By Anmol Alphonso
A video of Mumbai Police officials searching a cardboard box containing a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) poll campaigning kit, including Modi masks, BJP flags, and a rectangular box of perfume, is viral on social media with a false claim that gold biscuits were found with a BJP leader to lure voters.
BOOM found that the object is indeed a perfume spray. Ajay Badgujar, BJP's District Vice President from north central Mumbai, confirmed in an interview with NDTV that the object was a perfume box. He also stated that the voice in the viral video is his own, and he had sarcastically shouted that it is a gold biscuit as he was frustrated with the cops.
Phase 5 voting for the Lok Sabha election in Mumbai is scheduled to take place on May 20. In the video police officers are seen searching through the kit and looking at a rectangular object, after which one can hear someone shout it is 'gold biscuit' in Marathi.
The 1.30 minutes video is being shared on X with the caption, "#Big Breaking Watch the state of affairs in the BJP Mumbai Maharashtra. Bags containing BJP poster, a banner & one GOLD biscuit inside every bag at GHATKOPAR, Mumbai. Is this the plan of Modi and Amit Shah to win 400 seats? #LokSabhaElections2024"
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the object in the viral video is not a gold biscuit as is being claimed on social media but is actually a rectangular-shaped perfume spray plastic bottle.
Ajay Badgujar, BJP's District Vice President from North Central Mumbai, whose voice can be heard in the viral video, in an interview with NDTV confirmed that he himself referred to the perfume bottle as a gold biscuit out of frustration at the police officers. Badgujar further confirmed that it was a plastic perfume box that can be seen in the video.
During the interview, he holds the perfume bottle in hand and says, "This is the 'gold biscuit' that you saw. This is not a biscuit but a plastic perfume bottle." This can be seen below:
Badgujar further adds why he called the object a gold biscuit in the viral video saying, "I called it so. It was late in the night, the squad was not listening to us. We were called to the police station and made to sit for 3-4 hours. We were angry and when we were asked what is this, I said, 'See it for yourself. It is gold biscuit'. When we said it is nothing, they did not understand. Then what will someone say."
The complete NDTV interview with Badgujar can be seen below:
Additionally, this reporter has seen the same rectangular perfume box being distributed during previous elections part of BJP's election kit, which also includes other merchandise such as a notebook, scarf, a Modi mask and a cap.
