Rumours regarding the death of senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan started doing the rounds on social media platforms, prompting Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to tweet his condolences. Tharoor, however, retracted his statement soon after BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya and others pointed out that the news about demise of Mahajan was fake and that she was hale and hearty.
Vijayvargiya tweeted back to Tharoor, informing him that Mahajan is perfectly healthy. Tharoor later deleted his tweet and said that he was relieved that Mahajan is doing fine.
"I am relieved if that is so. I received this from what I thought was a reliable source. Happy to retract and appalled that anyone would make up such news," he said in a tweet while replying to a message that she was fine.
Responding to Vijayvargiya, Tharoor said: "Thanks @kailashOnline. I have deleted my tweet. I wonder what motivates people to invent and spread such evil news that takes in people. My best wishes for Sumitra ji's health and long life."
"How am I sounding?. I am as healthy as my voice," Mahajan told a reporter, who called up to enquire about her health after Tharoor's tweet.
The former Lok Sabha speaker's son Mandar also put out a video clip, saying his mother is perfectly fine.
"My mother is perfectly fine. Please do not rely on false news being spread about her. Her COVID report is negative. I met her only in the evening and she is healthy," he said in the video.
Mahajan was admitted to the Bombay hospital in Indore on Wednesday after she had mild fever.
Mahajan, 78, was the Lok Sabha speaker from 2014 to 2019. She had earlier represented the Indore Lok Sabha constituency in Parliament for eight terms.
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