A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stating that generating electricity removes the energy from water and will be of no use for irrigation. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Ashok Gehlot stating that generating electricity removes the energy from water and will be of no use for irrigation.
Fact: The video shared in the post is a clipped one. The extended version of the video shows Ashok Gehlot referring to his statements as misleading information spread by Jan Sangh workers during his childhood. Ashok Gehlot made this statement while addressing a press meet on 26 May 2018. Ashok Gehlot tweeted the full version of this video and clarified that the viral video circulating on social media is an edited one. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had made any such statements linking the electricity generation to the energy loss in irrigation water, we found that ‘BBC News Hindi’ has published a video reporting the truth of Ashok Gehlot’s Bijli-Paani comment in June 2018. ‘BBC’ clarified that the viral video circulating on social media is an edited one and shared the extended version of the original video. According to the ‘BBC’ report, Ashok Gehlot had made these statements referring to them as misleading information propagated by the Jan Sangh workers during his childhood. Jan Sangh’ is the forerunner of BJP.
When we searched for more sources using these keywords, it is found that Ashok Gehlot made these statements while addressing a press meet on 26 May 2018. Ashok Gehlot shared the live video of this press conference on his Facebook page. At 2:50 minute of the video, Ashok Gehlot said, “I remember, during my childhood, when the Bhakra Dam was built, Jan Sangh cadres used to campaign that Pandit Nehru has lost his mind. They propagated a rumour that Nehru will build a dam and he will construct a hydroelectric power plant on it and that if electricity was removed from the water, the water will lose its energy and will be of no use for agriculture”. Even in 2012, Ashok Gehlot made a similar statement referring to BJP workers while addressing a public rally.
When this viral clipped video went viral on social media in June 2018, Ashok Gehlot through a tweet clarified that the viral video is an edited one and shared the original extended version of the video. Reporting Ashok Gehlot’s clarification, several mainstream news websites have published articles in 2018. They can be seen here, here and here.
To sum it up, edited video is shared as Ashok Gehlot’s remarks about the energy loss in irrigation water because of electricity generation.
