is viral online with false claims that he made a blunder while speaking to the journalist.
BOOM found that several clips of the old interview have been edited, their order rearranged and stitched together to make this claim. The full interview does not show Rahul Gandhi making such a statement.
The 38-second clip shows the interviewer asking Rahul Gandhi if he will keep going despite losing. To this, Rahul Gandhi answers in the affirmative and in a bizarre answer, says that one needs to change their jacket and shoes to win. When the interviewer asks how this will help, he appears to be thrown off by the question and makes incoherent expressions.
The video is being shared on Facebook with the caption, "After watching this Serious Interview Please my Humble Request Don't Laugh."
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
FACT CHECK
BOOM found that the clip is 9 years old and shows Rahul Gandhi's interview before the 2014 general elections. Different parts of the video have been picked up and rearranged to make the false claim that Gandhi spoke incoherently during the interview and was left dumbfounded when the interviewer asked more questions.
A keyword search on Google led us to a video uploaded by Aaj Tak on April 13, 2014, titled 'Rahul Gandhi gets candid on Aaj Tak - Full Interview'.
The visuals of Gandhi and the interviewer matched the ones in the viral video
In the viral video, the first question asked by the interviewer is, "No matter what happens, you will keep going?". However in the original interview, this question comes towards the end at the 26:37 mark. Gandhi's reply to this in the viral video, "Main laga hua hoon (I am keeping at it)," appears in the original interview at the 12:26 mark.
His statement about changing ones attire to win has been stitched together using jump cuts. In the original interview, at the 12:48 mark, he is heard saying, "According to me, if we (as the country) want to win, we need to change our political parties." He does not mention jackets or shoes at this point or implies that changing them will help India prosper.
Here is a time-wise break-up of the exchange during the interview
12:26- Rahul says, "Main laga hua hoon (I am keeping at it)" while speaking about the reforms his party has brought about
12:42- Rahul says, "Main laga rahunga (I will keep doing it," while speaking about battling corruption.
12:48- Rahul says, "According to me, if we (as the country) want to win, we need to change our political parties. The solution will come from here."
12:55- The interviewer asks, "How? How will changing political parties help?"
13:03- Rahul says, "I will tell you. (Members of) Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha are elected. There are about 700 members in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 4,500 (members) in the Vidhan Sabha. They run the country. This jacket that you are wearing, and these shoes... they make laws about them. But who chooses these candidates? 10 people in the BJP. 10-15 others from the Congress. 1 or 2 from Mulayam Singh ji's party. 1 from Mayawati ji's party. So until you don't open up the choices for the candidate, till you don't give this choice to thousands and lakhs of people, till then this door will remain shut. And this is the central issue. Modi ji claims he wants to make all these decisions."
Even the expressions towards the second half of the viral video where it appears as though Gandhi seems to be stumped by the question have been taken from different points in this interview where he was taking a pause before speaking or thinking about his next answer.