Zee News, Republic TV, News 18 Rajasthan among other news outlets ran a clipped video with a story claiming farmer leader Rakesh Tikait has threatened media houses.
BOOM found that in the original video Tikait, in fact, says that it is the government that will target media houses soon.
The clipped video with the missing context was also tweeted by Zee News editor-in-chief Sudhir Chaudhary with the same false claim.
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The video is viral after a recent sting operation by Zee News on Rakesh Tikait's brother and president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union Naresh Tikait where the latter can be heard saying sugarcane can be procured at a price lower than the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the government.
In his tweet, Chaudhary says 'Rakesh Tikait's next target media house. @ZeeNews showed the truth so this threat? else?'.
(Hindi: राकेश टिकैत का अगला टारगेट मीडिया हाउस हैं। @ZeeNews ने सच दिखाया तो ये धमकी ? नहीं तो ?)
Zee News shared the same video from its official Twitter handle with a Hindi caption translating to 'Our next target is media house - Rakesh Tikait..+#ZeeNews sting operation leaves Rakesh Tikait furious'.
(Hindi: हमारा अगला टारगेट मीडिया हाउस है -राकेश टिकैत..+ #ZeeNews के स्टिंग ऑपरेशन के बाद बौखलाए राकेश टिकैत)
Several other media houses including News 18 Rajasthan, Republic Bharat, The Economic Times misreported on the issue.
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The clip was also extensively shared on Facebook and Twitter.
Fact Check On Rakesh Tikait's Statement
BOOM found a longer video from where the viral video has been clipped. Tikait interacted with mediapersons in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on September 28 and a 27-second-long clip of the same was tweeted by wire agency ANI.
In the video, Tikait can be seen speaking in Hindi.
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He says 'Mainly you should see the Delhi waale (Central government) who made policies and sold half of the country. Focus on them too. They have sold off mandis in Madhya Pradesh... 182 mandis. Even Chhattisgarh is not untouched. Now the situation is such that everyone should join hands. The next target are media houses. If you want to survive, support us else you too will be gone'.
(Hindi: मेन तो उधर दिल्ली वालों को देख लो जिसने कानून बना के आधा देश बेच दिया उनपे भी ध्यान बना लो ना मंडियां बेच दी मध्य प्रदेश की 182 मंडी बेचने निकाल दी छत्तीसगढ़ भी अछूता नहीं रह गया अब तो ये है की सबलोग साथ दो अगला टारगेट मीडिया हाउस है आपको बचना है तो साथ दे दो नहीं तो आप भी गए)
BOOM found another longer version of the same video uploaded on the official Facebook page of Navbharat Times on September 28 with a Hindi caption translating to 'You are the next target... Now Tikait is instilling fear in media! Government's next target is media, if you want to survive then... watch what Rakesh Tikait says'.
(Hindi: अगला टारगेट आप हो...अब मीडिया को डरा रहे टिकैत! सरकार का अगला टारगेट मीडिया है, अगर बचना है तो...देखिए क्या बोले राकेश टिकैत)
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BOOM also found a tweet on the official Twitter handle of Bhartiya Kisan Union claiming that the viral video was edited.
The tweet, in Hindi, translates to 'The government is selling everything. Everyone lend support. The next target of the government is the media house. If you want to survive, lend support or you will be gone too. Conspirators of IT Cell, this statement is about 'government's next target' media institutions. The IT cell of a party edited the video and is calling it as Tikait's threat to media'.
(Hindi: सरकार सब कुछ बेच रही है। सबलोग साथ दो।सरकार का अगला टारगेट मीडिया हाउस है। आपको बचना है तो साथ दे दो नहीं तो आप भी गए। आईटी सेल के षड्यंत्रकारियों यह बयान 'सरकार का अगला टारगेट' मीडिया संस्थानों को लेकर है। एक दल का #ITcell वीडियो एडिट कर टिकैत की मीडिया को धमकी बता रहा है)
BOOM spoke to the media representative of Tikait who told us that the video was clipped from a longer video. "We have the whole 40-second-long video from where the video has been taken out. It was meant for the government. Tikait saab has always said that camera and pen is being ruled by the gun today. The government has been targeting the media," he told BOOM.
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