A screenshot of Union Minister Smriti Irani's Instagram post wishing her stepdaughter Shanelle Irani on her engagement in December 2021, along with other photos of Shanelle and her fiancé, is being shared online with misleading claims.
Several social media users have misidentified the young woman as Zoish Irani, the minister's 18-year old daughter who is embroiled in a controversy over a liquor licence to an upscale restaurant and bar in Goa.
A political row recently broke out between Irani who is the minister for women and child development and the Congress party over the Silly Souls Cafe and Bar in Assagao, Goa, that was allegedly operated by Irani's daughter Zoish. The controversy emerged after it was reported that the owners had renewed the restaurant's liquor licence using the name of a deceased person. However, Irani has denied the allegations and defended her daughter saying that "my 18-year-old daughter is studying…my 18-year-old daughter does not run an illegal bar."
Also Read:The Controversy Over A Goa Bar That Smriti Irani Says Daughter Doesn't Run
The set of photos includes a screenshot of an Instagram post of the Bharatiya Janata Party leader from December 2021 and photos of her stepdaughter Shanelle with her fiancé Arjun Bhalla proposing on his knees.
The posts insinuate that the minister has been lying about Zoish's age.
The caption when translated reads, "Smriti Irani today defended her daughter saying that she is 18 years old and is studying! So on Saturday 25 December 2021 Smriti Irani expresses her happiness by sharing her daughter's engagement photo, which means Smriti Irani is having a child marriage! It's a criminal case in both, child marriage and in running the bar with the license in the name of a dead person! Now Narendra Modi ji has to think whether he will take action against Smriti Irani or not! #copied"
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The same set of photos are being shared on Facebook with the false claim.
Also Read: No, This Photo Does Not Show BJP Leaders Partying In Goa
FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the young woman in the viral photos is Smriti Irani's stepdaughter Shanelle who got engaged in December 2021.
Smriti Irani got married to Zubin Irani in 2000 and they have a son Zohr (20) and daughter Zoish (18). Smriti is also stepmother to Shanelle (33), a daughter from Zubin Irani's previous marriage.
We found the Instagram post being referenced from December 25, 2021. The BJP leader had tagged Shanelle and her fiance Arjun Bhalla in her post congratulating them. The same set of photos can be seen in this original post.
The caption of the post reads, "To the man who now has our heart @arjun_bhalla welcome to our mad cap family .. bless you for you have to deal with a crazy man for a father in law & worse .. me for a Saas … (you have been officially warned) God bless @shanelleirani #newbeginnings "
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Additionally, we also found news reports about the engagement.