Fact Check: Rahul Gandhi Did Not 'Pose' With CISF Constable Who 'Slapped' Kangana Ranaut
The viral image features Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi alongside a woman who has been mistakenly identified as the CISF constable.
The Verdict [False]
The woman in the image with Gandhi is a former Congress MLA from Rajasthan, not the constable who allegedly slapped actor-politician Kangana Ranaut.
What is the claim?
An image circulating online falsely claims that Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable Kulwinder Kaur was photographed posing with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. This claim surfaced on social media shortly after Kaur allegedly slapped newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament and actor Kangana Ranaut on June 6, leading to her subsequent suspension from the CISF.
The viral image features Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi alongside a woman who has been mistakenly identified as the CISF constable. Many users across different social media platforms have shared this image, perpetuating the incorrect claim. One Facebook user commented, "The truth about Kulwinder Kaur has surfaced. Kangana Ranaut was right; these people are not worth even Rs 100." Archived versions of similar posts can be accessed here, here, and here.
However, this claim is false. The woman in the viral image is actually a former Congress Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Rajasthan, not CISF constable Kaur.
How did we find the truth?
A reverse image search of the viral photo revealed that the woman pictured is Divya Mahipal Maderna, a former Congress MLA from Rajasthan. Maderna herself shared the image on her Instagram account (archived here) on February 14, 2024, stating, "Welcomed Mr. Rahul Gandhi and Mrs. Priyanka Gandhi who visited." Maderna served as an MLA following the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections but lost her seat to the BJP in 2023.
She also posted the viral image, along with two additional photos of her meeting with the Congress leaders, on her X (formerly Twitter) account (archived here) on February 14, 2024. She wrote, "Today, in the Rajasthan Assembly, heartfelt congratulations to the esteemed Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, who resigned from the Prime Minister's post, on filing her nomination as the Congress Party's Rajya Sabha candidate from Rajasthan. Mr. @RahulGandhi and Mrs. @priyankagandhi who visited were also welcomed. @INCIndia."
आज राजस्थान विधानसभा में प्रधानमंत्री पद का त्याग करने वाली परम आदरणीय श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी जी को राजस्थान से कांग्रेस पार्टी का राज्यसभा उम्मीदवार के नामांकन पत्र दाखिल करने पर हार्दिक अभिनंदन।
— Divya Mahipal Maderna (@DivyaMaderna) February 14, 2024
साथ में पधारे श्री @RahulGandhi जी एवं श्रीमती @priyankagandhi जी का भी स्वागत किया ।… pic.twitter.com/wA3UwNSixu
According to a report by The Hindu, Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan on February 14, 2024, accompanied by Congress leaders Priyanka and Rahul, among others.
Maderna clarified on X (archived here) that the woman in the viral image is indeed her, not Kaur, and accused the BJP of spreading misinformation. She explained that the photo was taken on the day Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan.
Additionally, comparing a photograph of Kaur with the woman in the viral image clearly shows that they are different individuals.
The verdict
The viral image shows former Congress MLA Divya Mahipal Maderna posing with party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi on February 14 in Rajasthan. Maderna was misidentified as CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur, who allegedly slapped MP Kangana Ranaut on June 6.
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