The trap of fake news
Since the last two days, there is a news from Kerala that’s making rounds across the social media. The tweet titled as ‘Hindu woman brutally attacked, and god’s statue desecrated in Kerala’ has originated from Shanknaad. ‘Why is Bollywood silent over this?’ is the next query put up by this originator of the news. The same Shankhnaad had tweeted a very instigating and provocative message during Kathua rape case stating Hindu temples were being destroyed in the region when people took out a march demanding justice for the little girl raped and murdered. Ironically enough, a lot of ‘important’ and ‘prominent’ people in the society have responded to this tweet. General public is comparing the fake news of vandalizing of Hindu temple against the Kathua rape case, to debate on ‘secularism’ being the weakest link. This tweet is used to defend unimaginable arguments on the social media. It’s vileness is unbelievable.
But tragically and ironically enough, this news and images of a woman being attacked is not even a news from India. The fake news buster website ‘Alt News’ published that this story is fake and put out an article exposing the origin of this story. It was shocking. Shankhanaad has used the news and images/pictures of a woman being attacked in Chittagong in Bangladesh. It is more than six months old.
This lady, the resident of Bangladesh was being attacked by her neighbours Pradeep Ghosh and Biswajeet. They had barged into her house to assault her, and had harmed the Gods’ idols and other holy articles she had kept in her house. This news was published in Bangladeshi facebook page.
The team Shankhnaad, took this news and turned it around to suit its vile narrative to mislead the people who believe just about everything that gets circulated on the social media. A group called ‘We support Narendra Modi’ had shared this widely too. Shankhnaad is known for its appetite of generating and sharing fake news. Their fake news stories often get deleted if people call out their fake news game in large numbers. By then the news would have travelled far and wide.
Some groups are sharing this incident that occurred in 2015, and are linking this to something more gruesome that happened now. A news about a girl called ‘Geetha’ being raped is being circulated now. However, there has been no official confirmation yet on this incident. After the Kathua rape case, even the most secular and progressive minds are sharing this news, responding to it and are falling into the trap created by the radical forces. In the recent times, a website called ‘Post Card’ was also in news for the same reason. It had tried to create unrest in the society by convoluting the news of a jain monk injured in accident, as that of a monk being attacked by Muslims.
A case was registered against the owner of Post Card, he was arrested and later released. But ironically enough, leaders of a particular party stood by him, defended him and called it an attack on the freedom of press. Among those who defended Post Card was Mysuru-Kodagu Member of Parliament Pratap Simha. In just three days after he openly defended Post Card, Pratap Simha was made member of committee which was to be the watch dog of the media. The situation is now very conducive for anyone to create and circulate fake news. A few outfits that are closely linked with political forces are carrying out this work in connivance with the radical organisations that already exist. They work in tandem with fake news sites like Post Card, Shankh Naad etc. Their main agenda is to diver people from more important issues where the government is failing. On one hand Modi government has been unsuccessful in delivering a good administration. The effect of note ban still continues to haunt people. People are not getting money in the ATMs. Petrol and diesel rates are skyrocketing day by day. And during times of distress such as this, fake news generating and circulating sites have the main job of diverting people’s attention from basic things such as livelihood, to a sense of feeling communally insecure.
India lost good reputation after Kathua incident occurred. Our country had to lose its face before other countries and international agencies. People condemned it across gender, religion and faith. This incident was denounced not because it was a case or rape alone, but for the obvious seeds of communal disharmony it carried in itself.
Some lawyers taking to streets to defend the accused, and people’s harsh criticism to this; prompted sites like Post Card and Shankh Naad to create and circulate fake news. Their intention was to silence the protests by way of raising questions like ‘why are the Kathua sympathizers not criticizing this?’
Not only that, they even tried creating a narrative that the girl was not raped at all in Kathua case. All this was a part of creating a supporting space, among people for the rape accused. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already announced a vigilance committee to check the circulation of fake news. Though Shankh Naad and Fake News are spreading lies and canards at the drop of a hat, the committee has displayed a very selective blindness towards them. Because all these lies and baseless rumours help the Sangh Parivar and the current party that’s in power in the centre. Hence, the government is also being blind to this.
At the same time, those members of media who went to bust the fake news and rumours are being hounded by the government. For all these reasons, just as the media needs to have its own regulatory mechanism to check the genuinity of the news, even the readers need to apply the same to their discretion.
The alert citizens need to check the veracity of whatever news is circulated in the social media before believing it or circulating it further. The social media today is a massive khedda of fake news. And the casualties would be everyone who consumes it and circulates it. Sometimes even the most alert citizens may suffer owing to this. Hence it is everyone’s duty to fight against such divisive forces to keep the society healthy and safe for our children.
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
