A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making rounds on X (formerly Twitter) with a claim that he spoke against the Maratha community and called them robbers (lootera) for snatching reservations from the OBC community. In the 28-second video, PM Modi was heard saying, “You tell me, do you like this kind of tactics? Would you agree to take away reservations from the OBC community? With all your power, tell me whether you agree with it or not. They want to do this in all states and the country.”
The Congress account Ajay Munde wrote, “This is the anti-Maratha face of BJP and Narendra Modi. If the BJP government had conducted a caste-wise census, the backwardness of the Maratha community would also have been determined and they would have got their rightful reservation from the OBC quota. But without doing that, Modi is asking for votes by scaring other OBCs to prevent Maratha’s reservation in Beed again. This is such a low mentality of Narendra Modi, that is why he wants to destroy the BJP in the constituency where the Maratha community is.” (Archived link)
हाच तर आहे भाजप आणि नरेंद्र मोदी ह्यांचा मराठा विरोधी चेहरा.
— Ajay Munde (@ajaymunde) May 7, 2024
भाजप सरकार ने जर जातनिहाय जनगणना केली असती तर मराठा समाजाचे मागासलेपण देखील ठरवता आले असते आणि त्यांना ओबीसी कोट्यातून त्यांच्या हक्काचे आरक्षण मिळाले असते.
परंतु तसे न करता हे मोदी बीड मध्ये पुन्हा मराठा आरक्षण… pic.twitter.com/xe7QS2uLjc
Congress supporter account Adv Anand Dasa wrote, “The Mahayuti government decided to give 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community. While taking this decision, no reservation including OBC reservation was given a blow = Eknath Shinde. If Marathas are not given reservations from OBC, then who is Narendra Modi calling robbers in Beed? Who robbed the OBC reservation in Maharashtra? Can you tell me? Isn’t this kind of argument to raise the issue of OBC?” (Archived link)
मराठा समाजाला १० टक्के आरक्षण देण्याचा निर्णय महायुती सरकारने घेतला. हा निर्णय घेताना ओबीसी आरक्षणासहित कोणत्याही आरक्षणाला धक्का लागू दिलेला नाही = एकनाथ शिंदे.
— Adv Anand Dasa (@Anand_Dasa88) May 7, 2024
मराठ्यांना जर OBC मधून आरक्षण दिल नाही तर मग बीड मध्ये नरेंद्र मोदी कोणाला लुटारू म्हणत आहेत? महाराष्ट्र मध्ये OBC च… pic.twitter.com/VijwyNljrp
User Wankhede Patil asserted, “Modi Ji why do you insult the Maratha community? So much contempt is not okay Now Marathas will never vote for you.” (Archived link)
मोदी जी आप मराठा समाज को क्यों निचा दिखाते हो…
— wᴀɴᴋʜᴇᴅᴇ ᴩᴀᴛɪʟ (@BalaWankhede) May 7, 2024
इतना तिरस्कार ठिक नहीं है
अब मराठा आपको कभी मतदान नहीं करेगा… https://t.co/PsabzS2DaV pic.twitter.com/WCLaVr1hmq
Another user stated, “I heard what Modi spoke about the Maratha community when he came to Beed today.” (Archived link)
मला तर आज मोदी बीडात येऊन जे काय मराठा समाजा विषयी बोलला ते ऐकून…
— पाटील (@amolsawant_007) May 7, 2024
शिव्या यायल्यात…
आता पंकजा तुझी खैर नाही…#लोकसभानिवडणूक२०२४ #बीड pic.twitter.com/bGmseCOa5Z
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Fact Check
In our fact-checking research, we searched PM Modi’s official YouTube channel to find the longer version of the video. A video of May 7 was found in which we saw the PM wearing the same outfit shown in the viral video. The viral clip is taken from his speech in Beed, Maharashtra.
In the video around 12 minutes, PM Modi was heard targeting the INDI Aghadi. At 13.40 minutes, PM Modi said, “You also know that it was Baba Saheb Ambedkar who brought reservations for Dalits, backward classes and Adivasis. Baba Saheb was also against giving reservations on the basis of religion in India. 75 years ago, the entire Constitution assembly discussed in detail and it was decided that reservation cannot be given on the basis of religion in this country.”
PM Modi further said, “However, the Congress party wants to snatch reservation from Dalits, backward classes and Adivasis and wants to give it on the basis of religion.” After this, the PM gives the example of Karnataka and says that this has really happened and it will surprise you.
At 15:28 he says, “In Karnataka, there is Congress government 27 per cent reservation is granted to OBCs. What did they (Congress) do? They declared overnight that Muslims are OBCs in Karnataka. Consequently, the 27 per cent reservation originally meant for the OBCs by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, the Constitution and the Parliament, was given to the Muslims overnight by declaring them as OBCs. They stole what the OBCs had. A substantial part of the benefits that people used to get earlier was diverted to the Muslims.”
It is here that PM Modi was heard making the same statement which was heard in the viral clip. He says, “You tell me, do you like this kind of tactic? Would you agree to take away reservations from the OBC community? With all your power, tell me whether you agree with it or not. They want to do this in all states and the country.”
Conclusion: The viral clip of PM Modi has been taken out of the context of the original video. PM Modi did not call Maratha community robbers. He was referring to the Congress government of Karnataka, which has given OBC reservations to Muslims.
Also Read: Yet Once Again Muhammad Zubair Spreads Misinformation, This Time on Muslim Reservations
