A 9-second video clip of former PM Manmohan Singh claiming that the Muslim minority has the first claim on the country’s resources is rife on social media. In the viral clip, Dr. Manmohan Singh can be heard saying, “innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, they must have the first claim on our resources”.
A Twitter handle, @brijeshchaodhry, recently tweeted the 9-second clip along with a caption that reads, ” देश के संसाधनों पर पहला हक अल्पसंख्यक खास तौर पर मुस्लिमो का है! ऐसा व्यक्तव्य देने वाले तुस्टीकरण के बेताज बादशाह कहते है कि भाजपा साम्प्रदायिक पार्टी है!” (Translation: The first right on the resources of the country belongs to the minority, especially the Muslims. The uncrowned king of appeasement, who gives such an expression, says that BJP is a communal party! )
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Screenshot)
At the time of writing this article, the video has garnered 3020 views and 700 retweets. Click here to view more Twitter claims. Archive
Bipin Patra, a Facebook user shared the same clip with the same caption which has been shared by over 73k users and garnered 3.9k reactions on his post. Click here to view the Facebook post and here to view the archive.
(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Screenshot)
Find more Facebook claims here.
FactO Check:
The video being shared is grabbed from a speech delivered by Dr. Manmohan Singh at the 52nd meeting of the National Development Council in 2006 which has caused controversy in the past too.
We did a relevant keyword search and found the original video of the speech on the NDTV website from where the viral snippet has been picked. The former Prime Minister in the speech had spoken about the upliftment of all underdeveloped sections of the society including the minorities while giving special emphasis on Muslims.
Further, we also found the transcript of the speech from the PMO archive. The transcript reads: “I believe our collective priorities are clear: agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, a critical investment in rural infrastructure, and the essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programs for the upliftment of SC/STs, other backward classes, minorities and women, and children. We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources.”
In addition, we also found that PMO had officially issued a clarification in 2006. PMO had clarified that it is a “mischievous misrepresentation” and the “Prime Minister’s observations have also been quoted out of context in some sections of the electronic media, fuelling a baseless controversy.”
TOI reported that the former PM statement came after the Sachar Committee report which highlighted how Muslim communities were lagging behind in education and livelihood opportunities in India.
Conclusion: Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s speech is taken out of context and shared with misleading and communal claims.
++++++=====================++++++
(Got a second Thought about a post or information you came across online/WhatsApp and want it verified? Send it to us on WhatsApp at 9632808080, or e-mail it to us at fc@factonews.co and we’ll fact-check it for you.)