Did Rahul Gandhi call RG Kar Hospital murder 'unimportant'? No, viral clip is edited

What is the claim?

A video circulating on social media claims that Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, referred to the RG Kar Hospital murder and rape case in Kolkata as an “unimportant” matter. In the video, someone asks Gandhi to comment on the Kolkata case, to which he responds, “I’m here for this incident. I know you don’t want to bring up this matter. You want to distract from it.”

This video has been widely shared on X (formerly Twitter), with some users claiming that Gandhi dismissed the Kolkata incident as “less important.” An X account with a history of spreading misinformation, Mr. Sinha, captioned the video: “-Journalist: SC is hearing Kolkata rape case -Rahul Gandhi: Don't distract me, I'm here for more important work. This guy was first to reach Hathras claiming he's fighting for women, and here he's calling the #KolkataHorror case an unimportant topic.” Archived versions of such posts can be found here and here. 

Screenshots of social media posts. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the claim is misleading. Gandhi did not dismiss the Kolkata case as unimportant. Instead, he stated that he was in Raebareli to address a different issue and would comment on the Kolkata incident at a later time. Social media users have shared his statements out of context.

How did we find the truth?

The viral video includes the logo of news agency ANI. We found an extended version of the viral video (archived here) on ANI’s X account from August 20. In the original, Gandhi addresses the media about the murder of a 22-year-old Dalit youth in Salon, Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh. The victim was shot dead on August 11 following an altercation with locals. Six individuals have been arrested in connection with the case.

As the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Raebareli, Gandhi visited the victim's family and demanded justice, stating, “People who have gathered here want justice because a Dalit youth has been killed, and his family has been blackmailed with no action taken against the perpetrators. The SP is not addressing the mastermind, leading to local anger. I want everyone in Uttar Pradesh to receive respect and justice, which is why I am here.”

Later in the video, when asked about the RG Kar hospital murder, Gandhi says, “I came here for this incident. I have given my statement and views on the Kolkata incident and do not want to be distracted from this matter. That’s why I am focusing on the issues here.”

When asked about the Supreme Court's directive to end the doctors' strike, Gandhi said, "I'm here for this incident. You want to distract from it instead of addressing Dalit issues. I'm here to protect Dalit concerns and won't allow distractions." The viral clip is taken from the 2:42 to 2:55 mark of the full video.

We also found another video published by news agency PTI (archived here), where Gandhi can be heard saying, “I’m here for this incident, and I know you don’t want to bring up this matter. You want to distract from it because you don’t want to address the issues of Dalit people. I’m here to protect the Dalit people and bring up their concerns. I will comment on the Kolkata incident in the coming days.”

These extended clips show Gandhi stating he will address the Kolkata incident later, not that it is less important. The viral video clips edited out his comments and shared them without context. Hindustan Times also reported on Gandhi's Raebareli visit, carrying his full statement.

RG Kar Hospital murder case in Kolkata

A 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College Hospital was found dead, after being raped and murdered in the hospital’s seminar hall on August 9.

Police have arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, in connection with the crime, and an autopsy confirmed murder following sexual assault.

The incident has prompted statewide protests seeking justice. A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud has scheduled the next hearing for August 22 and ordered the CBI to submit their report.

The verdict

A cropped video of Rahul Gandhi addressing the media has been misrepresented to suggest he called the Kolkata murder incident “less important.” In reality, Gandhi indicated he would address the Kolkata case at a later time while focusing on the immediate issue in Raebareli.