Fact Check: Did security personnel of Rajiv Gandhi kill a beggar? 

Recently, a lot of controversies were seen in Punjab over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security threat. PM Modi on his way to a rally in Ferozepur, stranded for more than 20 minutes. The reason was the farmers protesting there on the flyover. After the incident, there was a lot of controversy over PM Modi’s alleged threat. Consequently, several videos of former Prime Ministers India Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi also got viral on social media.

Users while sharing Rajiv-Indira’s video were claiming that Indira-Rajiv stood firm even in life-threatening situations. Moreover, the users also said that PM Modi should have faced the situation in the same way. Also, he should have spoken to the farmers. However, the Supreme Court ordered an inquiry on this matter and constituted a committee for the same.

Meanwhile, several videos of Rajiv Gandhi got viral on social media. One such video was from Sri Lanka, while the other was from Rajghat, India. Rajiv Gandhi was paying homage to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi in the Rajghat. Suddenly someone attacked Rajiv Gandhi. But, immediately his security personnel took action. Users who posted this video on social media claim that Rajiv Gandhi’s bodyguards killed a beggar who lived at Rajghat in the firing.

Claim No.1

80s. PM Rajiv Gandhi had gone to Rajghat. Some movement was seen in bushes nearby. SPG took position and shot down a person. It was later found that the man who died was a beggar who used to sleep there in the night. ⁦@Shivamtyagibjp⁩ pic.twitter.com/ano1D8hCYR

— jain kishore (@jaime65254594) January 10, 2022

Claim No.2

80s. PM Rajiv Gandhi had gone to Rajghat. Some movement was seen in bushes nearby. SPG took position and shot down a person. It was later found that the man who died was a beggar who used to sleep there in the night. Today Congress mocks a serious security lapse in PM's convoy pic.twitter.com/xlRwIEcz8H

— satsangi मोदी परिवारजन (@satsangi) January 10, 2022

Also Read: Will Samajwadi Party Form The Government In UP This Year? – DFRAC

Fact check

We searched Google for “attempt to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi at Rajghat” to find out the truth behind the viral claim. We found an article on TV-9 Hindi. According to this article, Rajiv Gandhi was attacked at Rajghat on October 2, 1986, while paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi. The attacker Karamjit Singh was hiding on a tree and tried to target Rajiv with a pistol.

Former President Giani Zail Singh and Union Minister Buta Singh were also present there. The accused Karamjit Singh was from Punjab. Police arrested him after the attack. Further, police reported that there was no causality in the incident. The incident was linked to the assassination of his mother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi two years ago. And the anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi’s death by one of her Sikh guards.

We searched for Karamjit Singh on YouTube after Karamjit Singh’s name come up.  We got an interview with Karamjit Singh. Living India News posted the video on June 5, 2016, on its channel. In his interview, Karamjit said that he attacked Rajiv Gandhi over the anti-Sikh riots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlv_QeTMBLU

Conclusions:

That is to say, our fact check revealed the fact that there was an attempt to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi at Rajghat. But,  Police immediately arrested the murderer. There was no causality in the incident. However, some policemen got injured. Hence, the claim is fake and misleading.