Viral Newspaper Clip of ‘German Times’ report on Punjab CM being deplaned turns to be a second hoax/ Rashmi Talwar / Kashmir Images

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FOLLOW-UP

Viral Newspaper Clip of ‘German Times’ report on Punjab CM being deplaned turns to be a second hoax

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 20 Sep. 22—

Amidst a political storm caused by reports of alleged “de-boarding of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann by a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt Germany to India”- a viral newspaper clip of German Times with the headline  “Drunk Bhagwant Mann thrown out of Plane” written by Daniel Schutz, turned out to be a second hoax. The clip is actively being circulated on social media and reinforcing the truth in the tale, of the alleged drunkenness of CM leading to him being deplaned along with his protocol entourage, and causing a delay of 4-hours to the Delhi-bound Frankfurt flight.

The first hoax seems to be of a Blue-Tick-marked Journalist Aman Malik who carried a tweet this morning, purportedly from a passenger on the Lufthansa flight, what he claimed to be an eye-witness account. The language of the eyewitness on the tweet seemed to be that of a seasoned media person or a PR, similar to the language used by the first reports on this incident, carried by an online newspaper, that broke the story. The tweet was quickly deleted by the journalist, sensing it to be a hoax. The journalist is now carrying just a retweet of the report of the online paper, but the damage had been done. The tweet is going viral since afternoon today.

Meantime, amid allegations against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for being deplaned from a flight in Germany for “being intoxicated”, Lufthansa Airlines, issued clarification regarding the 4-hour delay of its Delhi-Frankfurt flight.

“Lufthansa News”, in a statement, said that the Frankfurt to Delhi flight departed later than its scheduled time due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change. In response to a user asking about the flight delay, Lufthansa News tweeted, “Our flight from Frankfurt to Delhi departed later than originally planned due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change.” However, the airline is learned to have cited the privacy of passengers and denied any information on whether anyone was deplaned from the Lufthansa’s Delhi-bound flight from Frankfurt.

In another turn of events according to the Indiatoday report-“ The Ministry of Civil Aviation is purportedly going to probe allegations- “Whether Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a Delhi-bound flight at Frankfurt airport in Germany because he was “drunk”.

Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is reported to have said, “This was international soil. We will have to make sure we verify the facts. It is up to Lufthansa to provide data. I’ll  certainly, based on the request sent to me, look into it.”

The Opposition parties- Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Punjab Congress had gone all out and alleged that Mann was barred from the Lufthansa flight because of being in an inebriated state.

All hell broke loose on social networking sites when the former Punjab Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal posted on his Twitter handle about “CM Punjab Bhagwant Mann being deplaned in Frankfurt, Germany allegedly for being drunk”. The online news clipping which the former CM quoted was already viral; carrying it as a tweet on his own handle, the information added fuel to the fire.

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Former Punjab CM lets loose aspersions on Punjab CM of being deplaned in Germany, for being drunk/ Rashmi Talwar/ Kashmir Images

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Former Punjab CM lets loose aspersions on Punjab CM of being deplaned in Germany, for being drunk

Social networking sites abuzz

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 19 Sep. 22–All hell broke loose on social networking sites with the former Punjab Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal posting this morning on his Twitter handle about “CM Punjab Bhagwant Mann being deplaned in Frankfurt, Germany allegedly for being drunk”.

Badal wrote – “Disturbing media reports quoting co-passengers say Pb CM @BhagwantMann was deplaned from  Lufthansa flight as he was too drunk to walk. And it led to a 4-hour flight delay. He missed AAP’s national convention. These reports have embarrassed and shamed Punjabis all over the globe. ½.”

Sharing a screenshot of a write-up by Indianarrative.com, that reads –

“However, an Indian co-passenger, who did not wish to be named, on the same flight alleged in a communication with  indianarrative.com that “the Chief Minister was not steady on his feet as he had consumed excessive alcohol and had to be supported by his wife and security personnel accompanying him.         The passenger said the departure of the flight was delayed by over 4 hours as the luggage of the CM’s entourage which was loaded on the plane had to be taken off.  Punjab government officials tried to prevail upon the Lufthansa flight crew not to deplane Mann as he had to attend many important meeting fixed on the next day but they refused to compromise on their flight safety rules, he added.”

Badal had tagged the twitter handles of major newspapers and media channels as well as news agency PTI and CM Mann along with Kejriwala and added in his second tweet– “Shockingly, Pb govt is mum over these reports involving their CM Bhagwant Mann. Arvind Kejriwala needs to come clean on this issue. Government of India must step in as this involves Punjabi & National pride. If he (Mann) was deplaned, GoI must raise the issue with its German counterpart. 2/2”.

Controversy has broken out last night, on whether Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a Delhi-bound Lufthansa flight in Frankfurt because he was not found fit to travel.

The report vigorously going viral since last night stated –“The Lufthansa website shows that the flight from Frankfurt was scheduled to depart at 1.40 PM (GMT+2) on Saturday and land in Delhi at 12.55 AM IST (GMT+5.30). However, the flight departed from Frankfurt at 5.52 PM (GMT+2) and landed in Delhi at 4.30 AM IST (GMT+5.30) today.

Chander Suta Dogra, director of media communications of AAP told the reporter of the website,- “The Chief Minister was a little unwell and would catch a flight from Frankfurt tonight to return back home,” and added that Mann at present is addressing an AAP conclave of all the party’s elected representatives being held in Delhi via video conferencing. She said all the national TV channels were showing him participating in the sammelan”.

The reports notes -” However, an Indian co-passenger, who did not wish to be named,  on the same flight alleged in communication with  indianarrative.com that “the Chief Minister was not steady on his feet as he had consumed excessive alcohol and had to be supported by his wife and security personnel accompanying him.”

The passenger is alleged to have said-“The departure of the flight was delayed by over 4 hours as the luggage of the CM’s entourage which was loaded on the plane had to be taken off.  Punjab government officials tried to prevail upon the Lufthansa flight crew not to deplane Mann as he had to attend many important meetings fixed on the next day but they refused to compromise on their flight safety rules”, he added.

“Malwinder Singh Kang, AAP spokesman, Chandigarh dismissed the information about Mann having been deplaned since he was drunk as “bakwaas!” People keep saying so many “rubbish things”, he stressed and added that the CM would return in the next two or three days. “Navneet Wadhwa, media in-charge CM’s office said, “Mann Sahib will board a flight today evening  (19th September) from Frankfurt around 4.30 PM (GMT+2) and land in Delhi tonight at around 1 AM (GMT+5.30), adding that as per the schedule available with him the CM was to remain in Germany till September 18. When the reporter questioned, Wadhwa answered- he would send the schedule but admitted that it did not mention any timings of the CM’s departure. Wadhwa did not send the schedule, till late evening yesterday till the filing of the online report.

It may be mentioned that CM Bhagwant Mann, had gone to Germany on September 11 and was to return on September 18. He visited Munich, Frankfurt, and Berlin and sought investments in Punjab. He attended the world’s leading trade fair, DRINKTECb 2022, and was accompanied by his wife and other senior officials besides security personnel.

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