“इतना गांजा फूंका है कि प्रेस वाली भी नाक बंध कर ली, ये है झारखंड के मुख्यमंत्री महोदय।, जय हो खाजपा (He has smoked so much cannabis that even the journalist held her breath. This is Jharkhand’s Chief Minister. Jai ho Khajpa.)” – read a message shared with an image of ABP News journalist Nidhi who can be seen holding her nose while interviewing Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Raghubar Das. The post was made by a Facebook page Abhijit Raj who describes himself as a Congress politician. He has now taken down the image, however, its screenshot can be seen below.
Several individual users also circulated the same imagery with the identical claim.
इ देखो झारखंड के मुख्यमंत्री को ……………. शुद्ध देशी महुआ मार के बयानबाजी कर रहा है ससुरा । भगवान बचाये इन रिपोर्टरों को संडास जैसी गंध से……………
Posted by Beettoo Godiet on Monday, 27 May 2019
The photograph was also shared on Twitter.
इतना गांजा फूंका है कि प्रेस वाली भी नाक बंद कर ली, ये है झारखण्ड के मुख्यमंत्री महोदय, जय हो @INCJharkhand @IYCJharkhand @drajoykumar pic.twitter.com/qy4LxsA6cX
— पं. अविराम चौबे (@viramchaubey) May 28, 2019
What is the truth?
The claim shared on social media is false. ABP News journalist Nidhi herself clarified the same via a tweet.
I was clicked while I was rubbing my nose which is a common. I refute all the social media claims which wrongly state that I had covered my nose because of any undesirable smell.@dasraghubar @ceojharkhand pic.twitter.com/o7GzReDRJL
— nidhi (@social_nidhia) May 28, 2019
Nidhi did not cover her nose because of a smell of drugs from Chief Minister Raghubar Das but was merely rubbing her nose. This was earlier debunked by Dainik Bhaskar.
