Was Rahul Gandhi Watching PM's Oath Ceremony In Viral Video? A Fact Check

Claim

A viral video claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was watching PM Modi taking oath as the Indian Prime Minister for the third time.

On carefully analysing the viral video, we noticed that the footage of PM Modi displayed on the screen in front of Rahul Gandhi was from the 2019 swearing-in ceremony. 

A Google lens search on the viral footage of Rahul Gandhi led us to a YouTube video by 'REPUBLIC DUNlYA,' dated May 6, 2024. It carried the same video, however, the screen in front of the Congress leader was turned off. 

Furthermore, the original video was also shared on the official Instagram account of Rahul Gandhi on April 17, 2024, with the caption, "Thinking of India, searching for India! (translated from Hindi)" The same was uploaded to his Facebook account too.

We also noticed a watermark of "@amarprasadreddy" on the viral footage. Taking a clue, we scanned through the X account of Amar Prasad Reddy (@amarprasadreddy), identifying as a BJP functionary, and found that the video was shared at 1:39 PM on June 9. "Today Evening Scenes," its caption stated.

We found multiple posts mocking the opposition in Reddy's X feed.

Result

Hence, the viral footage showing Rahul Gandhi watching PM Modi taking oath is digitally edited. It is likely being shared as a satire to mock the Congress leader over the electoral results of the Lok Sabha Polls.

(This story was originally published by Newschecker, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)