A social media post, which includes a screenshot of a news report, alleges that DMK chief Stalin has made derogatory comments against Hindus. The post attributes the following statement to Stalin: ‘If our victory solely depends on Hindu votes, we don’t mind losing. DMK will not stoop down to the level of begging Hindus for votes.’ In this article, we fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: If our victory solely depends on Hindu votes, we don’t mind losing. DMK will not stoop down to the level of begging Hindus for votes – Stalin.
Fact: News7 Tamil has not published any news connecting the viral comments to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin. The viral clip appears to be digitally manipulated by editing old footage from News7 Tamil. Multiple in the past, M.K. Stalin has asserted that the DMK is not opposed to Hindus or their faith. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral clip carries the logo of News7 Tamil. Following the lead, a search on the YouTube and social media pages of the news channel did not yield any news report linking the viral comments to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin.
Nevertheless, we encountered a 2019 news clip with a similar format. The clip covers the former Chief Minister of the state, Palaniswami, offering financial assistance to soldiers who lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir.
Upon comparing this clip with the viral one, we observe that the date, time, and alignment of the advertisement shown in this clip align with those in the viral clip. This implies that the viral clip was likely digitally fabricated by editing this older news clip featuring the former CM Palaniswami.
Moreover, there are no media reports linking these statements to Stalin. Multiple times in the past, M.K. Stalin has maintained that the DMK is not against Hindus or their beliefs, but attempts are being made to portray them as anti-Hindu (here, here & here). Amidst the controversy surrounding his son Udayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on Sanatana Dharma, M.K. Stalin has urged other DMK leaders to refrain from making comments on Hinduism.
To sum it up, M.K. Stalin did not make these statements about Hindus; the viral clip has been digitally altered.
