An old video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing members of the Indian community in Japan has gone viral with a misleading context. The video shot a few days after the demonetisation announcement on November 8, 2016 has been shared with a false narrative that Modi mocked the confusion and chaos that reigned immediately after the government announced that currency notes of denomination Rs 500 and Rs 1000 would be discontinued.
On November 8, marking two years of demonetisation, a Twitter user @KilaFateh tweeted a 39-second video with the caption, "Is this a normal man? Is this how a PM should behave? Is this how modi makes fun of suffering due to the FAILED demonization?The public won't vote for bjp again because of this man Let's share this to all people of India, let's declare #BJPKiVoteBandi". The post received more than 200 retweets and 300 likes. The bio of the Twitter user claims to be a Congress supporter.
BOOM found that the edited portion of the video was viral earlier this year too on Facebook with the caption, "MODI MOCKING AFTER DEMONETISATION. Do Not Ever Forget as to How Modi had Mocked at Helplessness of People Suffering After Demonetisation! Remember this & Vote Sensibly."
A Facebook user shared the video with the above caption on August 30 with his post being shared more than 1500 times. Most of the users commenting on Twitter and Facebook on the posts are disappointed with Modi for making fun of the hardships faced by people immediately after demonetisation.
In both the videos, Modi can be heard laughing and speaking in Hindi. His speech loosely translates to, "You also know that suddenly at 8 pm on 8th, currency notes of denomination Rs 500 and Rs 1000 (PM Modi gestures clapping his hands indicating the said currency notes have been rendered useless). There's a wedding at home? There no money." (आप को भी पता है अचानक आठ तारिक को रात को आठ बजे, ५०० और १००० के नोट.... घर में शादी है? पैसे नै है| ) In the viral video, Modi can be seen laughing and behaving in a jovial manner and the audience in the background can be heard laughing.
FACT CHECK:
BOOM found that the viral video has been edited to give a misleading context to Modi's speech. The speech was given by Modi on November 12, 2016 to the Indian community in Japan during his visit to the country. BOOM found the full video of the speech uploaded on YouTube by the official account of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In the 32 minutes long video uploaded by BJP, at 18:11 Modi starts speaking about demonetisation and says in Hindi, "You also know that suddenly at 8 pm on 8th, currency notes of denomination Rs 500 and Rs 1000 (PM Modi gestures clapping his hands indicating the said currency notes have been rendered useless) (Hindi translation - आप को भी पता है अचानक आठ तारिक को रात को आठ बजे, ५०० और १००० के नोट...."). Listen here.
But BOOM found that immediately after the above line, Modi says, "I bow before and salute the 125 crore residents of the country" (Hindi - में 125 करोड़ देश वासियों को नमन करता हूँ, सलाम करता हूँ | In the unedited video, Modi then can be listing out instances of hardship caused by the sudden announcement of demonetisation and then praising people for making demonetisation a success despite all the difficulties.
https://youtu.be/wrCLjU4Qd1Q?t=1090
The same video can be seen published by ABP News on November 12, 2016. Click here
Here is the full translated transcript of the three minutes where Modi speaks about demonetisation -
"You also know that suddenly at 8 pm on 8th, currency notes of denomination Rs 500 and Rs 1000 (gestures clapping his hands indicating the said currency notes have been rendered useless). I bow before and salute the 125 crore residents of the country. There is a wedding at home? But no money money. Mother is unwell? There is a bundle of Rs 1000 notes but it is difficult. Depsite all of this - there is difficulty - everybody knows. They themselves are facing difficulty, they know it. Neighbours are facing difficulty that is also known. Despite all of that, there were people who were going around forcing people to speak ill about me and say something to me... but I salute the citizens of the country. Someone was standing in the queue for four hours, some for six hours - they suffered but accepted and welcomed the decision (of demonetisation) in the same way that Japan cam together in 2011."
(IN HINDI -घर में शादी है? पैसे नै है| माँ बीमार है? १००० के नोटों का ठप्पा है, पर मुश्किल है| इन् सबके बावजूत भी , तकलीफ है यह पता है, खुदको है यह पता है, अड़ोस पड़ोस को पता है, उसके बावजूत भी लोग मुँह में ऊँगली दाल दाल के पुछवाते थे की मोदी को कुछ बोलो| कुछ मोदी के खिलाफ बोलो| ऐसा भी चल रहा है.... लेकिन मैं देश के लोगों को सौ सौ सलाम करता हूँ, कोई चार घंटे को लाइन में खड़ा रहा, कोई छे घंटे खड़ा रहा - तकलीफ झेली लेकिन देश के हित में इस निर्णय को वैसेही स्वीकार और स्वागत किया जैसे २०११ में जापान के हर नागरिक ने करके दिखाया था|)