A video depicting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi consuming non-vegetarian food at a restaurant is being widely shared on social media. The description of the video claims that despite Rahul Gandhi identifying himself as a Brahmin and a devotee of Lord Shiva, he appears to disregard Hindu festivals and customs by consuming non-vegetarian food during the holy month of Sawan (Shravan). Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Rahul Gandhi eating non-vegetarian food at a restaurant during the holy month of Sawan (Shravan).
Fact: The video shows Rahul Gandhi consuming non-vegetarian food at a restaurant in New Delhi on 18 April 2023. However, the sacred month of Sawan began on 04 July 2023, and will conclude on 31 August 2023. As the video predates the onset of the Sawan month, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
A reverse image search of the extracted keyframes from the viral video led us to the complete video, which premiered on YouTube on 23 April 2023. In this video, actor & writer Kunal Vijayakar can be observed interviewing Rahul Gandhi while both are consuming various non-vegetarian foods at Al-Jawahar Restaurant in New Delhi.
Media reports also confirm this visit, which occurred on 18 April 2023.
As per the Hindu Calendar, the month of Sawan began on 04 July 2023 and will continue until 31 August 2023. This month holds special significance for Hindu devotees who seek to please Lord Shiva and pray for his blessings by following various practices. After a span of 19 years, the Sawan month will be observed for two months, known as Adhik Hindu Maas. Although we couldn’t independently verify whether Rahul Gandhi personally abstains from consuming non-vegetarian food during this month, it is evident that the viral video predates the month of Sawan.
To sum it up, the viral video does not show Rahul Gandhi eating non-vegetarian food during the month of Sawan.
