An old video of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman taking the Delhi metro is circulating with a misleading claim that it shows her commuting to office by metro every day, despite her position as a cabinet minister in India.
BOOM found that Sitharaman took the metro while campaigning in the East Delhi constituency prior to this year's Lok Sabha elections. We were also unable to find any credible report stating that the finance minister takes the transport on a daily basis to reach her office in New Delhi.
The 27-second video shows Sitharaman standing inside a metro with her security personnel. Later in the video, a fellow passenger can be seen tapping Sitharaman on the shoulder, to which the finance minister responds with a smile.
The video is being shared with the caption, "She is the current Finance Minister of $ 4 trillion economy, 5 trillion stock markt cap, 700 billion forex reserves. She is Indian Finance Minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitaraman, who travels to office by Metro Train every day. Last year, India achieved highest GDP growth of 8%".
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
BOOM also received the same claim on its WhatsApp tipline number (7700906588) with a request for verification.
Fact Check
BOOM ran a related keyword search to find out details about the video and came across a post from May 17, 2024, by the verified X handle of Nirmala Sitharaman's office.
The post featured several photographs and the viral video of Sitharaman with fellow passengers in the metro.
Nirmala Sitharaman's office shared the visuals, noting that the cabinet minister took a ride in the Delhi Metro to reach the Laxmi Nagar area. They also mentioned that Sitharaman interacted with the passengers during her journey.
Click here to view the post.
Several news outlets also reported on Sitharaman taking a metro in Delhi at that time.
A report published by The Times of India on May 17, 2024, states, "Sitharaman boarded the metro from Mandi House to reach the venue to campaign for East Delhi BJP candidate Harsh Malhotra. On the way, she interacted with fellow commuters, BJP functionaries said." The report further added that the finance minister visited a nearby coaching center, where she answered questions primarily from students about employment opportunities, the state of the economy, and the increasing role of the chartered accountant community in India.
We then ran a relevant keyword search and found that Harsh Malhotra, currently serving as the Minister of State for Corporate Affairs, posted from his verified X handle on May 17, 2024, announcing a student meetup at Laxmi Nagar metro station. The post mentioned Sitharaman's attendance at the metro station to support Malhotra's campaign for the recently held Lok Sabha elections this year.
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
Below is a picture of Sitharaman meeting Malhotra at Delhi's Laxmi Nagar metro station for the event which took place on May 17, 2024.
On the other hand, we could not find credible reports stating that Sitharaman takes the metro daily to her office, even though she is the union finance minister.