CLAIM
A video of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar talking about Kanhaiya Kumar and praising him is going viral. In the nearly three-minute clip, the CM backs Kumar and supports him. He says that student leaders like Kanhaiya Kumar will strengthen democracy in the country, and adds that Kumar, who is from Begusarai in Bihar, had been framed.
The video was uploaded by a Facebook page called जन्मभूमि बेगूसराय on 29 March and had 49,808 views at the time this story was published. It also had 2.5K shares. Many other people on Facebook also shared the video, saying that Kumar’s victory was assured. Kumar is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Begusarai, as the CPI's candidate from the constituency.
The videos are being shared with the narrative that Kumar has come out in support of Kanhaiya now, ahead of the elections.
TRUE OR FALSE?
On running a Google search for ‘Bihar CM backs Kanhaiya’, The Quint came across the original video by ANI, dated 4 March 2016. This is the same video which is being shared on social media.
Several news organisations carried reports and an Economic Times article gave the context of the comments by Kumar. The article is also dated 4 March 2016.
"The speech given by Kanhaiya Kumar in JNU after his release from jail is very effective... Whatever he said is true. Kanhaiya Kumar said, we do not talk of freedom from India but freedom in India and demanded independence in this regard," Nitish Kumar told reporters at Patna Airport on his return from Nepal, according to Economic Times.
NDTV also had an article on the same.
So, the truth is, this is a three-year-old video where Kumar is actually talking about Kanhaiya after the JNU controversy, and not supporting his candidature ahead of the LS polls. It is a misleading post.
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