An old photograph of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann lying on a hospital bed is going viral amid the speculation that the chief minister was admitted to Delhi's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital following a stomach ache after he drank a glassful of water directly from Kali Bien, a rivulet in Punjab.
On 17 July, the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Punjab Twitter handle had released a video of Mann doing so amid loud religious chants. However, the AAP called the hospital visit a regular checkup and denied reports of any infection.
But now a photo, which had early gone viral in 2018, is being linked to it and being recirculated.
CLAIM
The photo is being with a caption that reads, "सीएम भगवंत मान की तबीयत बिगड़ी, दिल्ली के अपोलो अस्पताल में भर्ती, पेट में संक्रमण की खबर आई सामने |"
[Translation: CM Bhagwant Mann's condition has deteriorated, he is admitted in Delhi's Apollo Hospital. It is being reported that he has stomach infection]
An archived version of the post can be viewed here.
(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)
The photo has being shared massively on Facebook.
The photo has being shared widely with the misleading claim.
(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)
WHAT WE FOUND
On conducting a reverse image search on the photo using Google Reverse Image search, we came across an article on India Today from 1 August 2018.
The article used the same image and noted that, as per sources, Mann was hospitalised in Delhi due a kidney-related ailment. No source of the image was mentioned, but it was reported that the image was viral.
News article from 2018.
(Source: India Today/Screenshot)
We also found a news report with the same details on Punjab-based news channel PTC News.
Senior journalist Man Aman Singh Chhina, too, had shared the image on 1 August 2018 stating that Mann's picture had gone viral and speculations ranged from kidney stones to liver problem.
Tweet from August 2018.
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
We also found a Facebook post with the same photo from 31 July 2018.
The fact that the photo existed in 2018 makes it abundantly clear that it isn't a 'recent of Mann'. Further, as per a news report in NDTV, Mann was discharged from the hospital a day after he was hospitalised on 19 July.
WHAT HAPPENED TO MANN RECENTLY?
On 17 July, Punjab Chief Minister, had participated in the 22nd anniversary of cleaning of Kali Bien, a holy rivulet in Sultanpur Lodhi. During his visit, he drank a glass of water directly from the rivulet and announced a statewide campaign to clean all rivers and drains in the state.
Two days after this, it was reported that the chief minister was admitted to Delhi's Apollo Hospital. There has been no clarity from the chief minister's office on the hospitalisation.
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