A video featuring Indian National Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is going viral on social media. In the clip, he is allegedly heard, saying: “Rahul Gandhi will not become the prime minister of India.” Further in his speech, Kharge can be heard, adding: “They have a habit of mistaking an eagle flying in the sky for a buffalo.” It is being claimed that Mallikarjun Kharge mocked Rahul Gandhi publicly.
The above post can be seen here. (Archive)
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the claim and found it to be Misleading.
Running the viral keyframes through Reverse Image Search, NewsMobile traced the full, unedited version of the clip on the official YouTube channel of the Indian National Congress. The original video features Mallikarjun Kharge addressing a public meeting in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, dated July 7, 2025. According to the video description, the speech was delivered during a party event where Kharge accused the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of conducting raids to sabotage the Congress convention.
Upon searching, the viral clip was found to be cropped and taken out of context. We traced the extended original video on the official YouTube channel of the Indian National Congress, featuring Mallikarjun Kharge’s complete speech from a public rally held in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on July 7, 2025. As per the original description, Kharge was addressing the alleged Income Tax and ED raids conducted around the time of the Congress convention, accusing the government of attempting to disrupt the event.
During his address, Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were using Central agencies to intimidate Congress leaders. “Efforts were made to scare the chief minister and senior party members. If our leaders become weak, the party will weaken in Chhattisgarh, and that weakness will reach Delhi,” Kharge said.
The portion that went viral appears right after this segment, around 1 hour 5 minutes, and 35 seconds into the original video, where Kharge says, “If the party weakens, Rahul Gandhi will not become the prime minister of India. That was their intention.” This line, when clipped from its original context, gives the false impression that Kharge was ridiculing Rahul Gandhi.
However, moments later in the same speech, at around 1 hour 6 minutes, and 45 seconds, Kharge continues by questioning the National Herald case and takes a direct swipe at the BJP. “They always defame the Congress. It’s their habit that if an eagle is flying in the sky, they will say it’s a buffalo. That’s their pattern of creating fear,” he remarked.
Hence, it’s evident that the viral video has been deceptively edited by combining two separate portions of the speech.
If you want to fact-check any story, WhatsApp it now on +91 11 7127 9799
Click here for Latest Fact Checked News On NewsMobile WhatsApp Channel
