Fact Check: Video Of Rahul Gandhi Making Controversial Remarks About Women Is Edited And Being Shared With A False Claim

New Delhi (Vishvas News). A video of Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is going viral on social media. The 29-second video allegedly shows him saying that 80 percent of rapes happen because of women and that rape happens in “India”, not “Bharat”. The video also appears to show him speaking against women’s freedom. Many social media users are sharing the video, believing it to be true.

Vishvas News investigated the viral post in detail. We found that the viral post was fake. In fact, the viral clip was created by editing an original video of Rahul Gandhi. In the original video, Rahul Gandhi referred to old statements given by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and former Haryana Chief Minister and the current Union Minister of Energy, and Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar. Rahul Gandhi had given a speech on women’s freedom at an event held in Pune.

What is viral?

Facebook user ‘Sooraj Singh’ shared a video on August 26, 2026, and wrote, “80% of rapes are caused by women. Rahul Gandhi says that women should not work, they should stay at home and remain housewives.”

In the viral video, Rahul Gandhi can allegedly be heard saying, “80% of rapes are committed by women. Rapes happen in “India” and rapes don’t happen in “Bharat”. Girls belong in one place. They should be caged. They should be under control. They shouldn’t work, and boys should have complete freedom.”

The content of the viral post is reproduced here verbatim. Many social media users are also sharing it. See the archived link of the post here.

Investigation

To investigate the viral video, Vishvas News first extracted several keyframes from it. We then searched them using Google Lens tool. We found the original video on the official YouTube channel of the Congress party, which premiered on August 22, 2026. The video was from the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” event held in Pune, Maharashtra. Vishvas News listened to the entire video carefully.

In fact, around the one-hour mark of this video, Rahul Gandhi says, “Mohan Bhagwat says rape happens in India, and rape doesn’t happen in Bharat. Khattar says that 80 percent of rapes happen because of women. This is a mindset. We are fighting this mindset. What is this mindset? A girl belongs in one place. She should be caged. She should be under control. She shouldn’t work, and boys should have complete freedom. Boys can do whatever they want. If they want to abuse someone, they can. If they want to work, they can work. We don’t want such an India. We want justice. Everyone should be respected. Boys should be respected. Girls should be respected.”

We also found the full video of Rahul Gandhi’s speech on his YouTube channel. It was livestreamed on August 22, 2026.

A report on the ABP News website stated that Rahul Gandhi spoke about women’s issues in Pune. The “Chhatraon Ki Goonj” programme has previously been held in Kota, Dehradun, and Prayagraj. At the Pune event, Rahul Gandhi spoke in support of women’s freedom and rights. This report was published on August 22, 2026.

An ABP News report dated November 18, 2018, stated that Manohar Lal Khattar had said during a programme, “The biggest concern is that 80-90 percent of these incidents of rape and molestation occur among acquaintances. They spend time together for a long time, and then one fine day they have a disagreement. That day, they get up and file an FIR, saying, ‘He raped me.”

Manohar Lal Khattar’s statement caused considerable uproar. While the Congress party called it anti-women and demanded an apology, Khattar clarified that his statement was misinterpreted.

On the other hand, we found a statement made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in a new report published on the BBC Hindi website dated January 4, 2013. According to the report, “During his recent visit to Silchar, Bhagwat reportedly said, such crimes are less in Bharat and more in India.”

Vishvas News further investigated the matter and contacted Nitin Agarwal, National Coordinator of the Congress’s social media team. We shared the viral video with him. He explained that the viral video was edited. Rahul Gandhi spoke about women’s rights at an event in Pune. Excerpts from his speech have been taken out of context and circulated.

What is the context?

To connect with young people across the country, the Congress party has launched the “Chhatro Ki Goonj” programme. It is a nationwide student outreach and dialogue campaign. Rahul Gandhi visits various cities to interact with young people as part of this campaign. On August 22, 2026, a special “Chhatro Ki Goonj” programme was held in Pune, Maharashtra, which was attended exclusively by female students and women.

The investigation concluded by examining the profile of the user who shared the fake post. A Social media scan revealed that this Facebook user is followed by more than five thousand followers. The account was created in 2017. The user lives in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Conclusion: Vishvas News investigated and found the viral post to be fake. In the original video, Rahul Gandhi spoke about women’s rights. The viral video has been edited. In his speech, Rahul Gandhi referred to old statements made by Manohar Lal Khattar and Mohan Bhagwat.

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• Fact Check
• Rahul Gandhi