A viral video of a woman praising Lord Krishna and Bhagavad Gita on the occasion of Janmashtami is being shared with the false claim that the woman is New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
We found that the woman in the video is US Representative Tulsi Gabbard who had released the video on 11 August.
You can view the archived version here.
CLAIM
The woman can be heard saying, “...My shelter then and now has been the Bhagavad Gita which means ‘Song of God’. The Bhagavad Gita spoken by Sri Krishna is full of transcendental wisdom that is as relevant today as it was 5,000 years ago when it was spoken.”
Social media users have stated how the New Zealand PM is talking about the importance of Bhagavad Gita.
Several Facebook and Twitter users have shared the video with the same narrative.
You can view the archived version here.
The Quint received a query on the claim made in the video on its WhatsApp helpline.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
While the video in question has not been tampered in anyway, the woman seen in the video is not New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, but US Representative Tulsi Gabbard.
Gabbard had shared the video on her official social media handles on 11 August on the occasion of Janmashtami.
She tweeted: “To all celebrating around the world, I want to wish you a very Happy Janmashtami! May we always be blessed with remembrance of Sri Krishna, His unconditional love, and His transcendental appearance in this world. Jai Sri Krishna!”
Tulsi Gabbard is an American politician of the Democratic Party serving as the US Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district since 2013. Gabbard, who represents a constituency in Hawaii, is not of Indian descent and neither of her parents are Hindu, but she practises Hinduism.
A comparison of facial features of the New Zealand PM and US Representative made it clear that the woman in the video is not Jacinda Ardern in anyway.
The New Zealand PM recently paid a short visit to Radha Krishna Temple in Auckland on 6 August.
Evidently, a video released by Tulsi Gabbard is being falsely attributed to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
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