Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Photos prove that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee faked her recent head injury.
Fact
Viral images are unrelated. The photo showing Banerjee with a band-aid is actually of her addressing the media following a car accident in January 2024.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee recently suffered a major injury to her forehead after a fall at her home, following which she received stitches and was later discharged from the hospital, according to media reports.
However, several social media users are circulating two images, one of which shows the All India Trinamool Congress chairperson with a deep cut in the middle of her forehead, while the other purportedly shows Banerjee delivering a speech after her discharge, with a band-aid slightly away (on the left side of her head, above the eyebrow) from the wound. The users, through the photos, insinuate that the West Bengal CM faked her injury and that the ”fall” was merely a publicity stunt ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The archived version of the tweets can be seen here and here.
Fact Check
Nerwschecker found that the All India Trinamool Congress had tweeted out photos of Banerjee’s injury, with the bleeding wound clearly seen on the middle of her forehead, on March 14, 2024.
We then ran a relevant keyword search, which led us to this TimesNow report, dated January 24, 2024, showing Banerjee with a band-aid slightly above her eyebrow.
“West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee addressed the media after meeting governor CV Ananda Bose. She had a bandage on her forehead as she sustained an injury on her forehead while returning from Burdwan to Kolkata by road earlier today after her car applied sudden brakes as another car suddenly came in front of the CM’s convoy,” read the report. Similar reports on the accident can be seen here and here.
A further search led us to this ABP Ananda report, dated January 24, 2024, sharing a video of Banerjee speaking after the accident.
A comparison of the viral image (left) with a frame of the ABP video (right) clearly shows that it is the same incident. A Lokmat Times report on the accident, dated January 24, 2024, sharing a similar photo, further confirms that the viral image of Banerjee with a band-aid above her eyebrow is an old photo.
Also Read: Pak Based Power Firm Did Not Buy Electoral Bonds In India, Here’s What Our Ground Report Reveals
Conclusion
An old photo of Mamata Banerjee addressing the media after a car accident falsely linked to her recent injury to the forehead after a fall at her home.
Result: False
Source
Times Now report, January 24, 2024
ABP Ananda report, January 24, 2024
Lokmat Times report, January 24, 2024
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
