An online video allegedly featuring Nikita Singh, identified as a sub-divisional magistrate in Chhattisgarh, shows her visiting a mosque and engaging with members of the Muslim community. The footage begins with her exiting a car and conversing with individuals engaged in namaz. Shared on various social media platforms with Hindi captions, the video is purportedly a gesture of unity amidst divisive sentiments, suggesting that Nikita Singh facilitated land for a mosque and participated in prayers there.
The Facebook post reads: “Is nafrat bhare mahaul mein ek Mohabbat bhara paigam Chhattisgarh ki SDM Nikita Singh ka #trendingreels #highlight #followers #trending #Mewati @highl… See more
zzamil Hassan Be Khud Kiye D.”
The above post can be seen here. (Archive)
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the above video, and found it to be false.
Running the video through Reverse Image Search, the NM team found a Facebook post carrying the same video posted on April 6, 2024.
The Facebook account holder has also shared the viral video on her Instagram account with a Telugu caption translating to “We stand by Muslims and minorities.” It confirms that the woman featured in the video is not a government official from Chhattisgarh, but a minister in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Vidadala Rajini. Rajini currently serves as the Minister of Health, Family Welfare, and Medical Education in Andhra Pradesh, representing the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). She has been nominated as the party’s candidate for the Guntur West constituency in the upcoming state elections.
Based on the hashtags “#ManathoManaRajinamma #YSRCongressPartyGunturWest #iftar”, we traced a video report by the Telugu news outlet 4th TV News on YouTube, dated April 9, featuring the viral clip, with a title: “Vidadala Rajini Attends Iftar Party.” Approximately at the 0:54 mark, it displays the visuals corresponding to the widely circulated video. According to the aforementioned reports, Rajini was actively campaigning for the upcoming assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, which are set to take place on May 13 in 2024 LS elections.
No news reports or official documents have surfaced mentioning a person named Nikita Singh serving as a sub-divisional magistrate or holding a prominent bureaucratic position in Chhattisgarh. Furthermore, no indication was found on the state’s official website suggesting the presence of a high-ranking official by that name.
Hence, we can say that the video featuring Andhra Pradesh Minister Vidadala Rajini campaigning for the forthcoming state elections establishes that the woman in the video is not a Chhattisgarh government official and shared with false claims.
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