The Congress was left red-faced on Saturday after it emerged that the video posted by the party to embarrass Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not of the latter’s rally in Jaipur on Saturday.
The Congress had posted the video on Twitter on Sunday alleging that the Facebook wasn’t allowing it to upload it on its platform. It wrote, “Hey @facebook we’re unable to upload this video on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/IndianNationalCongress/ …. Can you tell us why? Or should we ask.”
Hey @facebook we’re unable to upload this video on our facebook page https://t.co/NPOcx4pW6n. Can you tell us why? Or should we ask @rsprasad? pic.twitter.com/ol4TEiF9Zr
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 7, 2018
Its subsequent tweet read, “While PM Modi is gaining control of @facebook, he’s losing control of his cadre. Open infighting on display at PM Modi’s Jaipur rally.”
While PM Modi is gaining control of @facebook, he’s losing control of his cadre. Open infighting on display at PM Modi’s Jaipur rally. https://t.co/aedJDz6aN5
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 7, 2018
The video was also shared by the party’s social media chief Divya Spandana, who wrote, “Tried uploading this video on @facebook but for some strange reason, Facebook is not publishing it. Can you guys try and revert? It’s a video from @narendramodi rally today in Jaipur.”
Tried uploading this video on @facebook but for some strange reason, Facebook is not publishing it. Can you guys try and revert?
It’s a video from @narendramodi rally today in Jaipur. pic.twitter.com/t5SSIZpnsW— Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) July 7, 2018
The party later informed that the Facebook had finally allowed it to upload the video, but fact checking website Boom Live later wrote that that the video that the Congress was claiming to be from Modi’s Jaipur rally was at least five months old.
In the video, a group of protesters were seen chanting, “Modi, we have nothing against you. Vasundhara, you will not be spared. Vasundhara, because of you, Modi will also suffer.”
Left red-faced, Spandana apologised and wrote, “Apologies: apparently this video is from March and not yesterday…gosh Rajasthan BJP lost it that long back??”
But, by then the BJP had begun sharpening its knives to launch a counter attack against the Congress. The saffron party’s IT Cell boss, Amit Malviya, said, “Congress scores a self goal (as always) on Twitter. Claims a 5 month old video is from the prime minister’s rally in Jaipur on Saturday.”
Congress scores a self goal (as always) on Twitter. Claims a 5 month old video is from the prime minister’s rally in Jaipur on Saturday. https://t.co/42hQjGko2n
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 8, 2018
Spandana replied, “Yes we did make that mistake. But the content is real. Will you acknowledge Amit? Be a man, you can :)”
Yes we did make that mistake. But the content is real. Will you acknowledge Amit? Be a man, you can 🙂 https://t.co/EKGShG3vA9
— Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) July 8, 2018
PM Modi was in Jaipur on Saturday to addressed over two lakh beneficiaries of the central and state government schemes.
