DigitEye India Fact Checkers
After PM Narendra Modi raised the issue of Katchateevu islands in his election campaign in Tamil Nadu, several leaders’ remarks have flooded the social media. One such remark was by Congress and DMK ally Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiyapuri Gopalsamy alias Vaiko. It has gone viral on social and mainstream media.
In this context, news agency ANI posted a video clip with the caption: “On the Katchatheevu issue, MDMK founder Vaiko says ‘Congress betrayed Tamil Nadu on every front, at the time…(sic)'”
#WATCH | On the Katchatheevu issue, MDMK founder Vaiko says “Congress betrayed Tamil Nadu on every front at the time…” pic.twitter.com/fIfweuyPvG
— ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2024
Katchatheevu, a small islet of 300 metres, is located northeast of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and southwest of Sri Lanka’s Delft island in Jaffna, mostly used for fishing by the local communities on both sides. It became contentious between India and Sri Lanka which was ceded by the Congress government under Indira Gandhi in 1974 to Sri Lanka. Soon after PM Modi raised the issue, several leaders have made remarks and one of them was by MDMK chief Vaiko, whose party is an ally of Congress and DMK.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥 𝐍𝐚𝐝𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭
Vaiko, MDMK – I N D I Alliance leader pic.twitter.com/T4G0aRDNeq
— Tinku | ಟಿಂಕು (Modi Ka Parivar) (@tweets_tinku) April 3, 2024
It has been shared here and also aired on TV news channels here and here.
FACT-CHECK
As an ally, it’s unlikely that Vaiko could have given a statement like that. So, Digiteye India checked for the original video and found that the Tamil Channel Sun has aired the full video as seen here:
கச்சத்தீவு விவகாரத்தில் நம்பிக்கை துரோகம் செய்துள்ளார் மோடி – மதிமுக பொதுச் செயலாளர் வைகோ விமர்சனம்#SunNews | #Elections2024 | #Vaiko | #Modi pic.twitter.com/WwQHsnmjDx
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) April 3, 2024
Clearly, what Vaiko said was clipped in ANI video to show only the Congress part. In the latter part of the video, he clearly goes on to criticise Modi and BJP as well. Here’s what he said: “Congress betrayed Tamil Nadu in every front, at that time. After that, these ten years…is a testing time for Narendra Modi. He is a traitor, he betrayed Tamil Nadu, betrayed India, betrayed Sri Lanka…”
Hence, the news agency ANI’s clipped video was aired on all TV channels and social media to show that Vaiko criticised only Congress and not others.
Claim: ANI video shows DMK ally and MDMK leader Vaiko saying, ‘Congress betrayed Tamil Nadu in every front.’
Conclusion: Vaiko criticised Congress but continued to criticise Modi and BJP too in this interview but was clipped, making it partial and misleading.
Rating: Misleading — 
