A clip of a woman showcasing good sword-fighting moves has gone viral on social media, with allegations that she is the just-sworn-in Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. But a fact-check has found that the woman in the clip is actress Payal Jadhav and not the BJP politician.
Deceptive social media claims
The viral video was shared widely on X (formerly Twitter), with users claiming that it showed an old clip of Rekha Gupta, who was elected as the MLA from Shalimar Bagh and sworn in as Delhi's first woman Chief Minister on February 20. One post read:
“Old video of RSS worker and ABVP leader Rekha Guptaji, now Delhi CM. Many congratulations to @gupta_rekha ji.”
Fact Check: Actress Payal Jadhav in the video
The viral video was traced by a fact-check inquiry to an Instagram post made by actress Payal Jadhav on February 19. Jadhav was paying tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the post, and she had given credit to Savyasachi Gurukulam, a martial arts training school based in Maharashtra, for her skills in sword fighting.
Jadhav, who debuted in Marathi cinema in 2023 with Baaplyok, has also featured in the TV show "Manvat Murders" and played a small role in the movie "Three of Us". She is a master in Bharatanatyam from Lalit Kala Kendra, Pune University.
A previous January 5, 2023, Instagram post by Jadhav identified her wearing a similar dress that she wore in the viral video, further asserting that allegations associating the video with Delhi CM Rekha Gupta are not true.
Conclusion
The viral video is not of Delhi CM Rekha Gupta but rather of actress Payal Jadhav's sword-fighting skills. The false claim has gone viral on social media, bringing to the fore the dissemination of misinformation. Users are requested to check facts before posting such content online.
