A video showing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Madhavi Latha saying that she is not woman is going viral on social media to mock her.
(Archives of similar claims can be seen here and here.)
What's the truth?: This video is clipped and is being shared out of context.
The original video shows Latha addressing herself as "Shakti", a Hindu goddess and a symbol of power instead of a woman when the interviewer kept mentioning her as a "woman leader".
How did we find out the truth?: We noticed the mic of 'News Nation' in the video and checked their YouTube channel.
This led us to a interview of Latha shared on 3 March 2024 which showed her in the same attired.
At 1:56 timestamp, the reported asks Latha about how no BJP leader has yet visited some areas in the old city part of Hyderabad where huge slug settlements in the city reside.
He continues to ask, "As a woman, how do you plan to deal with that situation?"
To which she replies, "I am not a woman, I am Shakti. You should first clarify that. Don't call me a woman repeatedly. It appears like you consider me weak."
Shakti is referred to a Hindu goddess and a symbol of power.
At 02:07 timestamp, Latha addresses the camera directly and says, "I am not a woman alone, I am Shakti herself who is here, with the strength of her brothers and sisters. I am staying because of their strength."
Conclusion: A video of Madhavi Latha was cropped out to claim that she does not consider herself a woman.
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