“The impact of MODI TSUNAMI – Mamata Banerjee appeals everyone to vote for BJP!” That is what the official Twitter handle of the Bharatiya Janata Party Bengal declared. Accompanying the tweet was a short 18-second video in which the words of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were played in a loop: “BJP shorkar ke vote diye”, vote for BJP.
Did Banerjee, whose All India Trinamool Congress is running against the BJP, actually make such statement at a rally?
Fact check
It turns out that BJP Bengal had tweeted a doctored video, which was clipped to give a misleading impression. The clip is from a rally that Mamata Banerjee addressed in Khanakul, West Bengal, on April 23. At the end of her speech, Banerjee asked supporters to vote out BJP, using a sarcastic tone. “May 6 aasche din, ekhane bhalo kore gonotontroye BJP Sarkar ke vote diye bhalo kore kobor din, bhalo kore kobor din, bhalo kore kobor din.” On May 6, cast your vote for BJP government and give them a proper burial, give them a proper burial, give them a proper burial.
The part where Banerjee says “bhalo kore kobor din“, which literally translates to “put them in the grave“, was clipped out by BJP Bengal. Instead, the part where Banerjee sarcastically says “vote for BJP” was retained and played in a loop.
The relevant portion of the original speech can be seen in this video.
BJP Bengal’s doctored video was called out immediately by Twitter users. “Cheats exposed,” tweeted the official handle of Trinamool Congress, attaching the full video. The party said that a complaint has been filed before the Election Commission about the edited video.
This article first appeared on AltNews.
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