CLAIM
Amid the rising tensions over the novel coronavirus, a message is being circulated widely on social media claiming that Indian business tycoon and chairman of Wipro, Azim Premji, has donated Rs 50,000 crores to fight COVID-19.
This comes at a time when COVID-19 has claimed 32 lives and has infected over 1,200 people in India.
A Twitter user named Ashok Swain shared a news report by NDTV that claimed Azim Premji donated Rs 50,000 crores and further wrote, “Why not 'Hindu' billionaires like Ambani and Adani?”
The news was also shared by others, including journalist Faye D’Souza.
A Facebook user shared the same claim as well.
OLD NEWS ARTICLE SHARED
On clicking on the NDTV article shared by Twitter users, we found that it was dated 15 March 2019. The article mentions that Azim Premji had donated Rs 50,000 crores to charity which took the total value of his philanthropic donation to Rs 1,45,000 crores.
Further in a statement to CNBC-TV18, Wipro clarified that the donation was made in March last year.
Evidently, an old philanthropic donation by Azim Premji is being shared with false claims that it has been made during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
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