LUCKNOW — A video involving Lambhua BJP MLA Sitaram Verma has gone viral, sparking controversy after a man who posed in a wheelchair at a public event was later seen standing up and walking away.
The viral video shows a man, seemingly healthy, being seated in a foldable wheelchair while photos and videos are taken in the MLA’s presence. Shortly after the photo-op, the wheelchair is passed on to someone else. The video spread quickly on social media, sparking questions over whether the event was staged.
Amid the online backlash, MLA Sitaram Verma released a video clarification, stating that the wheelchair was meant for a differently abled beneficiary who was unable to attend the programme due to illness and was therefore handed over to the beneficiary’s father, as reported by Aaj Tak.
However, reports said the clarification failed to explain why a person who appeared healthy was made to sit in the wheelchair during the photo and video coverage.
सुल्तानपुर में बीजेपी विधायक सीताराम ने दिव्यांग को फोल्डिंग व्हील चेयर प्रदान की. व्हील चेयर पर बैठते ही लाभार्थी ठीक होकर चमत्कारिक रूप से दोनों पैरों पर खड़ा हो गया.. pic.twitter.com/EnJ9Ab3VIy
— Dinesh shukla (Journalist) 🇮🇳 (@Dinehshukla) December 21, 2025
The incident is reported to have taken place at the Lambhua Block premises on Saturday during a programme to distribute assistive devices to persons with disabilities. As per sources the MLA reached the venue after most of the devices had already been handed out. Toward the end of the event, a man was allegedly seated in a wheelchair in the MLA’s presence for documentation, triggering the subsequent controversy.
According to the MLA, the wheelchair was meant for Sandeep Kumar, a differently-abled resident of Bankepur village, who was unable to attend the program due to illness. As a result, the wheelchair was handed over to his father, Ramdhani, and photographs and videos were taken at the venue.
Taking cognisance of the viral video, the district administration also issued a clarification through the Information Department’s official WhatsApp group. District Backward Classes Welfare Officer Mudit Srivastava stated that the wheelchair shown in the video had been given to Ramdhani, as the actual beneficiary could not be present at the event.
