A video of Rahul Gandhi's recent address in poll-bound Kerala at Kollam is being widely shared on social media platforms in which Rahul Gandhi called for a fisheries ministry that would serve the interests of the fishermen in India.

The relevant section can be heard in the following video at the 11:34 mark.

Gandhi said, "Just like our farmers farm the land, you farm the sea. The farmers have their ministry in Delhi. You don't have a ministry in Delhi. No one speaks for you in Delhi. So the first thing I would like to do is have a ministry dedicated to the fishermen of our country, so your issues can be protected and defended across the country."

However, Gandhi's claim that there is no section of the government machinery dedicated to fishing is not true. Though there is no standalone ministry dedicated to fisheries but a Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying does exist. 

Following this, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh, took to Twitter and rebutted this claim while sharing a document with information about the department. 

This is not the first time that Gandhi has made these remarks. On February 17, in Puducherry, Gandhi made similar remarks where he said. "...I consider you to be farmers of the sea. I think to myself that if farmers of the land can have a ministry in Delhi, then why is it that farmers of sea, do not have a ministry in Delhi? Do you agree with what I'm saying? When we have an issue of farmers, we go to the Ministry that belongs to the farmers."

This claim was too rebutted by Giriraj Singh.

Following Gandhi's recent statement on the fisheries ministry, several social media users have started trolling the Congress leader. 

Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying

Prior to February 2019, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, existed as a department within the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare. After which, it has been hived off into a separate ministry and split into two departments.

 Under the Ministry, a Department of Fisheries deals exclusively with fishing and is one of the two departments under the ministry, the other being the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. An amount of Rs 1,220 crores has been dedicated to the Department of Fisheries in this year's budget. More information can be accessed here. 

In conclusion, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statement in which he called for a fisheries ministry that would serve the interests of the fishermen in India is misleading as a Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying already exist.