Fact Check by The Quint
In the full speech, PM Modi hit out former IOC member Sam Pitroda’s racist statement on the colour of skin.
(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)
We received a query about this on our WhatsApp tipline, as well.
Is this true?: The video is clipped.
- In the longer version of the video, PM Modi hit out at former chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda’s controversial remarks, where he called people who live in South India – Africans.
- PM Modi said that Congress wanted to defeat President Murmu because she is dark-skinned and hence, African.
How did we find out?: With a relevant keyword search, we came across the longer version of PM Modi’s speech on Bharatiya Janata Party’s official YouTube channel. It was uploaded on 8 May.
- We went through the entire speech and identified portions in the viral video.
42:49 minutes onwards, we were able to trace the context and portion in the viral video. Here is what PM Modi said:
- “Saathiyon, I was thinking that Droupadi ji, who has a good reputation and is the daughter of the Adivasi community. We were making her the President, I used to think why is Congress putting in so much effort to defeat her? Why is Congress upsetting Adivasis? I kept thinking this.
- At 43:39 minutes, the Prime Minister said, “Today, I got to know why Congress wanted to defeat Murmu, an Adivasi daughter. In America, Shehzade’s uncle lives, who is also his philosopher and guide.”
- PM Modi, then, added about how cricket has a third umpire and if there is confusiuon the third umpire is consulted.
- Following this comparison, 44:22 minutes onwards, he said, “The prince asks the third player. Prince’s uncle, who is a philospher and guide had said, jinka chamdi ka rang kala hota hai, vo Africa se hote hai (Those who have black skin are from Africa.“
- At 44:49 minutes, he said, “Meaning, you all, the people of my country were abused so much on the basis of skin colour.
- Around 45:12 minutes, PM Modi said, “Then I got to know that on the basis of colour they believed that Murmu is also African and should be defeated.” This is the portion in the viral video.
- Following this, the Prime Minister said that he had understood how Congress’s mindset works and where it would take our country.
- Finally, he said that no matter what the skin colour was, we were followers of Lord Krishna, whose skin colour was just like ours.
What did Sam Pitroda say?: In an interview to The Statesman on 2 May, Pitroda, who was the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress said:
“We have survived 70-75 years, in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold the country together, as diverse as India where people in the East look like Chinese, people in the West look like Arab, people in the North look like, maybe White, and people in South look like Africans. It doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters.”
Sam Pitroda, former Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress.
The Congress party distanced itself from this comment and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on his official X page that Pitroda had resigned from his position in IOC.
श्री सैम पित्रोदा ने अपनी मर्ज़ी से इंडियन ओवरसीज कांग्रेस के अध्यक्ष पद से इस्तीफ़ा देने का फ़ैसला किया है। कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष ने उनका इस्तीफ़ा स्वीकार कर लिया है।
Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 8, 2024
Conclusion: A clipped video of PM Modi is being shared to falsely claim that he called dark-skinned people Africans.
(This story was originally published by The Quint and republished by Khabar Lahariya as part of the Shakti Collective.)
‘यदि आप हमको सपोर्ट करना चाहते है तो हमारी ग्रामीण नारीवादी स्वतंत्र पत्रकारिता का समर्थन करें और हमारे प्रोडक्ट KL हटके का सब्सक्रिप्शन लें’
