NEW DELHI – Multiple Facebook and Twitter posts claim that Indian actressand politician Urmila Matondkar changed her name to “Mariyam AkhtarMir” before she married a Kashmiri Muslim businessman in March 2016. Butofficial election documents from April 2019 show that the actress, who iscontesting a parliamentary seat in Mumbai, is still registered as UrmilaMatondkar.
This claim was made in thislinkFacebookpost on March 27, 2019, which has been shared dozens of times.
The post contains a wedding photo of Matondkar and her husband MohsinAkhtar Mir, which was widely published by local media in 2016, including herelinka Bollywood website.
The misleading post’s Telugu-language caption says:
“Love jihad. Urmila Matondkar is a prominent actress who acted in Hindi andTelugu movies. She is also one among many women who are victims of LoveJihad.
“She married a Kashmiri Muslim, Mohsin Akhtar Mir despite him being nineyears younger than her. He is also a member of Indian National Congress.She converted to Islam and changed her name to Mariyam Akhtar Mir beforegetting married.
“She has now joined Indian National Congress. Muslim and Christianreligious fanatics are converting prominent Hindu women to their religion.And this is a planned propaganda being taken up the Muslim and Christianreligious fanatics.”
Below is a screenshot of the post:Screenshot of misleading post
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The claim about Matondkar changing her name before her marriage has beenshared elsewhere on Facebook herelink,and herelinkonTwitter.
On her official Twitter account here link,Matondkar describes herself as an actress and the Congress candidate forMumbai North Constituency in India’s 2019 Elections.
In this linkposted on the Congress Party’s verified Twitter account on March 27, 2019,she was officially welcomed to the party.
Matondkar married Kashmiri businessman Mohsin Akhtar Mir on March 3,2016, according to media reports, for example herelinkinthe Indian Express newspaper, and social media posts, for example herelinkonTwitter by Indian stylist Manish Malhotra.
But according to multiple official election documents from 2019, theactress is not using the name Mariyam Akhtar Mir.
In an April 8, 2019 affidavit, published herelinkonthe website of the Election Commission of India, her name is listed as“Urmila Shrikant Matondkar”.
