Fact Check: False rumors of Bhutanese King's visit to Guwahati for Zubeen Garg's funeral

Guwahati: A social media post by Assamese news channel Prag News has been debunked as false, after it claimed that Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was set to arrive in Guwahati to pay his respects to the late Assam's beloved singer Zubeen Garg.

The news, which spread rapidly across social media platforms, caused a stir and was met with strong reactions from the Bhutanese King's office.

On Friday, Prag News published a post on its Facebook page stating that the King of Bhutan was expected to arrive in Guwahati shortly to pay his last respects to the immensely popular and beloved singer.

However, officials from the King's office were quick to refute the claim, stating unequivocally that there was no such plan for the monarch to visit Assam at this time.

Speaking to Northeast Now, the Bhutanese King's Office clarified that while the king has no current plans to visit Assam, he and his office extend their heartfelt condolences over the sudden and tragic death of Zubeen Garg. The officials also conveyed the King's anger and displeasure at the spread of such false and baseless news.

While the King himself will not be visiting, a delegation from Bhutan has already paid tribute to the late singer.

An official confirmed that Sonam Tashi, a Senior Finance Officer with the Bhutanese government, paid his respects to Zubeen Garg at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati on Monday. The delegation also conveyed the condolences of the Bhutanese people to the bereaved family.

The false news story originated after the tragic and untimely death of Zubeen Garg, who passed away on Friday while swimming in the sea in Singapore. The beloved singer's death has plunged Assam and the entire Northeast into a state of mourning, and the outpouring of grief and condolences has been immense.

Prag News has since deleted the post, but a screenshot remains available with Northeast Now.