Old Video of Sanjay Nirupam Criticising Congress Linked to Maharashtra Elections

The video is old and was recorded when Nirupam was no longer a member of the Congress party.

Fact-Check | The video is old and is being falsely linked to Maharashtra assembly elections.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A video of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam is going viral on the internet with users linking it to the recently concluded 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections.

What does the post say?: The clip has been posted with a caption that said, "Listen to Maharashtra Congress veteran Sanjay Nirupam."

• In the video, Nirupam could be heard urging the public to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies and not to "waste" their votes on the Congress party.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

(Archives of similar claims can be viewed here, here, and here.)

What is the truth?: The video could be traced back to April of this year, when Nirupam had asked people to vote for the BJP amid the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

• It should be noted that the leader was no longer a member of the Congress party at the time of making such statements.

How did we find that out?: A keyword search on X directed us to a longer version of the video posted on the official handle of Asian News International (ANI).

• It was published on 19 April and its caption identified Nirupam as a former Congress leader.

News report: A report published in Hindustan Times said that former leader Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam requested people not to "waste" their vote by voting for the Congress. His statements came amid the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

• It said that Nirupam was expelled by the Congress earlier in April for making "anti-party" statements.

• However, the leader had claimed that he had already "resigned".

Conclusion: It is clear that an old video of Nirupam is being falsely linked to the recently concluded Maharashtra elections.

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