A clipped video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaking at the parliament is circulating on social media with a misleading claim that he said the Hindu god Hanuman did not burn Lanka, the kingdom of Ravana.
Several right-wing users has recently shared the video on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook taking a dig at Gandhi and questioning his knowledge about the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana.
BOOM however found that Gandhi clarified his statement during his speech at the parliament. The Congress leader said that not Hanuman, but Ravana's arrogance burnt his kingdom Lanka.
The 9-seconds clip is being shared with the claim, "Which Ramayana he read before coming here?"
(Original Text in Hindi: Ye kaun si Ramayan Padhke aaya hai?)
Click here to view the tweet.
The video is also being shared on Facebook with a similar claim.
Click here to view one such post.
Fact Check
BOOM found a longer version of the Congress leader's speech that was streamed live on Rahul Gandhi's official YouTube channel on August 9, 2023, during a discussion in the parliament.
In the video, the Congress leader can be heard attacking the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government taking a reference from the Hindu epic Ramayana from 35:10 minutes onwards.
Gandhi says, "Ravana used to listen to two people, Meghnad and Kumbhakarna. Similarly, Narendra Modi listens to two people - Amit Shah and Adani. Brothers and sisters, Hanuman did not burn Lanka. Ravana's arrogance burnt Lanka down."
He further continues saying, "Rama did not kill Ravana. Ravana's ego killed him (instead). You are spreading kerosene all across the country. You spread kerosene in Manipur and ignited it with a spark. Now, you are doing it in Haryana. You are burning down the country. You are killing Bharat Mata everywhere in the country."
The Context in Ramayana
Ramayana, a Hindu epic, is traditionally ascribed to Maharishi Valmiki. We found an e-book version of Raamaayana by Archaeological Survey of India on the Ministry of Culture's The Indian Culture portal written by C. Rajagopalachari and published by Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay in 1957. In the book's 'Lanka in Flames' chapter from page 238, it is stated that Ravana ordered to burn Hanuman's tail after Hanuman told the king to release Rama's wife Sita who was abducted earlier. However, when the order was carried out, Hanuman took this as an opportunity and set Lanka on fire with his blazing tail.