Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim: Close aide of PM Modi, Acharya Pramod Krishnam calling for an end to the reservation system.
Fact: The video is old and Acharya Pramod Krishnam made that statement when he was with the Congress.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate recently took her X handle to share a video of Acharya Pramod Krishnam where he can be heard saying, “the caste based leaders of this nation attack us as racists. They bully Brahmins. If you want to destroy casteism from Indian politics and society, it is important to come up with a proposal in the next Maha Kumbha. Babasaheb Ambedkar has made this arrangement in the Constitution of India, so that there is no discrimination in the judgement of religion, caste and gender in India. Raise your hands if you support me. If you want to remove casteism from India’s democratic framework and politics, at the next ‘maha kumbh’ a proposal should be put out demanding that India should be freed from caste-based reservation.”
Posting the clip, the Congress leader wrote in Hindi, “We will change the constitution- this is not just an immature statement of BJP leaders, this is the intention and thinking of Narendra Modi, RSS and BJP. Acharya Pramod Krishnan, a close aide of Modi, is directly demanding the abolition of reservation. We will never allow such feudal thinking to succeed.”
Pawan Khera, the Chairman of the Media and Publicity department of the Congress party also posted the same video with the same claim.
Archive versions of such posts can be seen here and here.
Fact Check/ Verification
We noticed the BGT News logo on the top and bottom right corner of the viral video. Taking that as a clue, we located the video on the official Facebook page of BGT News, uploaded on September 26, 2023. At the 2:24 minute mark, we found the portion of the clip that has gone viral now.
Upon conducting a keyword search, we found that Krishnam met PM Narendra Modi on February 2, 2024, to invite him for the foundation stone laying ceremony of ‘Shri Kalki Dham’.
After that he was expelled by the Congress for six years on February 11, 2024 following which he hit out at the party for not attending the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya Ram temple. Although he still did not officially join the BJP, he is known to be pro-BJP now.
Clarifying on the viral video after it went viral, Acharya Pramod Krishnam also said, “This speech of mine is 1 year old made on 24 September 2023 when I was with Congress and today I am with PM Modi…I am against casteism and untouchability… The propaganda and conspiracy Congress is doing will not benefit them“.
Conclusion
Thus we find that an old video of Acharya Pramod Krishnam when he was with the Congress is being shared in the current context.
Result: Missing Context
Source
Video by BGT News, dated September 26, 2023
Video by India Today, dated February 11, 2024
Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
