[Watch] Puri Rath Yatra 2023 Video Passes Off As Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ Clip

New Delhi: Social media posts can be deceptive and what appears on them may not always be the truth. In the latest case, several social media users, many linked to Congress, have shared a video combining clips of large mass gatherings claiming that the footage shows the crowd at Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The 17-second viral video ends with the text “RG’s craze in Nagaland”.

Tagging Rahul Gandhi, the official handle of Rajasthan Youth Congress (@Rajasthan_PYC) shared the video on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “The Rahul Gandhi craze. @RahulGandhi.” The tweet has received over 1 Lakh views and 2,400 retweets. 

The Rahul Gandhi craze ❤️🔥@RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/dzzRoTtuRn

— Rajasthan Youth Congress (@Rajasthan_PYC) January 18, 2024

The official handle of Maharashtra Youth Congress (@IYCMaha) also shared the video with the same claim.

Sharing the same clip, Odisha Youth Congress on X wrote, “This craze for Rahul Gandhi in Assam. This is making the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma cry more!!” The bio of this handle says, “Official Handle of Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress”.  (Archive)

A verified X account, @AmitYji127 shared the same video, stating, “The Rahul Gandhi craze @RahulGandhi #NyayYoddha #NyayYatraInAssam” The tweet received over 1,100 views, 139 likes and 14 retweets. (Archive)

A Facebook page titled ‘Ar Piyush Wakodikar‘ also posted the video with a similar caption. The video has been shared over 2,400 times.

A closer look at the viral video by AltNews revealed that a watermark is visible on it at the 6th second. It says, ‘Ig- Rahulnairphotographyzz’. This led us to the Instagram handle – @rahulnairphotographyzz.

Scrolling through the Instagram profile, a reel shared on June 21, 2023 was discovered with the caption, “Jai Jagannath #jaijagannath #jagannathpuri #jagannathrathyatra2023 #jagannathrathyatra”. The Instagram reel depicts the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, and a part of it has been used in the first six seconds of the video which has gone viral on social media as the crowd at Rahul Gandhi’s march.

Upon comparing the visuals of the first six seconds of the viral video with the Instagram reel posted by @Rahulnairphotographyzz. The two clips match frame to frame. Buildings in the vicinity, including the ‘Bazaar’ mall and a VIP store are depicted in both the viral video and the reel, AltNews reported.

Hence, it is clear that the first six seconds of the video shared on social media by various Congress-linked accounts as showing Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Nagaland or Assam actually show the 2023 Rath Yatra crowd in Puri, AltNews added.