Since 2015, there has been a widespread claim on social media and in various media outlets alleging that Yogi Adityanath, a significant figure in India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, stated ‘Rape Dead Muslim Women’ in a speech.
Check out some Facebook posts with this claim here (archive), here (archive), here (archive), and here (archive).
Check out recent Facebook posts about this claim here (archive), here (archive), here (archive), and here (archive).
Check out some reports published in the media in 2015 about the claim, Naya Diganta (Facebook), Insaf, Bangi News, Bongo-News, and Sylheter Khobor.
Watch videos published on YouTube regarding the claim here (archive), and here (archive).
Fact Check
The investigation by the Rumor Scanner team found that Yogi Adityanath did not make a statement about raping dead Muslim women. This accusation stems from a misattribution of remarks actually made by another individual from his party during a 2007-08 event, with Adityanath present.
In-depth research led to a report on Alt News, an Indian fact-checking website, dated September 28, 2020. The report, titled “In a rally, Adityanath says Hindu-Muslim cultures can never co-exist, co-speaker asks for raping of Muslim women,” pertains to an incident from 2007-08 during the Hindu Chetna Rally, organized by Hindu Yuva Vahini in Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh. At this rally, Yogi Adityanath explained the need for his organization, Hindu Yuva Vahini, and claimed that Hindu culture and Muslim culture can never coexist and that a religious war is inevitable.
Furthermore, the report points out that Yogi Adityanath’s co-speaker in the same rally asks for Muslim women to be taken out from graves and be raped.
Upon reviewing the videos linked in the report, it was observed that Yogi Adityanath was present in the frame when the offensive remark was made. Additionally, a distinct difference was noted between the voice of the person who made the remark and Yogi Adityanath’s voice, confirming that he was not the one who made the statement.
Therefore, it is clear that Yogi Adityanath did not say ‘Rape Dead Muslim Women’.
This misattribution was also addressed by two fact-checking organizations, Alt News and The Quint, which published their findings in 2020 after the claim resurfaced in India. Both organizations verified that the reprehensible statement was made by a co-speaker, not by Yogi Adityanath.
However, Yogi Adityanath has been criticized for making controversial comments against Muslims. For example, in 2015, he mentioned that if given the chance, he would install idols of Gauri and Ganesh in every mosque.
Bottom Line
In 2007-08, during a Hindu Consciousness Rally in Uttar Pradesh, India, comments about raping dead Muslim women were made by a member of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, an organization then led by Yogi Adityanath, who is now a prominent member of the BJP and the current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Although Yogi Adityanath was present at the rally, these remarks have been falsely attributed to him on the internet since 2015.
Notably, Yogi Adityanath founded the Hindu Yuva Vahini in 2002 and dissolved it in 2022.
So, the widespread claim that Yogi Adityanath made the statement “Rape Dead Muslim Women” is false.
Sources
- Alt News – In a rally, Adityanath says Hindu-Muslim cultures can never co-exist, co-speaker asks for raping of Muslim women
- Alt News – Fact-check: Did Yogi Adityanath say dead Muslim women should be raped?Fact-check: Did Yogi Adityanath say dead Muslim women should be raped?
- The Quint – ‘Rape Dead Muslim Women’ Remark Falsely Linked to Yogi Adityanath
- Amnesty International – India: New Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh must retract previous statements against Muslims
- The Quint – New UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s Tryst With Free (Hate?) Speech
- The Free Press Journal – UP: CM Yogi Adityanth dissolves all units of Hindu Yuva Vahini
