An old photo of Bharatiya Janata Party's West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh lying on a hospital bed flanked by two persons who are not wearing masks is viral with false captions linking it to COVID-19. The picture shows Ghosh flanked by BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on one side and another person whose back is towards the camera.
BOOM found out that while Ghosh had tested positive for Coronavirus on October 16 and was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata, the viral picture is from 2018 and is being shared with a false claim.
The vital stats of the Medinipur MP indicate that he is stable now, stated a Times of India report published on October 17.
The viral picture shows Ghosh lying on the bed while BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya stands by the bedside. There is another person in the frame whose back is towards the camera. None of the persons seen in the picture are wearing masks.
The caption with the viral post reads 'Meeting #COVID Positive Dilip Ghosh without wearing any Mask. Only BJP Leaders can Show Such Courage'.
Also read Bihar Minister Shares Photo From Hyderabad To Show Development In State
Fact Check
We did a reverse image search on the viral picture and found that the original image is at least two years old.
BOOM found an article published in Kolkata 24x7 on January 28, 2018 which carried the same image. The report stated that Ghosh had been admitted to AMRI Salt Lake and later shifted to AMRI Mukundapur. One can see 'AMRI Hospital' written on the screen of a medical device behind Ghosh.
The same image can be seen in a Bangladesh-based web portal Bangladesh Ekattor.
Both the articles stated that Ghosh was being treated for 'waist pain'. Indian Express reported that the BJP leader had undergone a surgery under Dr. GR Vijaykumar.