No, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Didn't Garland Congress Leaders With Gold Chains

A video showing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel garlanding Congress leaders is widely circulated across social media. The video is being shared with the claim that Baghel welcomed party leaders with gold chains during the Congress' 85th plenary session in Raipur.

The Congress approved several amendments to the party constitution and proposed many legislation during its 85th plenary session in Raipur on February 25, 2023. The three-day summit saw around 15,000 delegates from various states and participation from leaders like party President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Meira Kumar attending. Congress aimed to develop a roadmap for upcoming elections through the plenary sessions.

Claim:

The viral video shows Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel garlanding several leaders arriving at an event. Baghel can be seen garlanding them with what appears to be interlinked chains.

The video is viral with the claim, "It seems that gold has become more than potatoes in Chhattisgarh... That's why the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Mr Baghel, welcomed all the guests with gold chains. Traditionally, people are welcomed with folded hands. The common Chhattisgarhi has been looted, and the money of Chhattisgarh has been put into the service of the Congress leaders. The expenses incurred during the Congress session should be made public, and it should be told how much was spent on gold chains... and how many such gold chains were made? So that the public details of the expenditure of public money can be known."

It is being widely shared on Facebook and Twitter with a similar caption.

Fact Check:

We conducted a keyword search for Bhupesh Baghel garlanding Congress leaders and found a report by Navbharat Times published on February 25, 2023. The report noted that the garland was made out of a bamboo tree and not gold chains.

We came across a tweet by Chhattisgarh CM clarifying the origin of the chains. The tweet published on February 27, 2023, is captioned, "Lie, lie again and again, lie as loud as you can. Those who follow this formula are insulting this precious gift and the art of the sons/daughters of nature and the culture of Chattisgarh. After all, why does the BJP hate the people of Chhattisgarh and its culture so much?"

In the video, a person named Itwari Ram Machiya, a member of the 'Baiga' community, talks about the garland of interlinking chains named Biran. He says that the garland is made from grass and the parts of a tree called Khirsali. The video also shows a woman making the garland, as the viral clip shows

"This garland was used in the Congress party's plenary session, which was held on February 26. National leaders were welcomed using this garland which I'm extremely pleased with. Bhupesh Baghel has worked to preserve and promote our culture, and we are extremely thankful to him."

We also looked up information regarding the 'Baiga' community and found a blog on the Madhya Pradesh tourism website. As per the blog, the Baiga Tribe traditionally has had a symbiotic relationship with the forest, and the forest and its wealth are treated like a mother by the Baigas.

As per the blog, the Baiga tribe's first documented reference was in a British Army report in 1867. In one of the pictures on the MP Tourism website, the tribals can be seen wearing similar garlands.

Conclusion:

The viral video does not show Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel garlanding Congress party leaders with gold chains. The chain is named Biran and is made from grass and the parts of a tree called Khirsali. The chains are made by the Baiga community residing in parts of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, as seen by the testimony of a member of the 'Baiga' community.

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