Several Facebook and Twitter users have shared a TikTok clip of a man dancing. There are multiple versions of the viral clip with different songs. As per the claim, the man dancing in the video is Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. The politician had used an abusive word against actor Kangana Ranaut when she compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Raut later said that the matter is “over for him” and the actor is welcome to live in Mumbai.

On September 5, Twitter user @Beingrealbeing posted the clip and wrote, “Sanjay Raut is all set to welcome Kangana Ranaut on Mumbai Airport. #Shame_On_MahaGovt”. This tweet gained over 200 retweets and 12,000 views. (archived link)

Facebook user Jassi Negi posted the viral video without mentioning the man’s name on September 10. Since then it has been shared over 10,000 times. (archived link)

Fact-check

Alt News performed a keyword search on YouTube and found that the regional news channel Saam Marathi TV had debunked the same claim in December 2019.

As per their report, the man in the video is Parbhani-based cop Lakshman Bhadarge. At the 2:00 mark, Bhadarge said, “My friend’s son was getting married at Shirur. I had gone to a wedding, A lot of old friends had gathered there. Everyone insisted that this wedding is like one of our family’s and we should enjoy and dance. Due to everyone’s insistence, I danced for 5 minutes. When the marriage was over, I came back (to Parbhani). Two days later I got a visit from a journalist, a lot of people called and I realized that my video had gone viral. I was tired of receiving so many calls.”

News websites Sarkarnama, Policenama, and Sakal has also carried reports on the video when it had gone viral in December 2019

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Thus, the viral video is shared with the false claim that it shows Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut dancing. The man in the video is Parbhani-based cop Lakshman Bhadarge who was dancing at a wedding.

Donate to Alt News!
Independent journalism that speaks truth to power and is free of corporate and political control is possible only when people start contributing towards the same. Please consider donating towards this endeavour to fight fake news and misinformation.

Donate Now

About the Author

ЁЯЩП Blessed to have worked as a fact-checking journalist from November 2019 to February 2023.