Fact Check: No, This Image Does NOT Show Balasaheb Thackeray Giving Blessings To Eknath Shinde

Amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra, a picture is being shared on social media with a claim, showing Balasaheb Thackeray giving blessings to rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde.

The image is bring shared with the claim: “In an old photo, Balasaheb Thackeray giving blessings with tilak to Eknath Shinde.”

Here’s the link to the above post.

FACT CHECK 

NewsMobile fact-checked the post, and found it to be false.

We put the picture through a Reverse Image Search and found the same image in a report by Lokmat, dated May 15, 2022. As per the caption of the image, the picture is of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe.

The Marathi caption (in English translation) says: “Balasaheb’s only question to Anand Dighe unlisted final; Uddhav Thackeray recalls.”