Shocking Truth: Did Delhi CM Rekha Gupta buy a ₹50L car?

In the recently concluded elections in Delhi, Rekha Gupta took oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi. She is a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency.

Claim

A claim is going viral on social media that newly elected Delhi CM Rekha Gupta has spent 50 lakh rupees on a luxury car.

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User has presented a comparative of between Arvind Kejriwal and Rekha Gupta on how expensive cars these two leaders use. With Kejriwal being, claimed by the user, using a less expensive car than Rekha Gupta.

Fact Check

To check the veracity of the claim, DFRAC did a reverse image search of the keyframes from the video. It led us to pictures featuring the said car – MG Gloster.

After this, we did a keyword search – car used by Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi. This led us to many news reports which revealed about the cars owned or used by the then CM of Delhi. A report by National Herald, from July 2022, quoted a RTI reply which revealed that the Delhi government had spent Rs 1.44 crore since 2014 on cars for the then CM Kejriwal.

A news article from National Herald reveals that the Delhi government has spent ₹1.44 crore since 2014 on cars for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, as per an RTI reply. The report highlights Kejriwal's transition from a modest blue Wagon R in his early political days to luxury vehicles like the ₹36 lakh MG Gloster. The article also notes expenses on vehicles for Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. The featured images compare Kejriwal’s earlier Wagon R with his recent luxury car, sparking discussions on political spending and accountability.

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In this report, it is said that in April 2022, an MG Gloster worth Rs 36 lakhs was bought for the then CM among other high-costing cars.

A tweet from ANI dated July 29, 2022, shows Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal arriving at the residence of Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena for a weekly meeting. The video captures Kejriwal's official vehicle, a black SUV with the license plate 'DL 1 CM 0001,' entering the premises. The ANI watermark is visible on the video, and security personnel and staff are seen near the entrance. This tweet highlights the Delhi Chief Minister's routine meetings with the Lieutenant Governor, which are part of government proceedings in the national capital.

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On a news agency’s social media page, a video features this said car – MG Gloster. The then CM Kejriwal can be seen seated in the car. This video is from 29 July 2022.

After closely observing, the claimant’s video, we noticed that Delhi CM Rekha Gupta’s car features the same car number which Kejriwal used when he was the CM – DL11 CM 0001. Furthermore, we can also see a sticker saying: ‘Govt of Delhi’. So, this makes it clear that this vehicle is not a private property of the newly elected CM Rekha Gupta, but a Delhi government provided vehicle for the Chief Minister of Delhi which was bought in April 2022 and is also used bythe previous chief minister alike.

Conclusion

The fact check by DFRAC reveals the claim by users on social media is false. The vehicle used by the newly elected Delhi CM Rekha Gupta is a Delhi government property, which is used for transportation of Delhi’s chief minister, and is not a private property that was bought just after becoming CM of Delhi, as claimed on social media.