The viral video featuring Kamal Nath, allegedly discussing a ‘reconsideration’ of the decision to abrogate Article 370 in a meeting with Muslim leaders and proposing to ‘reclaim’ the mosque land, is manipulated and fake. This altered video is being circulated as part of election propaganda with a specific intent.
New Delhi (Vishvas News): Amid the fervour of the assembly elections in five states, including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, a video clip featuring former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has gone viral on social media. The clip allegedly depicts him urging Muslims to ‘reclaim’ a mosque site and suggesting a ‘reconsideration’ of Article 370. It’s claimed that these statements were made to appease the Muslim community and secure votes.
Upon investigation, Vishvas News has determined this claim to be false. The viral video has been manipulated, incorporating a fabricated audio clip. In reality, the video is an edited version of footage from 2018, during a meeting where Kamal Nath was engaging with Muslim leaders.
What’s going viral?
A user has requested Vishvas News to investigate the viral video by sending this post on Vishvas News’ WhatsApp tipline number +91 9599299372.
Many other users on different social media platforms have shared this video with similar claims.
Vishvas News Investigation:
The viral video clip, approximately 30 seconds long, purportedly features Kamal Nath stating, “…I have been contemplating for a while to discuss with you all…Please understand beforehand that this should not leak outside. We are deeply concerned about you and Congress seeks support from our Muslim brothers. This is so that we can make decisions in your favor in the future. I promise to maintain confidentiality. You will regain control of your mosque site and Article 370 will be reconsidered. I cannot openly discuss everything…just comprehend this much…”
Several public platforms host various videos of Kamal Nath’s speeches. Upon reviewing these, it becomes evident that the voice in the viral clip does not belong to him.
Journalists from Naidunia covering the elections confirmed that the voice in the viral clip doesn’t match Kamal Nath’s. Dhananjay Pratap Singh, Naidunia’s state bureau chief, labelled the clip as fake with edited audio. Virendra Tiwari, editor-in-charge of Naidunia’s Gwalior unit covering the elections, also dismissed the video as false.
The viral footage depicts Kamal Nath in a meeting with Muslim leaders. Reverse image searches on its keyframes to find the source revealed the video uploaded on various news websites’ YouTube channels, featuring entirely different audio from the viral clip.
An older video, uploaded four years ago on Lokmat Hindi’s YouTube channel, shows Kamal Nath conversing with Muslim leaders about votes. In this, he mentions regional politics and advises caution against certain strategies aimed at confusing voters.
“If I talk about Chhindwara, people come and tell me. Because their RSS is associated with Nagpur… it is very easy for them to come there in the morning and go at night. That is their only slogan….If you want to vote for a Hindu, then vote for Hindu Sher Modi. If you want to vote for a Muslim then vote for Congress. Just two lines and don’t go to teach any lesson. This is their strategy and you all will have to be very cautious in this. Will try to confuse you. We will deal with them later…but you will have to bear everything till the day of voting,” Kamal Nath said.
While Vishvas News cannot confirm the authenticity of the 2018 Kamal Nath video, we affirm that the viral clip from the 2018 assembly elections was manipulated with fabricated audio regarding reclaiming the mosque land and reconsidering Article 370.
Notably, Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to vote on November 17, with results expected on December 3. Vishvas News has more fact-checked reports on misleading claims related to the elections on its website. Earlier, a similarly doctored video of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan went viral, falsely portraying his acceptance of defeat before the elections. An investigation by Vishvas News proved this video to be fake.
Conclusion: The viral video featuring Kamal Nath, allegedly discussing a ‘reconsideration’ of the decision to abrogate Article 370 in a meeting with Muslim leaders and proposing to ‘reclaim’ the mosque land, is manipulated and fake. This altered video is being circulated as part of election propaganda with a specific intent.
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