A video is going viral on social media claiming that Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan participated in the Congress party's election campaign rally. The video shows a Shah Rukh Khan lookalike standing with Congress workers in an open vehicle with posters of Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders. The video was also shared by Congress's Odisha handle.
Fact Check: We first checked whether Shah Rukh Khan attended the Congress rally, as claimed in viral reports. Although no such reports were received, stories emerged claiming that Ibrahim Qadri, who resembles Shah Rukh Khan, attended the Congress rally.
Ibrahim Qadri attended Congress candidate Praniti Shinde's Road show in Solapur, Maharashtra. Shinde is contesting against Bharatiya Janata Party's Ram Satpute. The road show was organized by Mahavikas Aghadi, an alliance in Maharashtra that includes the Congress. Many media outlets have reported about this.
Ibrahim Qadiri is already noted for his striking resemblance to Shah Rukh Khan. His Instagram and YouTube channels have millions of followers. Qadiri shared a video of him participating in a Congress rally in Maharashtra on Instagram.
The BJP has criticised the Congress for bringing Ibrahim Qadiri, a Shah Rukh Khan lookalike, to the Congress election rally. Shehzad Poonawala, BJP spokesperson, claimed on X that the Congress is deceiving people. The Hindustan Times has published an article on this subject.
Ibrahim Qadiri, who was born and brought up in Gujarat, lived by doing graffiti in his own country until 2017. With the advent of social media, Qadiri's life changed. As others recognized Shah Rukh Khan's resemblance, Ibrahim Qadiri started appearing in the same look as Shah Rukh Khan, including his hair style. Read the report published by The Statesman about Qadiri .
Conclusion: Fact Crescendo found that the claim made along with the viral video to be Misleading. The viral video shows Ibrahim Qadri renowned for his striking resemblance to Shahrukh Khan participating in the Congress election rally, not Shah Rukh Khan.
(This story was originally published by Fact Crescendo, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective.)