India’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Social gathering swept the polls in Delhi in February 2025, marking its return to energy within the capital after greater than 20 years. However a clip displaying a lady performing martial arts stunts with a sword doesn’t present the newly elected chief minister as social media posts claimed; the video the truth is exhibits actor Payal Jadhav.
“Previous video of RSS activist Rekha Gupta, who’s now the Chief Minister of Delhi. How do you are feeling now, Kejriwal. Run so far as you possibly can,” reads a Hindi-language X put up shared on February 21.
The clip exhibits a saree-clad girl demonstrating what seems to be sword-fighting strikes.
The put up surfaced after BJP lawmaker Rekha Gupta took oath as Delhi’s ninth chief minister on February 20 (archived hyperlink).Â
Screenshot of the false X put up, captured on February 21, 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP received the native legislature election for Delhi held on February 5, ousting Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Social gathering that had been in energy since 2015 (archived hyperlink). Kejriwal, a distinguished critic of Modi, spent a number of months behind bars final 12 months over accusations his social gathering took kickbacks in alternate for liquor licences.Â
The BJP is in authorities nationally however has not managed the native legislature in Delhi since 1998, so its sweeping victory taking greater than two-thirds of seats within the polls was each symbolic and strategically vital.Â
The video was shared alongside related claims on Fb and X.
Sword preventing is a standard Indian martial artwork method (archived hyperlink). Previous girls in India educate the apply to youthful ladies as a type of self-defence (archived hyperlink).
Feedback from customers recommend they took pleasure within the video because it purportedly confirmed the brand new chief minister showcasing her prowess.
“BJP has acquired one other Yogi, at this time Delhi and can rule the nation tomorrow,” one consumer commented, likening the lady to a different firebrand Hindu chief of the BJP.
One other consumer stated, “I believe that in our nation all ladies needs to be given self-defence coaching in colleges. It needs to be made necessary in all colleges. In order that women and girls can defend themselves if wanted.”
However the video exhibits dancer and actor Payal Jadhav, not Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Unrelated video
A reverse picture search on Google discovered the identical video uploaded on the verified Instagram account of Jadhav on February 19, 2025 (archived hyperlink).
“A tribute to the good deeds of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” learn the caption in elements.
Shivaji was an Indian ruler who based the Maratha kingdom in seventeenth century India (archived hyperlink).
Screenshot comparability of the clip shared in false posts (left) and the video uploaded on Jadhav’s Instagram account
In one other put up on Instagram, Jadhav issued a clarification over the video confirming it exhibits her, not the Delhi chief minister (archived hyperlink).
“Not too long ago, it has come to my consideration that this video is being circulated on social media with a point out that it’s of the Honorable Chief Minister, Mrs. Rekha Gupta. This info is inaccurate,” she wrote.
AFP reached out to Jadhav who shared her Instagram assertion confirming the video confirmed her.
