Video of dead patient in Bengal hospital uploaded by Union minister sparks controversy

A video posted on social media by Union minister Babul Supriyo of a dead patient allegedly lying in the isolation ward of a state-run hospital here has stoked a controversy with the West Bengal government questioning its veracity and asserting that the opposition BJP "specialises" in spreading fake news.

Supriyo, who posted the video on Twitter, claimed that it was in the public domain and urged the ruling Trinamool Congress to urgently investigate the matter.

"This is a shocking video... Since this VDO is in the public domain, I wud request Honble WBCM @MamataOfficial to conduct a thorough enquiry into it & release the FACTs asap," the minister of state for environment, forest and climate change wrote on the micro-blogging site.

Senior West Bengal minister and TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said the authenticity of the video needs to be looked into and if the contents are found to be true then the administration will take appropriate steps.

"We have to first check whether the video is true or fake, as we all know that the BJP specialises in spreading fake videos," Chatterjee alleged.

Supriyo, in another subsequent tweet, said till now the state government has not claimed that the video is fake, which "takes us very close to believing it is indeed authentic".

The union minister also called on the Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation to clear the air over reports that use of mobile phones have been banned in hospitals in the state after the video became viral.