ANI posts misleading tweet linking Muslims to Manipur viral video, deletes later
New Delhi: ANI, South Asia's leading multimedia news agency, faced backlash after deleting a misleading tweet related to the Manipur viral video case, where two women were paraded naked. The now-deleted tweet wrongly suggested that Manipur police had created a Muslim angle to blame for the issue.
On July 21st, Manipur Police took to Twitter to share information about the arrest of four prime accused involved in the heinous crime of abduction and gangrape under Nongpok Sekmai Police Station in Thoubal District. In another tweet, they mentioned the arrest of one individual, identified as Md Ibungo alias Abdul Hilim, who is a cadre of the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) Pro, by Imphal East District Police.
However, ANI combined these two separate cases and tweeted, "Manipur Viral: 'One cadre of People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) Pro namely Md Ibungo alias Abdul Hilim (38) of Imphal East was arrested by Imphal East District Police. A total of three main accused of the heinous crime of abduction and gangrape under Nongpok Sekmai PS, Thoubal District have been arrested: Manipur Police."
The misleading tweet triggered reactions from BJP members and right-wing groups, who used it to create a false Muslim angle to blame for the incident. The tweet was also shared by several right-wing accounts and news sites, including NDTV, leading to the spread of misinformation.
Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Alt News, exposed the misinformation on his Twitter account and shared screenshots with factual evidence, questioning ANI's negligence in verifying the information. After facing criticism and realizing the error, ANI deleted the tweet and issued an apology on Twitter, expressing regret for the misinformation.
However, Zubair pointed out that the apology came after a considerable delay, and had ANI clarified their mistake immediately, the fake news wouldn't have gone viral. The incident highlights the importance of responsible reporting and fact-checking in the fast-paced world of social media and news dissemination.
Hello @smitaprakash, @ANI first tweeted this and later delete the tweet. Was it because this was an unrelated case?
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) July 20, 2023
According to @manipur_police, Four main accused were arrested by Thoubal District police. And the other person arrested by Imphal East district police was for… pic.twitter.com/0SeH6DXHbR
Note on Story retraction and APOLOGY: Yesterday evening, inadvertently a tweet was posted by ANI regarding arrests undertaken by the Manipur Police. This was based on an erroneous reading of tweets posted by the Manipur police as it was confused with an earlier tweet regarding…
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2023
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
