Sambit Patra Shares Edited Clip To Claim Arvind Kejriwal Supports Farm Bills

Sambit Patra, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson shared an edited video to make a fake claim that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal supported the recently passed Farm bills and termed it as the biggest revolutionary step in the past 70 years.

BOOM found that the 18 seconds clip is from an interview and has been edited to make the false claim that Kejriwal praised the bills. In the real interview, the Delhi CM, criticises the farm bills.

The viral clip is being shared in the backdrop of the ongoing protests at different borders of Delhi by farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh camping there since November 26, 2020. The farmers have been demanding the repeal of three farm bills passed by the central government last year.

In the viral clip which is an interview, Kejriwal can be heard speaking in Hindi, which translates to, "With the bill your land won't go away, your MSP won't go, your Mandi (market) won't go away, now farmers can sell their crops anywhere in the country, now farmers will get good prices, he can sell it anywhere outside the mandi, Dilip ji this is the biggest revolutionary step in the 70 years in the agriculture sector."

Bharatiya Janta Party spokesperson Sambit Patra shared the clip with the caption, "Calculating the benefits of all three farm bills… Sir"

Click here to view, and here for an archive.

Click here to view, and here for an archive.

Viral on Facebook

On searching with the same caption we found that the viral clip is being shared with the false claim.

Also Read: RSS Worker Disguised Himself As A Cop At Farmers Protest? A FactCheck

FACT-CHECK

BOOM found in the original interview Arvind Kejriwal criticises the three farm law bills passed by the central government and different sections of the interview have been clubbed and cut to falsely show that he has supported the bill.

In the January 15, 2021 interview aired on Zee Punjab Haryana Himachal, Kejriwal cites examples and arguments made by Union ministers and BJP leaders and the central government to support the farm bills. This part has been included in the viral video. Soon after this, in the same interview, Kejriwal criticises the bills and counters the arguments made in favour of the bills which have been edited out.

In the interview, from the six minutes timestamp, Kejriwal can be heard saying, "The central government and BJP has put out all their big leaders on the ground to make people understand that the bill is pro-farmers. I have heard all the speeches, what do they say in their speech." This line is followed by a part of heard in the viral clip, "With the bill your land won't go away, there is no advantage that was there only, your MSP won't go." He follows this up with a criticism saying, "there is no advantage that was there only, your Mandi (market) won't go away there is no advantage that was there only, what is the advantage their leaders can't explain only"

As in the viral clip, Kejriwal can be heard stating the advantages made in favour of the bill by BJP leaders and parts where he counters the pro-farm bill points has been edited out to falsely show that he is making these points for the bill.

"After asking them more they then say now farmers can sell their crops anywhere in the country, now farmers will get good prices, he can sell it anywhere outside the mandi, he will get good prices, I want to ask the central government kindly, today in Punjab and Haryana in the mandi wheat is for 1800 maximum selling price (MSP), In Bihar there is no mandi, it is for Rs 800, tell the farmer who is selling it for 800 rupees, where in the country should he go outside the mandi to get a price of more than 1800 rupees?," he further adds.

The last part in the viral clip where Kejriwal can be heard saying that it would be a revolutionary step in the agricultural sector, the Delhi Chief Minister was actually referring to farmers demands on bringing an MSP law based on recommendations by the Swaminathan Commission.

At the 9.48 minutes counter, Kejriwal supports the farmers' protest and says, "I have hope from this farmers' protests, Firstly these three farmers bills should be taken back. And second, they are demanding for a law for a guarantee of MSP should be brought. According to MSP Swaminathan Commission, MSP should be calculated by adding 50% of the cost according to the 50% profit. If it comes. Dilip ji, this will be the biggest revolutionary step in agriculture within 70 years." The part before the last sentence has been cropped to misleadingly show that Kejriwal has praised the farm bills.

One can view the two parts at the 6.00 minutes and 9.48 minutes timestamp below.

BOOM has previously debunked misinformation around the farmers' protests. Several false claims had gone viral to target the protesting farmers and old photos, videos being shared as recent. Follow BOOM's thread on misinformation around the farmers' protests.