17-07-2025
Posts accusing Rahul Gandhi of 'insulting Hindu festival' use misleadingly edited speech
"Rahul Gandhi, standing on the soil of Odisha, called the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath a 'drama'!" reads part of the Hindi-language caption of a Facebook video shared on July 11, 2025.
The video shows Gandhi standing at a podium and saying: "When the Jagannath Yatra takes place in Odisha, the chariot of the Jagannath Yatra comes out, hundreds of thousands of people watch it and follow it and then a drama takes place."
It was shared after a deadly stampede marred the annual Rath Yatra festival honouring the Hindu deity Lord Jagannath, which was held in eastern Odisha state (archived link).
At least three people were killed and around 50 others injured in the early hours of June 29, with the Times of India reporting that eyewitnesses blamed the chaos on poor planning and arrangements for VIPs (archived link).
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Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on July 16, 2025, with a red X added by AFP
The clip was also shared in similar Facebook, Threads and X posts targeting the opposition Congress party's leader.
"The Supreme Court should take cognisance of the insult of the Hindu faith and Lord Jagannath by this heretic and strict action should be taken against this heretic," read a comment on one of the posts.
Another said: "When will action be taken against this corrupt stupid man? How long will he keep roaming around the country and keep talking nonsense, keep playing with the sentiments of Hindu believers?"
The video, however, has been misleadingly edited.
Clipped video
A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the misleadingly edited video led to a longer version published on the verified YouTube channel of News 18 Odia on July 11 (archived link).
Its description states that Gandhi was speaking at Congress' "Save the Constitution" rally in Odisha's Bhubaneswar city, part of a national campaign to bolster support for the opposition party.
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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the News 18 Odia video (right)
The segment used in the false posts can be seen at the video's 32-second mark.
The falsely shared clip omits Gandhi explaining what he meant by "drama".
"When the Jagannath Yatra takes place in Odisha, the chariot of the Jagannath Yatra comes out, hundreds of thousands of people watch it and follow it and then a drama takes place -- the chariots are stopped specifically for Adani and his family," he says, referring to Indian billionaire Gautam Adani.
The Adani Group chairman took part in the Rath Yatra with his family on June 28 (archived link).
The pulling of giant chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings from the Lion's Gate of the Shree Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple 2.5 km (1.5 miles) away -- a key ritual in the Rath Yatra -- had been delayed by a day, according to India's The Telegraph newspaper (archived link).
The newspaper said the opposition Congress party accused the Odisha state government, run by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of deliberately delaying the ritual so the Adani family could take part.
In response, Odisha law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan accused the opposition of trying to "politicise the issue".
Gandhi goes on to say in his speech: "This alone reveals the true nature of the Odisha government. This is not the Odisha government and it is also not the government of poor people.
"It doesn't serve the people of Odisha, but rather a handful of billionaires like Adani. Their aim is to seize your land, your forests, and your future."
His remarks were also reported by The Indian Express, The Print, PTI and Times of India (archived here, here, here and here).
AFP has debunked other false posts targeting the opposition leader here.
