The screenshot of an ANI tweet carrying a statement by farmer leader Sardar VM Singh during the ongoing farmers’ protest has gone viral with a claim that he belongs to the Indian National Congress (INC).
However, we found that while he was a part of INC and contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections under their banner, he left the party in 2011. We also reached out to Singh’s team who confirmed to us that he was currently not a part of any political party.
CLAIM
The image is viral with a caption that reads, “Meet so called Kisan Sardar VM Singh He wants MSP as Law He is a Congress leader. He was Lok Sabha candidate from Pilibhit. Contested Pilibhit on Congress ticket in 2004 (against Maneka Gandhi) and 2009 (opposite Varun Gandhi). Lost every time ! In 2009 he has assets worth ₹6.32 billion. Itni Hypocricy and Shamelessness Kahan se Laate hain Ye log (sic)”
RSS ideologue and a member on the board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), S Gurumurthy, also made the same claim on Twiter.
Right-wing website OpIndia published an article that was titled, “‘Farmer leader’ VM Singh protesting and demanding assurance on the MSP is actually a Congress leader accused in 8 cases, has assets worth crores.”
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
Upon conducting a simple Google search for “VM Singh + Congress”, we found that Singh used to be an INC leader and contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit. However, he quit the party in 2011.
We reached out to Singh and a member from his team confirmed to us that Singh was currently not associated with any political party.
“Singh is the convener of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan and the national convener of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, both of which are non-political organisations. AIKSCC is an umbrella organisation of 250 plus farm groups across the country.”A member from VM Singh’s team said.
We also found a news report published in The Economic Times on 24 April 2009 that was titled, “Cong's VM Singh declares Rs 631 cr assets, richest candidate.”
The article was published in the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections where he was standing against the Bharatiya Janata Party leader and his nephew Varun Gandhi. Singh lost in the election.
MyNeta, a website that provides criminal and financial background information on politicians also said that Singh, a then Congress leader, had declared assets worth Rs 631 crore.
Singh contested, unsuccessfully, in the 2012 Assembly Elections from the Palia (Kheri) constituency of Uttar Pradesh but this time on an All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) ticket.
MyNeta reported his declared assets as Rs 631 crore. He didn’t contest in any Assembly or Lok Sabha elections after 2012.
Singh was an MLA from Puranpur in 1993 when he won on a Janata Dal ticket. He was later defeated by the BSP candidate in the 2007 Assembly Elections.
Evidently, the claim that farmer leader VM Singh is associated with the Indian National Congress is false.
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