Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar has demanded a police investigation into a viral video that purportedly shows a man offering Rs 25,000 to a young woman in exchange for attending Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's event in Pune on August 22 and posting favourable videos about it on social media.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also shared the video on X, alleging that the Congress was manufacturing crowds through PR agencies since it lacked "genuine public support," and claimed the party could not win over India's youth despite such efforts.
Congress paying 25000 ₹ to GenZ influencers for attending Rahul Gandhi's event in Pune!
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)???????? (@pradip103) August 21, 2026
Rahul Gandhi and Congress do not have any genuine public support!
They can manufacture support through PR agencies and paid crowds; but they cannot win hearts of India'a Youth!
Youth are… pic.twitter.com/d4qUHc2RVt
In the widely circulated clip, a purported caller identifying himself as "Shantnu" is heard telling the woman, "You said Rs 25,000, plus travel cost, so let's make it all-inclusive at 25, and then you can go."
He goes on to detail her assignment: "You have to highlight the event. Make two or three videos of Rahul Gandhi, record part of his speech and part of the crowd, and also make an opinion video, talking to some people, especially the girl students who have been invited, about how they're feeling about the event and about Rahul Gandhi."
He adds that payment would be made a day or two after the event via UPI, and that a contact named "Pritish" would provide her the event pass and further instructions, with all videos to be posted from her own account by the morning after the event.
Reacting to the video, Shelar said its intent was unambiguous.
"The video is absolutely clear. The person in it is saying the event is on the 22nd, so make the videos then, especially of the girl students," he said, questioning why the Congress needed to pay people to gather a crowd.
"Why do you need to pay to assemble a crowd? Why do you need rented supporters?" he asked, adding that the episode exposed the Congress's "fraud" and that people who cannot attract genuine support are forced to rely on such "fake supporters."
Shelar demanded that Maharashtra Police investigate the matter with due seriousness, asking who was distributing the money and where it was coming from.
"Is this money coming from the Congress's Tilak Bhavan headquarters, or from abroad?" he said, calling for a thorough probe into whoever was funding such payments and adding that those behind it had "no faith left in the country's democratic system."
The authenticity of the video and the identities of the individuals on the call could not be independently verified.
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