A video (here, here, and here) of the current Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is being widely circulated across social media platforms, claiming that Rahul Gandhi incorrectly attributed a quote by Mahatma Gandhi to Jesus Christ in his maiden speech as Leader of the Opposition during the inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha. In the video, Rahul Gandhi can be heard saying, “Jesus Christ said that if someone slaps you, turn your other cheek,” (translated from Hindi to English). In this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Rahul Gandhi incorrectly attributed the quote “if someone slaps you, turn your other cheek” by Mahatma Gandhi to Jesus Christ.
Fact: Rahul Gandhi did not misattribute this quote. The quote “If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek” originates from the Bible. Mahatma Gandhi also credits it as such in his autobiography. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
This video clip is taken from Rahul Gandhi’s maiden speech as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, made on 01 July 2024. This speech was part of a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address to a joint parliamentary sitting. During his first speech, Rahul Gandhi displayed pictures of Lord Shiva, Guru Nanak, and Jesus Christ while criticizing the government. Referring to Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Jainism, Gandhi emphasized the “importance of fearlessness,” stating that “all religions and great people of the country have said ‘do not be scared, do not scare others.’” Following objections by the Speaker of the House, Om Birla, and protests from BJP and its allies, portions of Rahul Gandhi’s speech, including this quote, were later expunged from the Lok Sabha records.
We then located the full video of Rahul Gandhi’s speech in Lok Sabha on the ‘Sansad TV’ YouTube channel (official broadcaster of Indian Parliament sessions). Upon reviewing the entire video, we found that the viral clip of Rahul Gandhi’s speech starts at the timestamp 17:22 and ends at 17:27.
The quote “if someone slaps you on one cheek, show your other cheek” is famously cited by Mahatma Gandhi. However, this quote originates from the Bible, specifically the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5. It is attributed to Jesus Christ during his Sermon on the Mount, a well-known speech given to his followers. Matthew 5:38-48 states: “You have heard that it was said: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, do not oppose evil with evil; if someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer him the other.”
Furthermore, Mahatma Gandhi himself attributed this quote to the Bible. In chapter 20 of his autobiography, ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth,’ Gandhi wrote: “But the New Testament produced a different impression, especially the Sermon on the Mount which went straight to my heart. I compared it with the Gita. The verses, ‘But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man take away thy coat let him have thy cloke too,’ delighted me beyond measure and put me in mind of Shamal Bhatt’s ‘For a bowl of water, give a goodly meal’ etc. My young mind tried to unify the teaching of the Gita, the Light of Asia, and the Sermon on the Mount. That renunciation was the highest form of religion appealed to me greatly.” From this information, it is evident that Rahul Gandhi accurately attributed the quote “if someone slaps you, turn your other cheek” to Jesus Christ.
To sum up, Rahul Gandhi did not falsely attribute the quote “if someone slaps you on one cheek, turn your other cheek” by Mahatma Gandhi to Jesus Christ. The quote originates from the Bible and has also been credited as such by Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography.
