Social media is rife with rumours of the death of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. A picture of a body lying in a hearse is being circulated on social media platforms with captions falsely claiming that Yadav died while being treated at AIIMS Delhi.
BOOM spoke to Rashtriya Janta Dal spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan who refuted the viral claim.
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The viral picture shows a body lying in a hearse. 'Very unfortunate. Former chief minister of Bihar and former Railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav passed away while receiving treatement in AIIMS Delhi,' a Hindi caption with the photo claims.
(Hindi: बहुत दु:खद बिहार के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री देश के रेल मंत्री रह चुके लालू प्रसाद यादव की ईलाज दिल्ली AIIMS के दौरान मृत्यु हो गई।)
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The image has been shared by multiple social media users. View here.
Fact Check
BOOM looked for news reports on Lalu Yadav's health condition. We found several news reports quoting Rashtriya Janata Dal spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan stating that the RJD supremo is in good health and is recuperating at his elder daughter's home in Delhi. Read reports here and here.
Speaking to India Today, Gagan said that 'some people on social media are spreading false and baseless rumours about RJD supremo Lalu Yadav's health as part of a well-planned conspiracy'.
Additionally, BOOM also went through the social media profiles of Lalu Prasad Yadav's sons Tejaswi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav. The Twitter handles and Facebook pages of both his sons have no posts related to Yadav's alleged death.
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BOOM also reached out to the Rashtriya Janata Dal office in Delhi for more information on the viral news. An office bearer refuted the viral claim. We also spoke to RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan who refuted the viral claim. "He is recuperating at Misa Bharati's (his daughter) residence in Delhi," Gagan told BOOM.
Yadav, 74, is suffering from a number of health conditions. Earlier in March this year, Yadav was admitted in AIIMS Delhi for kidney related ailments.
A special CBI court had sentenced Yadav in connection with a fifth case linked to the Bihar fodder scam in February 2022. "He was given five years imprisonment and a fine of ₹60 lakh after being convicted of embezzling ₹139 crore from Doranda treasury," the Hindustan Times reported.