A collage of two images of people interacting with Rahul Gandhi went viral on social media. In one image, Rahul Gandhi can be seen sitting with porters while the other shows him sitting with students from Delhi University. In both images, a person has been encircled with a red colour. Sharing the collage, social media users are claiming that the same person was sitting with Rahul Gandhi as a porter and a student on two occasions.
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However, as we investigated, we came to know that the claim was false. They are two different people. Here’s the fact check.
Fact Check
We started our investigation by conducting a reverse image search of the image where Rahul Gandhi was seen sitting with the porters. This led us to a report published in The Business Standard on 5 March 2025. The report contained an image similar to the viral image. According to the report, Rahul Gandhi met the porters (coolies) who helped during the Delhi stampede at New Delhi Railway Station.
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We found a video on the official X handle of Rahul Gandhi on 5 March 2025.
The video shows Rahul Gandhi interacting with the porters at the New Delhi Railway Station. In this video, we could spot the porter in the viral image.
We found some images posted on the official X handle of Rahul Gandhi on 1 March 2025. The porter in the viral image can be seen in these images as well.
Moving forward, conducting a reverse image search of the other image, we found a video uploaded on the official YouTube channel of Rahul Gandhi on 27 May 2025. According to the description, Rahul Gandhi met the Student leaders of Delhi University in May 2025.
In the video, we could spot the person in the viral image sitting with Rahul Gandhi.
The same person can be seen on the Instagram handle “du_india” on 27 May 2025.
Similar images were uploaded on the official X handle of the Indian Youth Congress on 27 May 2025.
Further investigation led us to the X handle of Lokesh Chaudhary, Joint Secretary, Delhi University Students Union (DUSU). We came to know that the student sitting with Rahul Gandhi was Lokesh Chaudhary. Sharing the viral image, he refuted the claim.
A comparison between the porter and the student in the viral collage can be seen below.
For more information, we contacted Lokesh Chaudhary, Joint Secretary, DUSU, who refuted the claim saying, “I even don’t know the porter in the viral image. Bjp and RSS are targeting me because I am working for the backward classes in the University and Rahul Gandhiji’s ‘Samajik Nyay’ movement”
This makes it clear that the two images show two different people.
Conclusion
From our investigation, we can say that the claim is false. The porter and the student sitting with Rahul Gandhi are two different people. The first image shows Rahul Gandhi interacting with the porters who helped during the Delhi stampede at New Delhi Railway Station while the other image shows Rahul Gandhi interacting with the student leaders of Delhi University.
Title:The Porter And The Student Sitting With Rahul Gandhi Are Two Different People.
Written By: Debanjana baishyaResult: False
