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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Explosion at RSS-run school in Kerala sparks political row
Palakkad: An explosion at the Vyasa Vidya Peethom primary school in Vadakanthara, Palakkad, has triggered panic and a political controversy in Kerala. The blast occurred on Wednesday evening when a 10-year-old student unknowingly threw an object that turned out to be a country bomb. The child sustained minor injuries, while an elderly woman nearby was also slightly hurt.
Following the incident, police recovered four more similar explosives from the school premises. Preliminary information suggests that the devices may have been kept for trapping wild boars. However, the discovery has sparked sharp political reactions, as the school is managed by RSS workers.
The CPI(M) and Congress alleged that the explosives were linked to RSS activities and intended for creating unrest ahead of the elections. CPI(M) leaders claimed that RSS training camps were previously conducted at the school, while the DYFI demanded statewide raids on RSS shakhas to check for explosives. The BJP-RSS camp dismissed the charges and alleged a conspiracy behind the recovery.
The Palakkad North police have registered a case under the Explosive Substances Act, while district education authorities have initiated a separate inquiry into the matter.
