A screenshot of Hindi news outlet TV9 Bharatvarsh’s bulletin has been edited to falsely claim that Maharashtra Chief Minister’s son and state cabinet minister Aditya Thackeray tested positive for HIV/AIDS.
The original bulletin states that Thackeray has tested positive for coronavirus. The Chief Minister’s son also took to Twitter to confirm the news on 20 March 2021. The news broadcast by TV9 Bharatvarsh reads, “CM Uddhav’s son Aaditya Thackeray HIV/AIDS positive.” A Facebook page titled ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’ wrote the caption, “The pot of your sins became full the day the innocent saints were killed in Palghar.” In April last year, two sadhus were beaten to death by a group of locals in Palghar, Maharashtra.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) transmits during the exchange of infected body fluid. The main routes of transmission are unprotected sexual interaction; blood transfusion that is not tested for HIV; sharing of needles, syringes, other injecting equipment; from mother to infant during pregnancy, child birth or breastfeeding. HIV infection directly affects the immune system the fighter of the body that protects one from contracting infections and diseases and makes an individual prone to other infections. Nutritional deficiencies further weaken the immune system which in turn can affect HIV disease progression and mortality. Adequate nutrition, which is best achieved through the consumption of a balanced healthy diet, is vital for health and survival for all individuals but more so for HIV infected people as they need extra immunity to safeguard themselves from viral infections and diseases.
The original bulletin on TV9 Bharatvarsh’s YouTube channel, dated 20 March 2021. The bulletin states that CM Uddhav Thackeray’s son had tested positive for COVID-19. A comparison of the edited image with a screenshot of the original news bulletin can be seen below. While the rest of the bulletin is in Hindi, ‘HIV/AIDS’ has been added in English.
Meanwhile, the user, ‘@OfficeofSid’ whose watermark can be seen on the viral image had been temporarily taken down by Twitter for violating its media policy. Aditya Thackeray also confirmed the news on Twitter, stating that he had tested COVID-positive and was experiencing mild symptoms.
Thus, the news is edited and rumors are spread about the cabinet minister.
