2024-04-14 05:41:28
New Delhi: Amidst the turmoil of Lok Sabha elections, a video of Delhi Education Minister Atishi apologizing is going viral on social media. Regarding this, it is being claimed that during the inauguration of the school in Shri Ram Colony, he first raised the slogan of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and then when there was protest, he immediately apologized. During Boom’s investigation, both the claims being made about the video were found to be false. BOOM found that Atishi did not raise ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans during his address and a cropped portion of his speech is going viral.
In fact, on March 9, 2024, Education Minister Atishi had reached Shriram Colony in Khajuri Khas, Delhi to inaugurate Sarvodaya Girls Children’s School. During this, instead of taking the name of Shriram Colony in his address, he took the name of Khajuri Khas and surrounding areas. The local people had expressed their displeasure with him regarding this matter.
Video sharing social media platform X handle @Kamaltiwari233 It was written from, ‘Delhi Minister Atishi Marlena had gone to Shri Ram Colony and there she said Jai Shri Ram. Immediately the crowd of Muslims rose up and created ruckus that why did you say Jai Shri Ram? Then Atishi Marlena immediately apologized that she will not say Jai Shri Ram anymore.
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Similarly, many posts with similar claims are viral on Facebook also. One user wrote, ‘Atishi Marlena had come to the newly built school in her area Shri Ram Colony and there she chanted Jai Shri Ram. He might have thought that since that place is Shri Ram Colony, there would be more Hindus living here, but it turned out to be the opposite.
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investigation
To fact check the viral video, BOOM’s Fact Check team first listened to it carefully. In the video, during Atishi’s speech, some people are seen getting up from their seats and expressing their displeasure. In the video, some people are saying, ‘Say Shri Ram Colony, this is the school of Shri Ram Colony. No one knows. After this, Atishi is seen speaking from the stage, ‘I would like to apologize to the residents of Shriram Colony, the school of Shriram Colony, where the children of Shriram Colony will also study, the children of Khajuri Khas will also study, the children of Karawal Nagar will also study and Sonia Vihar. Children will also study.
Neither did BOOM’s fact check team find any indication that people had expressed displeasure over chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. On the contrary, after listening to the video it is known that people had raised objection on not taking the name of Shri Ram Colony.
BOOM’s Fact Check team searched Google with related keywords Atishi inaugurated school in Sriram colony Delhi. Found here is a press release of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) issued on March 9, 2024. It was told that the Kejriwal government inaugurated two government schools in Shri Ram Colony of North East Delhi. During this, Education Minister Atishi said that this school of Shri Ram Colony is one of the best schools in Delhi. With the help of this keyword, the complete video of the school inauguration program was found on YouTube. At 32.14 minutes in the video, it can be heard that Atishi raised slogans of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Vande Mataram and Inquilab Zindabad at the beginning of the speech. During this he did not say Jai Shri Ram as is being claimed. He further took the names of Sonia Vihar, Karawal Nagar and Khajuri.
conclusion
From 40.30 minutes in the video, it can be heard that Atishi was talking about the inauguration of Khajuri Khas school. During this, some audience raised objections on which Atishi requested people to sit from the stage itself. Meanwhile, local councilor Mohammad Amil Malik comes to Atishi from behind on the stage and says, ‘This is the school of Shri Ram Colony, say Shri Ram Colony.’ On this, Atishi says, ‘I would like to apologize to the residents of Shriram Colony, the school of Shriram Colony where children of Shriram Colony, Khajuri Khas, Karawal Nagar and Sonia Vihar also study.’ This part of the speech is being clipped and shared with false claims. During the inauguration program of the school, the address of the school is written in the poster on the stage – Sarvodaya Girls/Children’s School, Shri Ram Colony, Khajuri Khas Chowk, Delhi.
(This story was originally published by Boom, and republished by NBT as part of the Shakti Collective.)