FACT CHECK BY LOGICALLY FACTS:
The Verdict [False]
The woman shown in the image with the Gandhi family is a former Congress MLA from Rajasthan, not the constable who allegedly slapped 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 shows Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi alongside a woman who has been mistakenly identified as the CISF constable. Several 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.
The claim is false. Contrary to this claim, the woman depicted in the viral image is not CISF constable Kaur but rather a former Congress Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Rajasthan.
Fact check
A reverse image search of the viral photo confirmed that the woman in question is Divya Mahipal Maderna, a former Congress MLA from Rajasthan. Maderna herself posted the image on her Instagram account (archived here) on February 14, 2024, stating, 'Welcomed Mr. Rahul Gandhi and Mrs. Priyanka Gandhi during their visit.' Following the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, Maderna served as an MLA but lost her seat to the BJP in 2023."
She also shared 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. In her post, she wrote, '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 today in the Rajasthan Assembly. We also welcomed Mr. @RahulGandhi and Mrs. @priyankagandhi during their visit. @INCIndia.'"
As reported by The Hindu, Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan on February 14, 2024, in the presence of Congress leaders Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, alongside others.
Maderna clarified on X (archived here) that the woman in the viral image is herself, not Kaur, and accused the BJP of spreading misinformation. She further explained that the photo was taken on the day Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan.
Furthermore, a comparison of a photograph of Kaur with the woman in the viral image clearly indicates that they are different individuals.
The verdict
The viral image depicts former Congress MLA Divya Mahipal Maderna posing with party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi in Rajasthan on February 14. Maderna was mistakenly identified as CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur, who allegedly slapped MP Kangana Ranaut on June 6.
(Disclaimer: This story was originally published by LOGICALLY FACTS, and republished by India TV as part of the Shakti Collective.)
