Fact Check: Uddhav Thackeray Video Praising Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Is Edited And Shared Out Of Context
Fact Check: A viral video clip claims Uddhav Thackeray referred to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb as his brother and a martyr. However, the video is edited and taken out of context.
The Verdict [Misleading]
- The full video shows Uddhav Thackeray referring to an Indian soldier as a brother and a martyr, not the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
What is the claim?
A 30-second video of Uddhav Thackeray, former chief minister of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, is circulating online. The clip claims to show Thackeray, also the leader of the Maharashtra Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party, referring to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb as his brother and a martyr.
Thackeray can be heard in the clip saying, “...sacrificed himself for the country. Now if I say he was my brother, you’ll ask, do you know his name? His name was Aurangzeb. He was a Muslim by religion, but he sacrificed himself for the country. He gave his life for Mother India. Wasn’t he my brother?”
Several users on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook posted the clip and criticized Thackeray, suggesting he praised the Mughal emperor. Archived versions of such posts can be seen here, here, and here. The claim surfaced in the lead-up to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections on November 20, followed by the counting of votes on November 23.
However, the viral video has been edited and taken out of context. The former chief minister was actually referring to an Indian Army martyr named Aurangzeb, who was killed in a terrorist attack in 2018.
How did we find the truth?
We found an extended version of the viral clip (archived here) published on Thackeray's official Facebook page on February 19, 2023. The video shows Thackeray speaking at a political event, addressing the North Indian community as the chief guest. Upon reviewing the complete video, we identified that the viral clip was taken from the 32:47 mark to the 33:17 mark of this longer video. However, we found that Thackeray was actually referring to an Indian Army soldier named Aurangzeb, who was killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018.
The discussion started around the 32-minute mark, where Thackeray said, “It happened three or four years ago. You might have forgotten, or perhaps you didn’t read about it. There was a soldier in Kashmir who was going home on leave to meet his family. When the terrorists learned that he was travelling alone, they kidnapped him. A few days later, scattered parts of his body were found. He was ours or not, who sacrificed his life for the country. Now if I say he was my brother, you’ll ask, do you know his name? His name was Aurangzeb. He was a Muslim by religion, but he sacrificed himself for the country. He gave his life for Mother India. Wasn’t he my brother?”
It is clear that the Shiv Sena leader was referring to Indian Army soldier Aurangzeb as his brother and a martyr for India, not the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Who was the Indian Army soldier Aurangzeb?
According to an NDTV report dated June 15, 2018, an Indian Army soldier named Aurangzeb was kidnapped and killed by terrorists in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. He was part of the 4 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry and posted at the 44 Rashtriya Rifles camp at Shadimarg in Shopian, where he was involved in anti-terrorism operations. He was abducted and shot in the neck and head when he was departing for Eid leave. His body was found in Gussu village, about 10 km away from Kalampora, in Pulwama district.
On May 9, 2023, the President of India posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra to Rifleman Aurangzeb.
The edited video was also circulated before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with social media users claiming that Thackeray was referring to the Mughal emperor as his brother and a martyr. It resurfaced just a few days before the polls in Maharashtra when it was debunked in Hindi by Logically Facts.
The verdict
The viral video is clipped and shared out of context. The video actually shows Uddhav Thackeray referring to an Indian Army soldier as his brother and a martyr who was killed in 2018.
This story was originally published by Logically Facts as part of the Shakti Collective. Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by ABP Live staff.
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