Fact Check: Video of Smriti Irani buying from roadside shop is from 2019, not 2024

Hyderabad: After losing the recently held Lok Sabha elections, Smriti Irani vacated her official bungalow at 28 Tughlak Crescent in Lutyens’ Delhi. She was defeated by Congress leader Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi Parliamentary seat with a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes.

The former women and child development minister was dubbed a giant slayer in 2019 after she defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the same seat.

In this context, a video of Smriti Irani purchasing items at a modest roadside shop has been circulating on social media. The accompanying claim suggests that the video shows Irani’s situation after vacating her official bungalow.

Taking a dig at her while making fun of Irani, a user on X shared the video and wrote, “After she vacated bungalow, she went to buy Kurkure worth 2 rupees.” (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading as the video is from 2019.

We conducted a specific keyword search and found the same clip in a video report by UP Tak, published on September 11, 2019.

According to the report, Smriti Irani bought toffees and chips at a local shop in Gauriganj during her two-day visit to her then Parliamentary constituency Amethi. The report also included a statement from the shopkeeper, mentioning that Irani requested not to use plastic bags.

We also came across NDTV and Aaj Tak reports from September 21, 2019. Both reports mentioned that during a two-day visit of Amethi, then Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Textiles, Smriti Irani, had bought toffees and chips at a local shop in Gauriganj.

The Aaj Tak report mentioned while talking to India Today, the shop’s owner Guddu said that Smriti Irani bought toffees and chips worth Rs 35 from his shop. Guddu also said, “When I offered her a plastic bag for the items, she refused to take it and advised against using plastic bags.”

Hence, we conclude that the video is old and does not show her buying items from a roadside shop after vacating the official bungalow due to Lok Sabha defeat.