A clip of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi allegedly making a calculation error while adding up the numbers 50 and 15 to equal 73 is circulating widely on social media platforms. The clip was shared by many users (here and here) with the claim that, according to Rahul Gandhi, 50+15=73. Let’s verify this claim through this fact-checking article.
Claim: Rahul Gandhi stated that 50+15 equals 73 during a speech.
Fact: The clip has been edited and taken out of its original context. Rahul Gandhi was referring to the population share of OBCs, Dalits, and Tribals, i.e. 50, 15 and 8 which collectively add to 73%. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Our fact-checking process began with searching for more details about Rahul Gandhi’s speech, in which this alleged calculation error was made. This search led us to news reports (here and here) about the incident, through which we managed to identify the speech as the one given during his Bharath Jodo Nyay Yatra rally held in Odisha’s Belapur.
Further search led us to the full speech video on Rahul Gandhi’s YouTube channel, broadcast live on 8 February 2024.
In the full speech, Rahul Gandhi discusses his proposed Caste census within a broader context. He mentions that there are approximately 50% OBCs, 15% Dalits, and 8% tribals in India, all totalling to 73%. This part of the speech has been clipped and shared out of context to create the impression that Gandhi wrongly added 50 and 15 to get 73. Therefore, the viral video was clipped and shared outside of its original context.
To sum up, the video clip alleging that Rahul Gandhi made a calculation error has been shared out of context, creating a false narrative.
