New Delhi: The Congress party on Tuesday took exception to a video shared by an Instagram handle mocking party leader Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi’s edited video was posted on Instagram by ‘rtindiaofficial’, which claims to be the Indian Chapter of Russia Today. The Kerela unit of the Congress shared the video on X, and asked why ‘Russia Today’ was involved in domestic politics. It further asked if the BJP was behind the video.
“Dear @RT_com and @RusEmbIndia, Your @RT_India_news’ Instagram handle ‘rtindiaofficial’ published this edited video trolling @RahulGandhi. We have a few questions for you. 1. Why was an edited video published by your official handle? 2. Why is Russia Today involved in domestic politics? 3. Is there any payment from @BJP4India involved in this? 4. Is this an official handle of Russia Today, owned by the Russian government? If not, why are you not requesting Government of India to pull it down since it claims to be official handle of RT?,” the Kerala Congress asked on X.
Congress seeks apology from Russia Today
The Congress further said that the Instagram profile of ‘rtindiaofficial’ claims that it is Indian Chapter of Russia Today and describes itself as a Russia “state-controlled media”. The party shared the unedited video of
the Congress MP and demanded that the edited clip be removed. “We request you to get this video removed and apologize and share the original video,” the Kerala Congress wrote on X.
Sharing Gandhi’s edited video titled ‘Umpire Raga Rages: Hidenburg Cricker Edition’, the rtindiaofficial wrote, “Lights. Camera. Nonsense!? RaGa’s Swings & Misses with Hindenburg Claims? SEBI and Adani refute allegations by the US short-seller, but the opposition in India are demanding heads roll! Actor turned MP Kangana Ranaut is calling Rahul Gandhi out for trying to ‘destabilise the nation’. Ouch! Is this the death of credibility or the birth of a new political comedy? Desperate moves or time to shake things up?”
Dear @RT_com and @RusEmbIndia,
Your @RT_India_news‘ Instagram handle ‘rtindiaofficial’ published this edited video trolling @RahulGandhi. We have a few questions for you.
1. Why was an edited video published by your official handle?
2. Why is Russia Today involved in domestic… pic.twitter.com/p2bakz45I9— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) August 13, 2024
What Rahul Gandhi said in original video
The original video was posted by the former Congress chief on X on Sunday. In the clip, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said there is a “significant risk” in the Indian stock market because the institution that governs the market is “compromised”.
“Imagine you are watching an international cricket match between India and Australia and every single person who is watching the match and those playing the match know that the umpire is compromised. What would happen to the fairness of the match, what would happen to the outcomes. How would you feel as somebody who is participating in the match?.This is exactly what is happening in the Indian stock market” Gandhi said in the video statement.
Here is the unedited video of @RahulGandhi. We request you to get this video removed and apologize and share the original video. (3/3) pic.twitter.com/fzuBwYiclL
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) August 13, 2024
Gandhi’s remarks came after US short-seller Hindenburg Research on Saturday alleged that market regulator SEBI chairperson Madhabi Buch and her husband had stakes in obscure offshore funds used in the alleged Adani money siphoning scandal. Buch and her husband, however, refuted the allegations as baseless and asserted their finances are an open book. The Adani group also termed the latest allegations malicious and said it has no commercial relationship with the SEBI chairperson or her husband.
