CLAIM

Now comes the best of #Modi. An administration under #NarendraModi spent millions to develop infrastructure for mo… https://t.co/w6fXn7KZdf — Ameer Shahul (@ameershahul) 1557814200000

बन्दर और बन्दरगाह मे फर्क नही पता PM @narendramodi (नरेंद्र मोदी) जी को. दूसरों पर कीचड़ उछालने से पहले अपने आप… https://t.co/yAQPti2Rjm — Nana Patole (@NANA_PATOLE) 1557744238000

@bainjal @summitkhanna @VipulMe02025425 Modi ji is clearly talking about Monkeys /Bandar. Rest other justifications are just Lame — aliimran (@aliimran_I) 1557834126000

Hilarious. Indian PM Modi confuses Bandergah (port) with Bander (monkey). https://t.co/3uB0jkHeai — Marvi Sirmed (@marvisirmed) 1557748067000

Modiji “Gujarat kei bandaron ka vikas karna Chahte hain” peak Modi https://t.co/NT01chtTOl — Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) 1557809061000

TRUTH

VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGY

VERDICT

A short video clip of PM Narendra Modi is being shared by many Twitter users on micro-blogging platform with the claim that he talked about development of monkeys.In the 29-second clipping shared to make the claim, Modi can be heard saying “since the time we have been given the opportunity to work in Indian government, we have given a lot of attention towards 'bandaron ka vikas'...we also want to do 'bandar based vikas'...we want to make a kind of infrastructure that connects ‘bandar’ to rail, road and airways”.Claiming that Modi is talking about monkeys in his speech, a Twitter user shared the clip saying Mani Shankar Aiyar was right in his “neech aadmi” remarks directed towards Modi.“Now comes the best of Modi. An administration under Narendra Modi spent millions to develop infrastructure for monkeys in Gujarat . I don't want to start a hashtag #BandarModi, but want to add that Mani Shankar Aiyar was prophetic about his #NeechAadmi comments (sic)” the tweet read.Nana Patole, president of the All India Kisan Congress shared the clip claiming “Modi can’t differentiate between bandar and bandargaah. Before throwing mud at others, it would have been better if he looked inside.”Another Twitter user sounded convinced that Modi talked about monkeys.Pakistani journalist Marvi Sirmed opined Modi “confused port with monkey”.Journalist Swati Chaturvedi too shared the clip with caption “Modi bandaron ka vikas karna chahte hain”Modi did not talk about the development of monkeys. He was talking about the development of ports, which are called ‘bandar’ in Gujarati. Case in point: Porbandar, a coastal city in Gujarat. The video from which these misleading claims have been made is an old speech Modi gave in Dwaraka city of Gujarat in 2017. His speech has been edited to give the impression that he talks about the development of monkeys.Using keywords, we found the original video of Modi on YouTube. In this video, one can see Modi using mixed Gujarati and Hindi vocabulary to communicate with those listening to him.Modi uses word ‘bandar’, ‘bandaron’ etc repeatedly during his speech. In Gujarati language , ‘bandar’ means ‘port’. Gujarat being a state with huge coastline, Modi was talking about development of ports and port-based infrastructural development.On looking for meaning of port in Gujarati, the Google translate threw up ‘Bandara’ as the top result.There is an entire Wikipedia article about it. It can be read here We also got in touch with the Times group’s IamGujarat editor, who confirmed that Modi indeed was talking about ports and not monkeys.Times Fact Check has found the claims of Modi talking about the development of monkeys in his tenure to be misleading. In reality, he talks about the development of ports.