Rahul and Rajiv Gandhi's Islamic Prayers at Indira's Funeral: Fact Check

Story:

Watch Rahul Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi’s Islamic Prayers at Indira Gandhi’s Funeral

Other Versions

1. At Indira Gandhi’s funeral – why is son Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi offering prayers in Islamic mode ? Nearby PV Narasimha Rao is doing it the Hindu way

2. Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi Offering Namaz at Indira Gandhi’s funeral.

3. (Hindi)
जब इंदिरा गाँधी मर गई थी तब राजीव और राहुल गांधी क्या कर रहे हैं और नरसिंहरावजी क्या कर रहे हैं!
चाहे तो Zoom कर लो !

Image about Rahul and Rajiv Gandhi's Islamic Prayers at Indira's Funeral

4. इन्दिरा की लाश के सामने राहुल और राजीव गांधी कलमा पढ रहे हैं फिर भी हमारे देश के लोगों को लगता है कि ये लोग ब्राह्मण हैं।

Fact Check:

A popular picture in circulation online since many years purports to show Rahul and Rajiv Gandhi’s Islamic Prayers at Indira Gandhi’s Funeral. Also seen nearby in the picture is former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao doing it the Hindu way. The picture showing Rahul and Rajiv Gandhi’s Islamic prayers is real, but it does not show the funeral of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

About Rahul and Rajiv Gandhi’s Islamic Prayers

Yes, the old black and white photograph shows Rahul and Rajiv Gandhi offering prayers in Islamic mode, but it is not the funeral procession of Indira Gandhi. The picture also appeared online describing it as Bacha Khan’s funeral in Peshawar. Bacha Khan is independence activist Abdul Ghaffār Khān, who is also nicknamed the “Frontier Gandhi”. He died in 1988 at the age of 97 years and many national leaders, including Rajiv Gandhi (then Prime Minister of India) attended his funeral. The picture appears to be taken from a historical book.

Image of Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Mohandas Gandhi — Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Mohandas Gandhi

On the other hand, Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984 and her last rites were performed following Hindu tradition. In the video below, you can see the last journey of the former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Born as Indira Priyadarshini Nehru to Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM of India, she went on to marry Feroze Jehangir Gandhi.

So, the popular picture story claiming to show Rahul and Rajiv Gandhi’s Islamic prayers at Indira Gandhi’s funeral is not a fact. It is frequently shared as a conspiracy story, especially in political scenarios.