Old video shared as Nupur Sharma 'campaigning for BJP' ahead of 2025 Delhi polls
The Verdict Misleading
The clip, from January 2024, shows Nupur Sharma at a 'Jan Jagran Yatra' in Delhi, held ahead of the Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
What’s the claim?
On January 7, 2025, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the Delhi Assembly elections, with polling set for February 5 and results to be declared on February 8. Amid this, a video of suspended BJP leader and former national spokesperson Nupur Sharma has been circulating on social media, with claims that it shows her campaigning for the party.
The video shows Sharma walking through a crowd, wearing a saffron scarf and holding a saffron flag. Security personnel and others can be seen clearing a path for her.
A user on X shared the video with a caption in Hindi that roughly translates to: "Hindu lioness Nupur Sharma has entered the Delhi Assembly elections. Nupur Sharma is the BJP’s future Chief Minister candidate." The post has garnered over 29,000 views, approximately 800 likes, and 200 reposts. Archived versions of similar posts are available here, here, and here.
What’s the claim?
On January 7, 2025, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the Delhi Assembly elections, with polling set for February 5 and results to be declared on February 8. Amid this, a video of suspended BJP leader and former national spokesperson Nupur Sharma has been circulating on social media, with claims that it shows her campaigning for the party.
The video shows Sharma walking through a crowd, wearing a saffron scarf and holding a saffron flag. Security personnel and others can be seen clearing a path for her.
A user on X shared the video with a caption in Hindi that roughly translates to: "Hindu lioness Nupur Sharma has entered the Delhi Assembly elections. Nupur Sharma is the BJP’s future Chief Minister candidate." The post has garnered over 29,000 views, approximately 800 likes, and 200 reposts. Archived versions of similar posts are available here, here, and here.
Screenshot of claims made online. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)
However, we found that the video is from last year and is unrelated to the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections.
What did we find?
A reverse image search revealed that the video dates back to January 2024.
The same footage was shared by Aaj Tak on its official YouTube channel (archived here) on January 17, 2024. The report explained that Sharma, who was suspended from the BJP following her controversial remarks about Prophet Muhammad, participated in a procession organized by a Hindu group in Delhi. This event took place days before the Prana Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on January 22, 2024.
What did we find?
A reverse image search revealed that the video dates back to January 2024.
The same footage was shared by Aaj Tak on its official YouTube channel (archived here) on January 17, 2024. The report explained that Sharma, who was suspended from the BJP following her controversial remarks about Prophet Muhammad, participated in a procession organized by a Hindu group in Delhi. This event took place days before the Prana Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on January 22, 2024.
Similarly, ABP News shared the video on its YouTube channel (archived here) on January 14, 2024, reporting that Jan Jagran Yatras (awareness rallies) were being held across the country to mark the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. One such rally took place in Delhi, where Sharma was seen participating.
This video was also referenced in reports by Navbharat Times, Live Hindustan, and Aaj Tak, all dated January 2024.
This evidence confirms that the video is old and unrelated to the Delhi Assembly elections.
Additionally, we reviewed media reports for any evidence of Sharma campaigning for the BJP in the Delhi elections but found no credible sources supporting the claim. While social media has fueled speculation that Sharma might contest the elections, the BJP has made no such official announcement.
Praveen Shankar Kapoor, media head and spokesperson for BJP Delhi, confirmed to Logically Facts that Sharma is not currently a member of the BJP.
Sharma was expelled from BJP in June 2022
Sharma sparked widespread controversy in May 2022 with objectionable comments about Prophet Muhammad during a televised debate. Her remarks triggered nationwide protests and backlash from several Muslim-majority countries. In response, the BJP suspended her on June 5, 2022.
The verdict
An old video of former BJP leader Nupur Sharma from January 2024 is being falsely linked to the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections.
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Rupee falls to record low of 86.04 against US dollar, settles 18 paise lower
Mumbai, Jan 10: The rupee declined 18 paise to breach the 86-mark against the US dollar for the first time on Friday as it failed to resist pressure from a stronger American currency and huge outflow of foreign funds.
The local unit settled at 86.04 against the US currency.
Surging crude oil prices overseas and negative sentiment in domestic equity markets also weighed down on the Indian currency, forex traders said.
Also, dollar strengthened on increased demand amid the anticipation of restrictive trade measures by the new US administration after Donald Trump takes over as president on January 20.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 85.88, hit the intra-day peak of 85.85 before breaching the 86-mark to settle at the lowest-ever level of 86.04 against the greenback, 18 paise lower from its previous close.
On Thursday, the rupee gained 5 paise to settle at 85.86 against the US dollar, recovering from the steep decline of 17 paise in the preceding session.
Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst at Mirae Asset Sharekhan, said the rupee hit another record low as domestic markets continued to slide and FIIs outflows sustained. A strong US dollar and surge in crude oil prices also pressured the rupee.
"Weak tone in the domestic markets, a strong greenback and persistent FII outflows may continue to put downside pressure on the rupee. Rising crude oil prices, as well as surge in the US treasury yields may further weigh on the domestic unit.
"However, any RBI intervention may support rupee at lower levels. Traders may take cues from the non-farm payrolls report and consumer sentiment data from the US. USD-INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of Rs 85.80 to Rs 86.15," he said.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.01 per cent higher at 109.01. The 10-year US bond yields also rose to its April 2024 level at 4.69 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, surged 1.96 per cent to USD 78.43 per barrel in futures trade.
In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined 241.30 points, or 0.31 per cent, to settle at 77,378.91 points, while the Nifty dropped 95.00 points, or 0.40 per cent, to 23,431.50 points. The indices have been on the downward track for the past three sessions.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded Rs 2,254.68 crore in the capital markets on a net basis on Friday, according to exchange data.
The latest government data released on Friday showed the country's industrial production (IIP) growth accelerated to a six-month high of 5.2 per cent year-on-year in November 2024, riding on the increased festive demand and pick up in manufacturing sector.
