CLAIM
Karnataka BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje on Monday, 6 April, took to Twitter to claim that eight out of 70 Tablighis from Belagavi who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event at Delhi’s Nizamuddin had tested positive for coronavirus. Adding that the results of the rest were yet to come, she also claimed that the Tablighis in quarantine wards were misbehaving and spitting everywhere.
The video shows what appears to be a packed quarantine ward where some people are lying down or sitting on beds. The person making the video shows three people standing outside an open window interacting with each other and then focuses the camera on a person inside the ward who can be seen dancing briefly.
The MP’s tweet had over 800 likes and more than 500 retweets at the time this story was published. The video in her tweet, meanwhile, had over 11,000 views.
TRUE OR FALSE?
The claim by Karandlaje is false and builds upon multiple reports, some even disputed, that members of the Tablighi Jamaat who have been quarantined have been misbehaving with hospital staff. In fact, in this case, the hospital has also issued a clarification about the claim.
WHAT WE FOUND
After Karandlaje’s tweet, the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) on Monday evening issued a press release, talking about the video.
Undersigned by Dr Vinay Bastikop, the director of the institute, the release states that unlike Karandlaje’s claim, 33 Tablighis with travel had been admitted to BIMS and that their results had all been received on 3 April evening, showing only three of them to be COVID-19 positive.
Karandlaje had claimed that 70 Tablighis had attended the event and that eight had tested positive so far. Rest of the results were still awaited.
Stating that the video was taken by one of the suspected positive cases at the time when they were being separated from the negative cases, the release adds that the infected patients were not roaming around the hospital freely and have been kept in an isolation ward.
Moreover, as one can see, there is no actual evidence in the video that the Tablighis are misbehaving or spitting as she claims. The release from the hospital also makes this point, saying that the quarantined people have been counselled on following hygiene measures.
Further, Dr Bastikop says in the letter that he has not received any complaints from the doctors about any behavioural problems from the positive patients.
Additionally, The News Minute reported that Belagavi Deputy Commissioner SB Bommanahalli denied any such behaviour on the part of the positive cases, saying that the people quarantined in the district were not spitting or misbehaving with health workers.
PREVIOUS FALSE CLAIMS
Karandlaje is no stranger to making false claims. Earlier too, she was been caught spreading fake news.
In July 2017, Karandlaje had written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, claiming that 23 Hindu activists had been killed by jihadi elements in over 4 years in Karnataka. However, it later proved to be inaccurate.
In May 2019, Karandlaje also claimed that a 19-year-old boy, Shivu Uppar, was murdered and hanged at Bagewadi bus stand in Belagavi, Karnataka. In a tweet, she alleged that he was murdered because he was protecting cows from cow smugglers. But the claim made was false.
(With inputs from The News Minute.)
You can read all our fact-checked stories on coronavirus here.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)