A nearly five-year old video of RSS pracharak Rajeshwar Singh's controversial remark about eradicating Christianity and Islam from India by December 31, 2021, has been revived on social media and passed off as recent.
Independent journalist CJ Werleman also shared the video clip of the old news bulletin on Singh's shocking statement. However, Werleman incorrectly identified Singh as a Bharatiya Janata Party leader.
The 2 minute 20 second long ABP News clip features Singh's comments where he can be seen saying the following.
- Rajeshwar Singh
"The inner spirit of India has been awakened. Bharat Mata has risen. She is anxious to attain her goal. Wait and watch. December 31, 2021 is the last date for Christian terrorist and Islam in this country. We have vouched to erase Islam and Christianity from the country by the date. This is me and my comrade’s oath."
Rajeshwar Singh, a former chief of the Dharm Jagran Samiti, led the group's controversial campaign of 'Ghar Wapsi' or reconversion to Hinduism in Uttar Pradesh.
Werleman shared the video on September 30 with the caption, “BJP leader Rajeshwar Singh says Islam and Christianity will be finished in India by 2021. This is a member of India's ruling party openly boasting of his government's intent to ethnically cleanse 200 million Muslims and 28 million Christians.”
The video has garnered more than 1,35,000 views at the time of writing this article.
BOOM has fact-checked Werleman in the past.
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The video has resurfaced on Facebook as well with a similar caption.
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Furthermore, Werleman's Facebook post on the same video has been shared by a blog, siasat.pk, as recent.
Fact Check
BOOM ran a keyword search and found a longer clip of ABP's bulletin featuring the same interaction of Rajeshwar Singh with the media.
The bulletin was uploaded to YouTube in December 2014. We also found multiple news reports on Singh's controversial comments.
Singh's comments had left the RSS red faced. He was sent on an indefinite sick leave after his reconversion campaign in Uttar Pradesh, according to media reports.