Rahul Gandhi: Brazilian Model Refutes Rahul Gandhi's Claim: 'What Madness, I've Never Been to India'

A significant controversy has erupted following Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's press conference on Wednesday, where he displayed a photograph of a Brazilian model to support his claims of voter fraud. The model in question has now come forward, releasing a video. To vehemently deny Gandhi's assertions and express her shock at the situation. The video, widely shared across social media platforms, particularly X, identifies the woman as Larissa, adding a new dimension to the ongoing political discourse in India.

Larissa's Video Statement

In the video, Larissa, speaking in Portuguese, conveyed her utter disbelief and frustration regarding the use of her image. She began by exclaiming, 'Friends, let me tell you a joke. This is truly horrible! ' Her tone reflected a profound sense of bewilderment as she continued, 'My picture is being used in India for voting. They're fighting among themselves, claiming I am Indian. Look, what madness this is! I've absolutely no connection with Indian politics. ' Larissa further clarified the origins of the controversial photograph, stating that it was. Taken during her early modeling days when she was approximately 18 to 20 years old. She emphasized that the image was acquired from a stock image platform and subsequently used without her explicit permission. Larissa also revealed that she has never visited India and is no longer actively involved in modeling. She expressed her concern that her image was being used to 'deceive people' by falsely identifying her as an Indian voter, repeatedly questioning, 'What madness is this! What world are we living in, while ' According to the claims, Larissa mentioned in the video that a reporter had contacted her on Instagram for an interview. However, Zoom News has not independently verified Larissa's video or located her social media profile.

Rahul Gandhi's Allegations of Voter Fraud

During his press conference at the Congress office on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi leveled serious allegations of 'vote theft' in the 2024 Haryana assembly elections. He claimed that a staggering 25 lakh votes were stolen, while to substantiate his accusations, Gandhi presented the photograph of the Brazilian model, questioning the presence of a Brazilian girl in Haryana's voter list. Through a detailed presentation, he alleged that this Brazilian model had cast 22 votes across 10 booths in Haryana, using names such as Seema, Sweety, and Saraswati, while On top of that, he claimed that another woman had voted 100 times in a single assembly constituency. According to Rahul Gandhi, these incidents collectively amounted to the theft of 25 lakh votes, posing a grave threat to democratic principles.

The Origin of the Controversial Image

While Rahul Gandhi didn't disclose the name of the Brazilian model during his press conference, her photograph was originally uploaded by photographer Matthieu Ferrero on the free stock image platform Unsplash. com. Gandhi reportedly sourced the image from this platform. The model's picture was first published on March 2, 2017, and under the Unsplash license, it has been viewed over 5. 9 crore times and downloaded more than 4 lakh times, while this widespread availability of the image highlights the ease with which such content can be accessed and utilized. However, Larissa's statement underscores the critical issue of unauthorized use, particularly when it involves political allegations.

'Operation Sarkar Chori' Allegations in Bihar

Extending his allegations beyond Haryana, Rahul Gandhi claimed that a similar 'Operation Sarkar Chori' (Operation Government Theft) was underway in Bihar. He brought five voters from Bihar onto the stage, all of whom stated that their names had been removed from the voter list, while the Congress MP highlighted that 3. 5 lakh voters' names had been cut from the list in Haryana, suggesting a recurring pattern in Bihar. He accused that voter lists are provided just before elections, with the intention of undermining democracy and manipulating the electoral process. These allegations raise serious questions about the transparency and fairness of the Indian electoral system.