False claim of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s demise viral on social media

Many social media users recently claimed that former Railway Minister and ex-Chief Minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, passed away. Sharing a photo of the leader, users wrote, “Very sad news, former Railway Minister and ex-Chief Minister of Bihar, a fearless leader, Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav passed away…. May he rest in peace and may his family find the patience to deal with this adversity.”

On February 3, Facebook user Sanjay Meena posted this claim in a group called ‘Rajasthan’s magician Ashok Gehlot’ (राजस्थान का जादूगर अशोक गहलोत). It drew over 2,000 likes. In the comments, however, several users have pointed out that the news of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s death is false.

The claim has spread to Twitter as well.

बेहद दुःखद खबर
पूर्व रेल मंत्री एवं बिहार के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री , दबंग छवि के नेता श्री लालू प्रसाद यादव का निधन….।
ईश्वर उनकी आत्मा को शान्ति प्रदान करें एवं परिवार जन को सब्रे जमील अता फरमायें। pic.twitter.com/WzBAoqEaN2

— Shiv Pratap Harsana (@shiv_harsana) February 3, 2021

False rumour

Had a senior leader passed away, the news would have made headlines. Lalu Prasad Yadav, currently serving sentence in the fodder scam case, has been suffering from health problems and undergoing treatment. According to Jansatta’s February 6 report, “Lalu Prasad Yadav’s health is reported to be poor for a long time. Tejashwi Yadav said that his kidney function is down to 25 per cent. A few days ago, his condition was said to be critical. After this, he was brought to AIIMS in Delhi from RIMS via air ambulance.”

Therefore, the news of Lalu Yadav’s death is merely a rumour. The senior politician is ill and suffering from health issues.