Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
In an attempt to woo independent candidates, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara congratulated rebel BJP candidate Ravindra Singh Bhati in advance, of his victory from the Sheo assembly constituency.
Fact
An old video of Raje congratulating Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra for winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics is being shared in false context.
The Rajasthan assembly elections have recently concluded, and with the highly anticipated results scheduled for announcement on December 3, a video featuring former Chief Minister and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje has gained widespread attention on social media. In the video, the two-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan can be heard offering congratulations to an individual, saying, “Namaskar and can we congratulate you for most amazing victory! Because it makes us so proud. All of us.”
The accompanying text circulated with the video asserts that the BJP leader made a phone call to Ravindra Singh Bhati, a rebel BJP candidate from the Sheo Assembly constituency in Rajasthan, conveying early wishes for his victory. You can watch the 12-second viral video by clicking here.
The video has also been shared by many other facebook users with the same claim. You can see one such post here.
Fact Check/Verification
We performed a Google reverse image search on the keyframes taken from the viral video using the InVid tool but we did not find any relevant results. Following this, we conducted a keyword search on the social media profiles associated with the former Chief Minister of Rajasthan and BJP leader. In the course of our investigation, we discovered a video on Vasundhara Raje’s Instagram account, posted on August 11, 2021. The initial 12 seconds of this 38-second video bore a striking resemblance to the viral video we were investigating.
The description of the video reads – थ्रोअर नीरज चोपड़ा ने देश का मान बढ़ाया है और हम सभी का सिर गर्व से ऊँचा किया है। #Tokyo2020 में स्वर्ण पदक जीतने पर कल शाम उनसे बात कर उन्हें बधाई दी और सभी की तरफ से हार्दिक आभार भी व्यक्त किया। मैं नीरज के उज्ज्वल भविष्य की कामना करती हूं। (Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra has made the country proud. I spoke to him last evening to congratulate on winning the gold medal in the #Tokyo2020 and also expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of all of us. I wish Neeraj a bright future.)
The video can be seen here.
This proves that Raje’s video is being shared in a false context and does not have anything to do with the recently concluded Rajasthan assembly elections.
Conclusion
The claim that former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was “wooing independent candidates” and congratulating them “in advance” is incorrect.
Result: False
Our Sources:
1. Instagram post of Vasundhara Raje, Dated August 11, 2021
(CORRECTION: This article was updated to include the information that he is a rebel BJP candidate)
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Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
