Dakshina Kannada district Corona Warriors to fight fake news
Mangaluru: A group of netizens in Dakshina Kannada district has formed an anti-fake news team during the coronavirus outbreak, calling themselves DK Corona Warriors.
The team comprises 483 volunteers registered with the department of information and public relations in response to an appeal by the state government.
The citizens' group has people from all walks of life representing the diversity of DK district, a release here said.
The primary mandate for the Corona Warriors is to fight fake news and broadcast authentic, helpful information to citizens of the district during the lockdown period.
They are involved in daily reporting of lockdown status, issues in their neighbourhoods and spreading the message of social distancing and usage of masks.
The group is also committed to supporting the district administration in relief works and emergency situations.
The warriors are organised into nine taluk groups. The broadcast messages are curated by a core group of four, assisted by an investigation and technology team of 18 people.
The group has broadcast 81 messages between March 31 and April 6 which includes 25 fake alerts. Of these, six were local fake news investigated and busted by the team.
Every time a group member reports a piece of suspicious, fake or inflammatory news, the core team takes it up for investigation.
If the probe teams findings are conclusive, a fake news alert is prepared (often in both Kannada and English) which is shared in the taluk groups.
Apart from the focus on information and fake alert broadcasting, the group is also sharing information about relief needs in various parts of the district and solving issues.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
