Fact Check: Video claiming Muslims and Christians selling distorted version of Bhagavad Gita books is false

A video of a man confronting another who seems to be carrying a religious book is being shared on social media with a claim that the book is a fake and distorted version of Bhagavad Gita.

It is further being claimed that the alleged distorted version of Bhagavad Gita is being sold by Muslims and Christians.

A Twitter user tweeted the video with the caption: "A Christian caught selling fake Bhagavad Gita: "Gita" written on the cover, chapters inside read "Pavitra Bible, Pavitra Qur'an". (sic)

Another user posted the video with the caption: "Fake Hindu dharm books selling at cheaper rate throughout India to mislead Hindus, these kind of books are editing by anti Hindus. Muslims and Christians are editing our all kind of religious books and same they are publishing as publishing by Gita Press from Gorakhpur".

(sic)

FACT CHECK:

We first identified the book seen in the video. The name of the book is 'Geetha nee Gnana Amrutham' and it was written by Sant Rampal Das. (Original name of the book in Telugu: గీతా నీ జ్ఞాన అమృతం)

Taking a cue, we ran a keyword search and found the book available on Das' official website. The book is also available in different languages and is also sold on Amazon and Flipkart.

The English version of the book is named 'The Knowledge Of Gita Is Nectar'. In the introduction, Rampal writes, "There are in total 18 (eighteen) Chapters and 700 (seven hundred) Verses in Holy Book Gita. I have chosen a particular description from this Holy Book and composed the text of “The Knowledge of Gita is Nectar.’

This indicates that the book written by Rampal is based on his views about Bhagavad Gita. He believes that the book will unite the people in the world, who are divided basing on religions and fighting with each other and dying. He states that the Holy Book Gita does not belong to a particular religion but that it aims at the welfare of mankind and that it took shape at a time when there was no religion. “There was only “Mankind” religion. My slogan is: - Our Race is Living Being, Mankind is our religion | Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, there is no separate religion” a part of the introduction reads.

The same was tweeted from a verified handle operating in the name of Rampal.

With this, it can be said that the book seen in the viral video is not written by anyone from the Muslim or Christian community with the intention to mislead Hindus. The book is written by Rampal Das and is not indicative of any distortion of Hindu scriptures.

Thus, the claim is false.