A cropped video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah is being shared on social media to falsely claim that it features Shah asking people to not vote for Manoj Nirbhay Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) MLA candidate in Depalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
The widely shared video captures Shah saying, "Brothers and Sisters, as you head to vote on the 17th, remember this - do not vote Manoj Nirbhay Singh to make him an MLA."
BOOM found that Shah, in his original speech, actually urged voters to support Singh in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly election.
As November 17 approaches in Madhya Pradesh, top leaders from different political parties have conducted extensive campaigns within the state, considering the assembly election's timing which falls just a few months before the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The primary battle for power is expected between the ruling BJP and its main rival, Congress. The election is set against a backdrop where the opposition has accused the current government of failing to control issues like unemployment and price rises.
The Hindi caption with the video translates to, "Now even the Home Minister of the country is saying not to vote for the BJP candidate from Depalpur then Vishal Patel".
(Original Text in Hindi: अब तो देश के गृहमंत्री भी कह रहे की देपालपुर के भाजपा प्रत्याशी को वोट मत देना फिर विशाल पटेल)
Click here to view one such post.
Fact Check
BOOM ran a keyword search on YouTube and found that the video is taken from Amit Shah's speech in Depalpur, Madhya Pradesh, on November 11, 2023.
We noticed that Shah's speech was broadcasted live on the Bharatiya Janata Party's official YouTube channel on November 11, during the Union Home Minister's address at a public gathering in Betma, Depalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
From 7:10 minute onwards in the video, Shah can be heard mentioning the same lines which can be heard in the viral clip. The Union Home Minister says, "Brothers and Sisters, as you head to vote on the 17th, remember this - do not vote Manoj Nirbhay Singh to make him an MLA. He will definitely become an MLA with your vote, but your vote will go towards the development and security of Madhya Pradesh and the country."
Shah further continues, "Your one vote will form the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh. Modiji's double engine government will be formed."
After analysing Amit Shah's original speech in Madhya Pradesh, it is evident that the viral clip had been cropped to extract a specific line, distorting the meaning of the sentence.