BJP Accounts Share Clipped Video, Claim Srinivas BV Called Smriti Irani ‘Witch'

A video showing the National President of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) Srinivas BV speaking about a 'witch' is being shared with a claim that he made this remark towards Union Minister Smriti Irani.

Who shared it?: Several social media users shared this claim about Srinivas BV insulting Irani, including verified social media accounts associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP Karnataka, BJYM, Amit Malviya, Shehzad Poonawalla, Priti Gandhi, and Preety Agarwal.)

(Note: Swipe to see all screenshots of the claims.)

What is Srinivas saying in the viral video?: In the viral video, Srinivas says, "Smriti Irani has become dumb and deaf and now the same witch, the inflation witch, has been transformed into 'darling' and kept in the bedroom".

Was Srinivas BV really talking about Irani?: The viral video is clipped.

• In the original video, Srinivas BV compared the inflation in the country to "a witch who has been kept in the bedroom" by the BJP.

• He made this speech during 'Sankalp Satyagraha' held by Congress on 26 March.

How did we find out the truth?: We looked for Srinivas BV's recent video of the speech that he delivered at Delhi's 'Sankalp Satyagraha' which was held for in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following his disqualification from Lok Sabha.

• We found out the longer version of his speech on Congress's official YouTube channel which was shared on 26 March.

• At 4:00 timestamp, he says that Rahul Gandhi is speaking up for those people who are unemployed.

• "If there is BJP, there is unemployment. If there is BJP, there is inflation," he adds.

• The viral video has been clipped from this original video, where he says "In 2014, they (BJP) had said that inflation will become a 'witch' (dayan) but Smriti Irani is neither speaking nor listening. BJP has made this same witch, inflation (mehengai), a darling now which they have kept in a bedroom. This is their way of thinking."

Congress to take legal action against the viral video: Indian Youth Congress's Legal Cell took to Twitter to share a press release about the "misrepresented clipping of the speech made by the IYC President."

• The press release attached stated that the viral clip has been edited and is a case of "misrepresentation, fabrication of facts and aims to tarnish the image of the organisation".

• It also clarified that the remark made by Srinivas BV in the viral clip is about inflation and a rise in prices.

Srinivas BV's clarification on the viral video: The party president took to Twitter to share the longer and unclipped version of the video.

• He clarified that in his speech, he quoted one of the BJP leaders' old statement wherein they had called Rs 400 priced LPG cylinder a "witch" but today they have made the same "witch" which is inflation, as their "darling" in the form of Rs 1100 LPG cylinder.

Conclusion: Clearly, a clipped video is going viral on social media to claim that Srinivas BV made controversial remarks about Smriti Irani.

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