Fact Check: Rahul Gandhi’s Incomplete Statement On Reservation Goes Viral

New Delhi (Vishvas News). A post about Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is going viral on social media. The post uses two video clips to falsely claim that Gandhi stated that he would end the reservation.

Vishvas News fact-checked the viral post and found it to be misleading. During his US tour, while answering a student’s question at Georgetown University, Rahul Gandhi said “Reservation is not the only tool; there are other tools, but we should think of scrapping reservations only when India becomes a fair place. And India is not a fair place right now.” 

Some people on social media are spreading rumors by sharing incomplete videos.

What is going viral

An Instagram handle named ‘Chhattisgarh Chaupal’ posted two clips on September 10, 2024, claiming that Rahul Gandhi speaks about protecting reservations in India but talks about ending it abroad.

The content of the viral post is reproduced below. You can view its archived version here.

Investigation

To investigate the viral claim related to Rahul Gandhi, Vishvas News first scanned the official YouTube channel of the Congress party. We found a video dated September 10, 2024, featuring Rahul Gandhi interacting with the students at Georgetown University, during his visit to the US.

In the video, a student questions him about reservations in India. In response to this, at the 54:30 minute mark. During the Q&A session, a student framed her question by comparing caste-based reservations to “treating symptoms rather than addressing the root cause.” She asked Gandhi about his and the Congress party’s stance on caste-based reservations and whether the party would consider moving away from them. To which Rahul Gandhi responded, “Let’s look at the numbers, if you look at the Indian govt. There are 70 bureaucrats who run the India govt. Secretaries to the government of India. These are the guys who take pretty much all the financial decisions. If you add up Dalits, Tribals, and OBCs, they come to 73 percent. Out of 70 people, there is one tribal, I think three Dalits, and three OBCs, and I think a minority. So, 90 percent of people in the government of India have access to less than 10 percent of the positions that determine how finances and money is going to be spent. When you actually look at the financial numbers, tribals get ten paise out of 100 rupees, Dalits get five rupees out of 100, and OBCs get a similar number. The fact of the matter is that they are not getting participation. The problem is that 90 percent of India is not able to play. Go through the list of every single business leader in India . And I have done it. Show me the tribal name, show me the dalit name, show me the OBC name. Out of the top 200, there is one OBC. They are 50 percent of India. We are not treating the symptom, that is the problem. It is not the only tool, there are other tools, but we will think of scrapping reservations only when India becomes a fair place, and right now, India is not a fair place. That creates a problem.”

Vishvas News continued the investigation by scanning the epaper of Dainik Jagran, where we found an article published on September 11, 2024. The report stated that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, mentioned that Congress will consider ending reservations only when India will be a discrimination-free place, which is not so right now. Rahul was addressing the students at the prestigious Georgetown University, where he was questioned about the duration of reservations in India.

The full news can be read below.

Additionally,  a report published on ABP Live’s website on September 11, 2024, stated that in response to a question on reservations at Georgetown University on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi, said that Congress would consider ending reservations when the time is right, which is not the case currently. You can read the full report here.

We found a statement by Rahul Gandhi on the official X handle of Congress. In this video from America, he emphasised that caste is a fundamental issue in India and the root of social inequality. To address this, he suggested that the 50% limit on reservations should be lifted, ensuring that all sections receive their fair share. This video was posted on September 11, 2024.

Vishvas News reached out to Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinet, who confirmed that Rahul Gandhi clearly expressed that there is significant inequality in the country, and as long as this inequality persists, reservation cannot be abolished.

Srinet explained that Rahul Gandhi mentioned removing the 50% cap on reservations to ensure participation and fair representation for all categories. This can only be achieved through a caste census, which would help secure the rights of Dalits, tribals, backwards, and underprivileged general categories.

Lastly, we investigated the Instagram handle ‘Chhattisgarh Chaupal’, which circulated the edited clip of Rahul Gandhi, and found that it has over two lakh followers.

Conclusion: Vishvas News’ investigation revealed that Rahul Gandhi stated in the US that Congress would consider ending reservations when the country achieves equality, which is not the current situation. Incomplete parts of his statement are being circulated on social media to create confusion.

Tags

• Congress
• Rahul Gandhi
• reservation