A video is being circulated by several social media users, including some BJP leaders, to claim that it shows the “last moments” of owner of spice brand MDH 'Mahashay' Dharampal Gulati, who passed away at the age of 98 on Thursday, 3 December.
However, Rakesh Ahuja, the man singing in the viral video and the hospital administration told The Quint that the video is not a recent one and is from September-October 2019.
CLAIM
The video was shared by BJP’s National Secretary Sunil Deodhar with the claim: “अंतिम क्षणों में भी इच्छा थी देशभक्ति के गीत सुनने की। 97 वर्ष आयु के MDH मसाले के सर्वेसर्वा स्वर्गवासी महाशय धरमपाल गुलाटी जी को कोटि-कोटि प्रणाम।”
(Translated: Even in the last moments, he wanted to listen to patriotic songs. 97-year-old MDH spice's late owner Mahashay Dharampal Gulatiji, many many salutes.)
The video was also shared by ABP News journalist Vikas Bhadauria and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri with a similar narrative.
Vedant Birla, chairman of the Board, Birla Precision Technologies Ltd, too, followed suit and shared the video, mentioning that it showed the “last breaths” of MDH’s owner.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
While scanning through the replies on the video shared by ABP News journalist Vikas Bhadauria, we found that a user Gagan Ahuja had said that the man singing in the video is his relative Rakesh Ahuja.
We also came across a post shared by Ahuja on Facebook which carried the viral video and mentioned that Mahashay' Dharampal Gulati had not been keeping well since almost a year.
The post further mentioned that Rakesh Ahuja, the man seen singing in the video, had gone to meet him and sang MDH owner’s favourite song, upon consultation with the doctors.
Speaking to The Quint, Rakesh Ahuja said:
“The viral video is from September-October 2019. Mahashay Dharampalji had fallen down, so I had gone to meet him in the hospital and that’s when I sang a song for him. We have close family relations with him. He had asked me to sing this song and even the doctors said that we have to make him energetic.”
Ahuja also told us that the video was taken in Mata Chanan Devi Hospital in New Delhi. We then reached out to the administration department of the hospital, who too confirmed that the video is old.
“While I can’t confirm the exact date of the video since ‘Mahashay’ Dharampal was admitted at the hospital several times, however, it does not show his last moments,” he said.
Evidently, a video from last year was shared by several prominent personalities to claim that it showed the last moments of MDH owner, 'Mahashay' Dharampal Gulati.
(With inputs from SM Hoax Slayer)
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