On March 16, 2022, Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhagwant Mann was sworn-in as Punjab Chief Minister. Following this, a claim went viral on social media platforms that Mann is the state’s youngest Chief Minister.
A Facebook user shared the image with a caption in Punjabi that translates to, “#Bhagwant_Manan took over as 17th/28th Chief Minister of Punjab #BhagwantMann #DhuriCity #CMCity #CMPunjab.”
“”Bhagwant Singh Mann has been elected the 28th Chief Minister of Punjab. He’s is the youngest CM of Punjab at the age of 48,” the text on the image reads.
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the viral post and found it to be misleading.
On performing relevant keyword searches, we found an Indian Express report dated March 15, 2012. According to the article, Shiromani Akali Dal leader, Parkash Singh Badal became the youngest Chief Minister of Punjab at the age of 42 in 1970. Badal also became the eldest CM of the state in 2012 when he was 84-years-old.
On checking further on SAD website, we found more details about Badal. He was born on December 8, 1927. He was first elected to the Punjab state assembly in 1957 and in 1970 he became the youngest Chief Minister of an Indian state after he was re-elected to the Assembly in 1969.
Incidentally, Mann was born in 1973 and is presently 48-years-old, which makes him the second youngest Chief Minister of Punjab.
Hence, with the above information, it can be concluded that the viral claim is misleading.
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