Did Rahul Gandhi flog himself during a Muharram procession? Know the reality of the viral video here.

In recent times, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Here, after paying obeisance, he took part in the community service work. Rahul helped in the service work by washing utensils, picking up shoes and slippers, and making langar. Meanwhile, a 7-second video of Rahul Gandhi is going viral on social media.

What is being claimed in the video?

It is asserted that Rahul Gandhi is now celebrating Muharram because going to temples did not help him. On social media X, a verified user, Preeti Yadav, has shared the video and wrote-for Rahul Gandhi, visiting temples did not work in his favor, so now he is celebrating Muharram

Another verified user, Diksha Choudhary, shared the video with the same caption.

Fact Check:

The DFRAC team has investigated the viral video. We found this video of Rahul Gandhi to be false. Also, this video is not from a flogging ceremony in Muharram. Let us find out the reality of this video.

What is the truth about Rahul Gandhi’s viral video?

In our investigation on YouTube, we found a video report on the Hindustan Times channel. In that report, it has been mentioned that the viral video of Rahul Gandhi is from Telangana during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. There, he took part in the cultural festival of Bonalu. As per the festival’s tradition, he flogged himself.

To gather more information about the video, we read a few other media reports too. According to the report in The Hindu, “On Thursday, Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, continued the conversation with people. This time, as per the Potharaju tradition, he flogged himself, which is an inseparable part of Telangana’s Bonalu Festival.

What is the tradition of the Bonalu Festival?

The report further elaborates, “It is a popular tradition among the Budaga Jangam. Here, a community visits the villages, and to earn a livelihood and collect money, they flog themselves. Rahul Gandhi expressed his desire when a group of people from this community, to display their traditions, flogged themselves in the presence of Rahul Gandhi.

Conclusion:

It is apparent from the fact check by DFRAC that the video of Rahul Gandhi has been shared with misleading claims.