A video of a man losing his balance and falling on a cricket pitch while attempting to bat has recently been shared online, misidentifying the individual as the newly elected Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Bhajan Lal Sharma.
BOOM found that the video shows Biju Janata Dal MLA Bhupinder Singh sustaining injuries while attempting to bat in Odisha's Narla town, following the inauguration of a cricket tournament. In the 13-second video, a man can be seen falling on a cricket pitch while attempting to strike a ball with his bat. As the person hits the ground, some men recording the incident rush to assist him.
The Hindi caption with the video translates to, "Chief Minister of Rajasthan..!! Bhajanlal's amazing shot..!!"
(Original Text in Hindi: राजस्थान के मुखमंत्री..!! भजनलाल का अदभुद शॉर्ट..!!)
Click here to view the post.
Fact Check
BOOM conducted a reverse image search on a keyframe from the viral video and found an X post by Odisha TV dated December 25, 2023, featuring the same footage.
The post in Odia identified the individual as Bhupinder Singh, from Biju Janata Dal.
Click here to view the post.
We also came across a video report by the Odisha-based channel Kanak News, dated December 25, 2023, with additional details about the incident. The report mentioned that the incident took place in Odisha's Narla, where Bhupinder Singh, a BJD MLA, stumbled and fell on a cricket pitch.
According to a report by the news agency Press Trust of India, published on The Week on December 26, 2023, "BJD MLA Bhupinder Singh was injured when he lost balance and fell on a cricket pitch after inaugurating a sporting event at Belkhandi in Kalahandi district on Monday, officials said."
The report also mentioned that the 72-year-old BJD MLA was promptly taken to a nearby community health center for immediate treatment following the incident.
