Fact Check: Rajiv Gandhi Did Not Say That His Ancestors Were ‘Muslims’, Viral Claim Is FAKE

New Delhi (Vishvas News). An infographic questioning the religious identity of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is circulating on social media, claiming that during a public event, when Farooq Abdullah addressed him as a ‘Hindu’ leader, Rajiv Gandhi interrupted and said his ancestors were ‘Muslims’, declaring himself not a Hindu but a ‘Muslim’.

Vishvas News investigated and found this claim to be fake. The viral claim is fabricated and baseless. Rajiv Gandhi never made any such remark at any public event. Moreover, his father, Feroze Gandhi, was not a Muslim but a Parsi. The misleading claim about Rajiv Gandhi’s religious identity has been solely created based on his father’s name, ‘Feroze’.

What is viral?

Many users have also shared this infographic on Vishvas News’ tipline number +91 9599299372 to verify its authenticity.

Investigation

Based on the viral claim, we did not find any report mentioning any program where Rajiv Gandhi described himself as a ‘Muslim’. His father’s name was Feroze Gandhi, and the presence of ‘Feroze’ in this name has often led to misleading claims about his religious identity.

For clarity, Indira Gandhi’s husband, Feroze Gandhi, was a Parsi, and his father was Jahangir Fardoon.

This is also supported by a letter from Jawaharlal Nehru, published in ‘Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru’. Regarding Indira Gandhi’s marriage to Feroze Gandhi, Nehru expressed that after her marriage, his daughter would remain a Hindu, while the groom would continue as a Parsi. In a letter written to ‘Lakshmi Dhar’ dated March 16, 1942, Nehru specifically mentioned the complications surrounding Indira Gandhi’s marriage.

As documented in ‘Feroze Gandhi: A Political Biography’, Feroze Gandhi was born on September 12, 1912, in a Parsi family. His father was Jahangir Fardoon, and his mother was Ratimai.

This is not the first time misleading claims about Feroze Gandhi’s religious identity have gone viral. We had fact-checked a similar claim earlier, and the report can be read here.

A claim circulating on social media suggests that Nehru’s father and grandfather were Muslims. In reality, Nehru was a Hindu and a Kashmiri Brahmin. Vishvas News’ fact check on Nehru’s incorrect genealogy can be read here.

Our investigation clearly establishes that Rajiv Gandhi’s ancestors were not Muslims, and this claim is merely political propaganda.

To verify further, we contacted senior journalist Rashid Kidwai (author of ‘Sonia, A Biography’ and ‘24 Akbar Road’), who closely observes the Congress party. He confirmed, “Rajiv Gandhi never said that his ancestors were Muslims. This is completely baseless.”

He has shared with us an opinion piece published on NDTV.com on August 20, 2025, which referenced Rajiv Gandhi. The article cited the book ‘Dear to Behold – An Intimate Portrait of Indira Gandhi’ that Nehru named his grandson ‘Rajiv’ because it means lotus in Sanskrit, and the same meaning as the name of Rajiv Gandhi’s grandmother, Kamala (Nehru). The article further explains that Rajiv’s full name was Rajivratna (‘gem’), while ‘Jawahar’ also means ‘gem’, symbolising that Rajiv inherited the names of both his grandfather and grandmother.

Opinion | 'Birjees', 'Rajivratna', 'Nameless One': The Many Names Nehru Gave To Rajiv Gandhi – by @rasheedkidwai https://t.co/prU3VEc4bO

— NDTV (@ndtv) August 20, 2025

Conclusion: The infographic circulating with the claim that Rajiv Gandhi’s ancestors were Muslims is fake. Rajiv Gandhi never made any such statement. From time to time, baseless claims of the Nehru-Gandhi family is descendants of Muslims keep going viral on social media.

Tags

• Firoz Gandhi
• Rajiv gandhi
• Rajiv Gandhi Muslim
• Rajiv Gandhi Muslim Statement