Fact Check: Viral Claim Of VM Singh Being Congress Leader, Holding Assets Worth Rs 631 Crore Is Misleading

The farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (West) are protesting in Delhi since November 26, 2020, against the three new farm laws passed by the Parliament of India in September 2020. These farmers have been protesting under the banner of All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC), which is an umbrella organisation with almost 200 farmers' organisations under it.

In the backdrop to this, many people have been sharing an image of an ANI tweet saying that the national convenor of AIKSCC is a Congress leader VM Singh who owns assets of worth ₹631 crores. The image is being shared with the caption, "Meet so called Kisan Sardar VM Singh. He wants MSP as Law. He is a Congress leader. He was Lok Sabha candidate from Pilibhit. In 2009 he had assets of worth ₹631 crores."

The post is viral on Facebook. A Facebook page famous for spreading fake news and hate-mongering, Postcard, also shared the claim.

The Logical Indian also received the claim for verification on its WhatsApp number +91 6364000343.

Claim:

AIKSCC national convenor VM Singh is a Congress leader and has assets worth ₹631 crore.

Fact Check:

Firstly, according to a report by The Hindu, VM Singh is no longer the National Convenor of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) after being evicted for holding a separate discussion with the government.

The Twitter page of VM Singh mentions tha he is an Ex MLA.

We also found that VM Singh launched his Kisan Party to attract the focus on farmers' issue on December 23, 2018. A report by the Times Of India mentioned he was a first cousin of BJP leader Meneka Gandhi.

Economic Times reported on August 24, 2009, that the then Congress leader, VM Singh, was the richest candidate who was contesting Lok Sabha elections in 2009 and had declared an asset worth ₹631 crores. The report also said that he had cash of ₹15,00,000 and banks deposits worth ₹26,50,000; along with three own vehicles worth three vehicles worth ₹14,00,000; He also declared non-agricultural plots of land worth ₹2,06,00,00,000 and agricultural land worth ₹4,14,60,00,000.

MyNeta.Info also reported that in 2012, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections he contested from Palia (Kheri) constituency of Uttar Pradesh from the party ticket of All India Trinamool Congress and had declared his assets worth ₹6,31,87,92,285. On the same website, we were able to find that in 2007, he had contested from the Pilibhit seat of Uttar Pradesh with the party ticket of Indian National Congress and at that time, his assets were around ₹374 crores.

While VM Singh had contested from the Congress party in Lok Sabha Elections 2004, UP State Assembly Elections 2007 and 2009 Lok Sabha Elections, later in 2012, he contested UP State Assembly Elections with the ticket of All India Trinamool Congress Party.

Hence, we could evidently confirm that VM Singh who demanded MSP Guarantee Bill for farmers in ongoing protest had held the assets worth ₹631 but is no more associated with the Indian National Congress. Moreover, VM Singh is no longer the National Convenor of the AIKSCC.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

Also Read: Fact Check: Old Images Shared With Context Of Ongoing Farmers' Protest