Manmohan Singh's Old Photo At A Hospital Viral As His Final Moments

Singh was an economist and served as the 13th Prime Minister of India between 2004 and 2014. He passed away on December 26 at 92 due to age-related health issues. He had been undergoing treatment at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

A viral photo, allegedly showing him bedridden in a hospital, has been circulating on social media, misrepresented as his last image. The claim stated, “Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dies at the age of 92. The last picture of him from the AIIMS, which has made the whole country emotional. This picture testifies their final moments and creates deep grief in the heart of every Indian…”

Viral Facebook post. Archive link.

Fact-check

BOOM conducted a reverse image search which revealed that the viral image was cropped and originally taken in 2021. News reports from The Tribune and Zee News featured the uncropped image, which includes former Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and a doctor.

The Tribune's video shows the full image with Mandaviya and a doctor, as well as additional footage of Singh’s wife, Gursharan Kaur. Similarly, Zee News displayed the uncropped photo and reported that Mandaviya had visited Singh at AIIMS to inquire about his health. “Earlier, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited the former prime minister and enquired about his health from the doctors treating him.

In a tweet in Hindi, Mandaviya said that he met former prime minister Manmohan Singh at AIIMS, New Delhi and enquired about his health. The health minister wished Manmohan Singh a speedy recovery," the report stated.

We also came across a 2021 news report about Mandaviya drawing flak for clicking a picture with the ailing former PM. “Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday landed in controversy over visiting former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in AIIMS with a photographer and getting clicked with the ailing leader in a hospital bed "against the wishes" of the family.” Deccan Herald reported.

During this year's Lok Sabha elections, Singh cast his vote from home using the home voting facility. According to the office of Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), as reported by Deccan Herald: “Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former Union minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi successfully cast their votes on May 17 from their home availing home voting facility in the New Delhi parliamentary constituency.”