No, AAP leader Avadh Ojha didn't call ex-Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia a 'coward'
The Verdict False [False]
The video is altered and Ojha's response to an unrelated question was added to create a false narrative about Ojha criticizing Manish Sisodia.
What is the claim?
A video of Avadh Ojha, a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has gone viral on X with a claim that he called fellow party leader and Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia a "coward".
In the viral video, the interviewer questions Ojha about Sisodia not contesting from the Patparganj Assembly constituency—a seat he has won and represented for the last three polls in Delhi—for the upcoming Delhi elections scheduled to be held on February 5. Ojha seemingly responds with a verse in Hindi which loosely translates to, "Those who have not seen war in their lives are unfortunate because they have broken their vows or fled from battle."
Ojha is the party's current candidate from the Patparganj seat.
The video was shared by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT-cell head Amit Malviya, party's National Secretary (BJP Youth) Tajinder Bagga, and party's State General Secretary Vaishali Poddar.
However, we found that the viral clip has been altered by adding Ojha's reply to an unrelated question, making it appear that he was responding to the question about Sisodia not contesting from the Patparganj seat. At no point in this interview does Ojha call Sisodia a "coward".
What did we find?
In the viral video, we noticed that the journalist was holding the mic of news channel NDTV. On looking for the interview using reverse search, we found that NDTV journalist Rajeev Ranjan had interviewed Ojha (archived here) on January 8, 2025.
Ranjan's question in the viral clip can be heard at the 1:46 second mark in the NDTV video, where he highlighted that Patparganj is an important seat from where Sisodia has won thrice and served as the deputy chief minister. He then goes on to question Ojha about Sisodia stepping away this time.
To this Ojha responds, "He has not stepped away, he has given it to me. He was associated with education and I also wanted to work in the field of education so I requested him to give me this seat."
What about the answer in the viral clip?
The answer in the viral clip can be heard at the 51-second mark, where Ranjan introduced Ojha and said that the AAP leader just entered politics and is now contesting elections. Ojha responded to this question with a verse in Hindi, "Those who have not seen war in their lives are unfortunate because they have broken their vows or fled from battle," before talking about his work in the field of education.
At no point in the interview did Ojha make any negative remarks about Sisodia.
The verdict
The viral clip of AAP leader Avadh Ojha calling AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia a "coward" has been altered. Ojha's response to an unrelated question was added to the viral video to make it appear like he was talking about Sisodia not contesting from the Patparganj seat.
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FIR against Haryana BJP chief in gang-rape case: Cong seeks his removal, questions PM's 'silence'
New Delhi, Jan 15: The Congress Wednesday slammed the BJP over the FIR registered against the party's Haryana unit chief for alleged gang rape, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi must answer why the accused has still not been removed from the post despite such a serious allegation against him.
Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli and a singer were booked after a woman alleged that she was raped by them in a hotel in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli. Police have registered an FIR against the two men, officials said.
According to the complainant, the two men made videos of the act and threatened to kill the victim if she informed anyone about the incident.
Addressing a press conference here, Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba alleged that the Haryana BJP state president was involved in the girl's gang rape on the pretext of getting her a permanent government job.
She claimed BJP leaders have been involved in committing crimes against women earlier too.
BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh was accused of sexual harassment and BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was accused of rape, while in Karnataka, the BJP gave a poll ticket to "mass rapist" Prajwal Revanna and the Prime Minister went to campaign for him, she said.
"BJP leaders are able to muster the courage to commit sexual harassment because their party is standing with them," she said, alleging that the prime minister's 'Beti Bachao' slogan is a sham.
"The truth is that daughters have to be saved from BJP leaders only. The Congress government will not allow injustice to happen to any daughter," Lamba said.
Demanding that Badoli be removed from his post, the Congress leader said, "BJP president J P Nadda ji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, the law is in your hands. You create pressure, hence no action is taken against the criminals and daughters do not get justice."
"The BJP will have to answer how their (Haryana) state president is still in his post after such a serious allegation. The prime minister, home minister, BJP Mahila Morcha, BJP's national president and big leaders must answer," she said.
"On one hand, an FIR has been filed against Haryana BJP president on rape charges... in Madhya Pradesh, BJP leader Ajit Pal Singh Chauhan has been arrested for raping a woman. In such an environment, the Women’s Commission, which has the responsibility of providing justice to women, is silent. The daughters of the country are demanding justice, but PM Modi is silent," Lamba said.
Referring to the BJP's Delhi Assembly poll candidate Ramesh Bidhuri's remark that he will make roads which will be like Congress leader "Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks", Lamba said the comments prove how much respect his party has for women.
"Bidhuri's eyes are more on the cheeks of mothers, sisters and daughters than on the roads. Women protested against the lowly statement, after which he had to apologize. However, Bidhuri is continuously making objectionable statements," she said.
The BJP is silent over Bidhuri's statements and is promoting such language instead, the Mahila Congress chief claimed.
