Fact Check: Viral X post targeting Kejriwal from a parody account, not Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

The post, shared from a parody account of Delhi CM after India's Champions Trophy win against Pakistan, read, 'firecrackers Kejriwal ji kept to celebrate Pakistan's victory went in vain'.

New Delhi, Feb 25 (Kaushiki Goel / Pratyush Ranjan, PTI Fact Check): Following India’s spectacular six-wicket victory over arch-rival Pakistan in the highly anticipated Champions Trophy match—powered by Virat Kohli’s unbeaten century—a purported screenshot of an X post began circulating on social media. The post, allegedly from Delhi’s new CM Rekha Gupta, appeared to contain an objectionable comment about AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal after the India-Pakistan clash.

However, the PTI Fact Check Desk investigation revealed that the viral post originated from a parody account. Despite this, users widely shared it on social media under the false assumption that the X post was real.

Claim

On 24 February, a Facebook user shared a screenshot of a purported X post claiming to be that of Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, who allegedly made an objectionable comment on AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal after yesterday’s India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match.

The purported post, allegedly by Delhi CM, read: “The firecrackers that Kejriwal ji had kept to burst on Pakistan’s victory went in vain”.

Meanwhile, the post with the caption read: “Of course, she became the Chief Minister, but the cheapness of her thinking did not go away.”

Here is the link and archive link to the post, and below is a screenshot.

The Desk ran the viral video through Google Reverse Image and came across a similar post by another user. The link to one of the posts can be found here, and its archived version can be viewed here.

On further scanning the search results, the Desk came across the X handle that initially shared the post. The username of the handle is ‘Rekha Gupta Delhi’. The bio section of the handle mentioned, ‘Not affiliated with anyone’. The desk noticed no BJP leaders or senior ministers followed the handle.

Here is the link to the post, and below is a screenshot.

In the next part of the investigation, the desk searched the official X handle of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The handle’s user name is ‘gupta_rekha’. The Desk noticed that PMO India and other senior officials followed the account. Further scanning the handle, we found no post, as the viral screenshot was being shared on social media.

Here is the link to the official X handle, and below is a screenshot.

Moreover, after India’s victory, the Delhi CM posted on X on 23 February, congratulating the team and wishing for the winning streak to continue.

The post’s caption, originally in Hindi, read: “Glorious victory. The Indian cricket team registered another historic victory by defeating Pakistan in the Champions Trophy with its strong performance. This is not just a match but a victory of the enthusiasm and passion of every Indian. The hard work, teamwork and fighting spirit of the players are commendable. Hearty congratulations to the entire Indian cricket team! May this winning streak continue.”

Here is the link to the post, and below is a screenshot.

At first glance, the user’s profile looks similar to Delhi CM Rekha Gupta’s real profile. However, a closer look at the profile bio reveals that it is a parody account. Below is a combination image highlighting the same.

Subsequently, the Desk concluded that Delhi CM Rekha Gupta did not make any such comment about Kejriwal after the Indian team’s victory. The viral post was shared from a parody account, which users are sharing with false claims, assuming it to be real.

This story was originally published by PTI News as part of the Shakti Collective. Apart from the headline, excerpt and introduction, this story has not been edited by ThePrint staff.