A cropped video of actor and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Kangana Ranaut is circulating with a false claim that it shows her accepting her defeat in the Lok Sabha elections as the crowd gathered only to see her and not vote for her.
BOOM found that in the original video, Ranaut was addressing a remark made by Himachal Pradesh Congress president and incumbent MP from Mandi, Pratibha Singh regarding her.
In the viral video, Kangana can be heard saying, "The crowd that gathers to see Kangana will not vote. They just come to see what kind of an object she is... and what beautiful fairy has been brought from Mumbai. They come to see that object only. But I am not an object."
The video is being shared with a Hindi caption that translates to, "Kangana accepted her defeat... The crowd will not vote, they just come to watch... It seems that people of Mandi have made her realise her status!"
(Original Text in Hindi: कंगना ने मानी हार... भीड़ वोट नहीं देगी,सिर्फ देखने आती है... लगता है मंडी वालों ने औकात का एहसास करा दिया है !)
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Fact Check
BOOM ran a Google search using keywords related to the video and found a news report published by Punjab Kesari on May 2, 2024. The headline of the report reads, "Kangana lashes out at Vikramaditya and Pratibha Singh in Karsog, says I am not some beauty fairy from Mumbai."
The report also includes a brief version of the video. The viral segment can be heard from 10 seconds onwards. In the video report, it can be noticed that Kangana was reacting to Pratibha Singh's comment on her.
In the video, Ranaut can be heard saying, "I am very hurt by a comment. Because, the prince... I have seen about him... that he has not treated his wife well. So they don't know how to respect women. His wife says that she was duped in every way. Anyway, it is their matter. But his mother, Pratibha ji, who I consider as my mother... even she said at one place that the crowd that gathers to see Kangana will not vote. They just come to see what kind of an object she is... and what beautiful fairy has been brought from Mumbai. They come to see that object only. But I am not an object. I am a girl. I am also made with the flesh and blood as you sisters are made. I would also play in the streets of Himachal as the girls play here. My sisters don't come to see an object. My sisters come to see their sister (Kangana Ranaut)."
Taking a cue from this, we searched for more media reports. According to the reports of ETV Himachal Pradesh and Dainik Jagran, BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut retorted Pratibha Singh for objectifying her in a public meeting held in Navidhar of Karsog.
On May 1, 2024, Pratibha Singh had said, "The crowd is gathering just to see Kangana Ranaut. People want to see how that beautiful angel looks, what she is. This crowd will not convert into votes."