Fact Check: Foreign DNA expert’s claim that Rahul Gandhi is not the son of former PM Rajiv Gandhi is fake
The image of a newspaper clipping wherein a DNA expert confirmed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is not the son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is viral on social media.
The image of a newspaper clipping wherein a DNA expert confirmed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is not the son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is viral on social media.
The clipping reads, “America-based DNA expert Dr Martin Sizo has made a shocking claim in a press conference. Dr. Martin says that he has DNA of Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and both do not match. Dr Martin said that he is ready to come to India and give all the proofs which will prove that Rajiv Gandhi does not have a son.”
FACT CHECK:
We performed a keyword search but did not find any news report that supports the claim about Rahul Gandhi not being the son of Rajiv Gandhi. If such information was discovered, it would have been reported by the media immediately. No news reports about it clarified that the claim if fake.
We also searched for the DNA expert's name "Dr Martin Soji" but did not find any information about him.
Moreover, this is not the first time the claim has surfaced on the internet. In 2019, a few media organizations debunked the same claim and proved it fake.
Another similar claim on PM Modi in 2019, stating that he was the son of a rape convict Asaram Bapu went viral. Here, a similar newspaper clipping template was used. A comparison between both the images clearly highlights the similarities.
Only the names of the individuals and parties have been changed, whereas the format of the newspaper clipping remains the same. With this, it is clear that the current viral clipping has been made using a template and is not a real piece of article.
Therefore, it is clear that a fabricated news clipping is being shared to falsely claim that an American DNA expert has said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is not the son of former PM Rajiv Gandhi.
